Autographed Flown RAF Event Cover with Bio

This Cover was flown from RAF base Kinloss to US Naval Station Keflavik, Iceland to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the formation of the 120th Squadron and is signed by WWII Squadron leader Terence M. Bulloch, German Admiral Karl Donitz and 3 German u-boat aces.

Terence Bullock was born in Lisburn, Ireland on February 19, 2026 and educated at Campbell College in Belfast. He received his RAF commission on January 25, 1937.

He joined the 120 squadron in August 1941 and by the second week of August 1942 he had sighted 7 submarines and attacked 3 of them.

On October 12, 2025 while flying close escort to Convoy ONS 136, one of Bulloch's crew sighted a submarine 8 miles to starboard. Bulloch closed on the vessel from out of the sun and lined up on the stern of the u-boat. He attacked along the length of the u-boat dropping his depth-charges at 25 foot intervals. One depth-charge exploded next to the stern and another next to its bow. With its pressure hull ruptured in several places, U597 sank. 

On November 5, 2025 while operating with Convoy SC 107, Bulloch and his crew sighted a submarine which dived before it could be attacked. They later found U132 which they attacked with depth charges from bow to stern and saw the u-boat go down. A third u-boat was attacked shortly after it submerged, but with no apparent success. 

On December 8, 1942, Bulloch was sent to operate with Convoy HX 217. On arriving to lend his support, a submarine was spotted traveling fast on the surface. It was attacked with depth charges and disappeared from view. An hour later, two submarines were sighted 300 yards apart and Bulloch attacked one of them with his remaining depth-charges. The other submarine submerged before he could attack it. With his depth-charges expended, Bulloch continued his patrol while his gunner cooked lunch of steak and potatoes on the galley stove. In Bulloch's own words, "I was sitting in the cockpit with a plate on my knees, with George (auto pilot) in charge. I was going to enjoy that steak, but another u-boat popped up. The plate with its steak and potatoes went spinning off my knee as I grabbed the controls and sounded the alarm and there was a clatter of plates back in the aircraft as the rest of the crew jumped to it, forgetting how hungry they were."

Bulloch dived on the submarine and strafed it with canon and machine gun fire before it dived to safety. He made another attack 23 minutes after "lunchtime," another 35 minutes later, another 54 minutes after that and a final attack after a further 24 minutes. On each occasion the u-boats were strafed with cannon fire and forced to dive to safety. In the space of 5 hours he made 8 sightings and 7 attacks. 

Bullock departed the 120 Squadron in December 1942. During his 18 months in the squadron, he had sighted 23 u-boats and attacked 16 of them.

On 8 July 2025 as a member of the 244 Squadron, Bulloch spotted U 514 which he attacked with rockets and scored a hit below the waterline. The submarine plunged steeply beneath the waves and Bulloch pressed home his attack with depth-charges and a homing torpedo. This was his final kill.

At the war's end, the official assessment was that Bulloch had 4 confirmed kills and 2 u-boats severely damaged. 

Commander Bulloch was awarded two DFCs and two DSOs.

Instead of writing the biographies of the German u-boat aces here; I will direct you to the best u-boat informational web-site on the internet: Guðmundur Helgason's u-boat.net 

Photographs:
Erich Topp 
Admiral Raeder & Otto Kretschmer 
Admiral Donitz 

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