Flying log books of Flight Lieutenant Hyman (Harry) Schneider, 1942-1945

Flight Lieutenant Schneider flew in Coastal Command. In May 1945, he was a pilot with No. 120 Squadron flying the Consolidated Liberator out of RAF Ballykelly.

Schneider's log book entry for 7 May 1945 shows he was the pilot on an anti-submarine patrol. This patrol departed Ballykelly at 0500 and returned to base at 1754. During the patrol Schneider's crew observed a wake and made an attack, his logbook records that they 'attacked object which turned out to be a whale - phew!!!' Schneider would have made this entry after learning that Germany had formally surrendered Schneider's entry for 7 May 1945 is followed by 'EXPIRATION OF TOUR and he was able to celebrate VE Day on 8 May. For other pilots in No. 120 Squadron, however, VE Day was a day of operational flying with eight sorties having to be completed as part of a new intensive operational programme of patrols, escorts and photographic work as German submarines surfaced and surrendered.