The Squadron’s Operations Record Book shows that D Petley was the Captain of a 35 Squadron aircraft on the following sorties:
- 03/03/1942 Billancourt
- 08/03/1942 Essen
- 13/03/1942 Cologne
- 30/03/1942 Battleship
- 08/04/1942 Hamburg
- 27/04/1942 Battleship
- 28/04/1942 Battleship (Failed to Return)
The following shows the composition of his crew on these sorties, along with the number of sorties undertaken by each airman as part of his crew (as recorded in the squadron’s Operations Record Book). Details of all flights (including training flights) will be recorded in their Flying Log Books:
| (Pilot) | Desmond Petley | 7 |
| (2nd Pilot) | Hugh Charles Granger | 2 |
| Ross Hardie | 3 | |
| (Observer) | Alan James Child | 1 |
| Alfred Bernard Columbine | 6 | |
| (Air Bomber) | Kenneth Drew Rome | 1 |
| (WOP / AG) | Reginald John Lambert Sawyers | 5 |
| Arthur William Smith Evans | 2 | |
| Gordon Ernest Cranstone | 6 | |
| (Air Gunner) | George Pomroy | 7 |
| (Flight Engineer) | George Percy Price | 4 |
| James Black Dunlop | 1 | |
| John Maurice Mitchell | 1 | |
| William Patrick O’Kane | 1 |
Posting Dates
| Petley | Desmond | In From: | 15 O.T.U. | 18/01/1942 |
| Out to: | POW | 28/04/1942 |
