UNIDENTIFIED CRAFT

I would think it very unlikely to have been used in downed aircraft crew recovery, surely it would have been too small to go out in all weathers for that purpose. Just compare it with the size of the ASR craft pictured elsewhere on this web site. You could try posting your query on this web site http://www.asrmcs-club.com/boatswebsite

I would think that this craft was mainly built for use on fairly calm waters. When you consider that the 'freeboard' (the area of hull which is white in colour) does not provide much depth for good sea keeping qualities. Therefore if you saw this craft in rough sea conditions I would imagine it would be very unstable. I suggest therefore  that it is more likely for use on calm waters with possible 'hull planing' characteristics. Also (as is stated in the last posting) it is a bit small for ASR service.  HSL's such as the craft that were used by the RAF Air Sea Rescue vessels were a lot larger enabling them to get out to (and back quickly from) any downed aircrew etc . Chris Young ( Shipwright / Boatbuilder )

Sorry Gary, but having served on the RAF Air Sea Rescue launches in the 60's and 70's I can be very sure that craft would not have been used for ASR purposes within the RAF. I agree entirely with Chris's posting re freeboard and stability etc.

Without the cabin and fins it may have been basically used as a lifeboat in the event of a plane going down. There are examples of a similiar type of craft that were dropped to downed aircrew by search planes during the last war.

Further to my last comment the RAF Coastal Command used this type of craft to drop to downed airmen, designed by Uffa Fox and built by Saunders Roe. The Americans later took the design one step further and used them for downed airmen in the Pacific, the US ones were called Higgins boats and built of aluminium.