Operating from its home base at US Station 365 Halesworth in Suffolk in 1945, Consolidated OA-10A Catalina 44-33915, named ‘Miss Pick Up’, was scrambled to assist another Catalina which had been sent to rescue the crew of a downed B-24 Liberator in the North Sea. The aircraft had found itself in difficulties having landed on extremely rough seas. 

Managing to locate the other Catalina, ‘Miss Pick Up’ flew over it several times, sending back location coordinates to other units, before being relieved by other aircraft. 

She was then directed to try and locate the position of a P-51D Mustang pilot who had been reported as ditching in the sea off the coast of the Dutch Island of Schiermonnikoog. 

Unfortunately, when landing to attempt the rescue, one of the Catalina’s engines failed and it was unable to take off again or move further away from the enemy coast, so she dropped her anchor to avoid drifting further. 

The following day, the stricken Catalina came under attack by a pair of Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters from Jagdgeschwader 7, with the German jets making two devastating strafing passes against the mighty amphibian. 

Thankfully, a flight of USAAF Mustangs chased the Luftwaffe fighters away, but whilst this saved the lives of the crew, ‘Miss Pick Up’ herself was mortally wounded and soon sank to the bottom of the North Sea.