“Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.”
Ernest Hemingway
Thirty-five merchant ships had narrow 26 m long flat building crane like structures fitted to their bows, carrying an adapted Hurricane, support crew and pilot with many aircraft and volunteers like Durban born BG Stapleton, being “Battle of Britain” veterans.
Launched by a rocket-driven catapult, a hazardously dangerous one-way flight facing enemy fire ended once fuel was expended and the pilot had to ditch in the sea close to the convoy with low survival odds in icy waters. According to Wikipedia, 8 combat launches took place between November 1941 and July 1943, one pilot lost his life and 9 enemy aircraft including 5 FW 200 Condors were destroyed.
Alistair Hay joined a very select group on May 27th ,1942 when he was catapulted off “HMS Empire Lawrence” . He destroyed a Heinkel, damaged another but wounded, ditched into icy Arctic waters not helped by a punctured dingy or attention the convoy was receiving from enemy aircraft. Hay was plucked out of the freezing waters in dangerous conditions by “HMS Volunteer” crew members, a destroyer under command of another former “General Botha” Cadet Lt Commander AS Pomeroy DSC. “HMS Empire Lawrence”, one of six convoy merchant ships lost that day, sunk while Hay was being rescued. The June 23rd “London Gazette” announcement of his “Distinguished Flying Cross” included a detailed citation.
From “The Airmen who started at Sea”, chapter 9 of Jon Eagar's book. About the book.