Second World War aviation art prints of the Gladiator aircraft. Our collection of prints and original paintings of the Gladiator aircraft of World War Two.
GLOSTER GLADIATOR: A continuation form the Gloster Gauntlet aircraft the Gloster Gladiator (SS37) becoming designated the F.7/30 was named Gladiator on the 1st July 1935. The first 70 Gladiators had Under wing machine guns (Vickers or Lewis) before the browning became standard The first aircraft arrived at Tangmere airfield on in February 1937 to no. 72 squadron. at the outbreak of world war two a total of 218 Gladiators had been received by the Royal air force with a total of 76 on active service. They served also in the Middle eats and in 1940 when Italy joined the war was nearly the only front line fighter in the middle east. Between 1939 and 1941. the Gloster Gladiator flew in many war zones. flying in France, Greece, Norway, Crete Egypt Malta and Aden. The Aircraft claimed nearly 250 air victories. It stayed in front line duties until 1942, then becoming fighter trainer, and other sundry roles. It continued in these roles until the end of world war two. The Naval equivalent the Sea Gladiator a short service in the Middle east and European waters. A Total of 746 aircraft were built of these 98 were Sea Gladiators.. Performance. speed: 250mph at 17,500 feet, 257 mph at 14,600 Range 430 miles. Armament: Two fixed .3-03 browning machine guns
Image size 13.5 inches x 9 inches (34cm x 23cm) Paper size 17 inches x 14 inches (43cm x 36cm)
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£60.00
Lone Gladiator by Ivan Berryman.
A Gloster Gladiator MkII of 247 Sqn is depicted patrolling off the Cornish coast in August 1940 during which time this squadron became the only one to operate the Gladiator in the defence of the South of England during the Battle of Britain.
Item Code : B0377
Lone Gladiator by Ivan Berryman. - Editions Available
Outnumbered and outclassed, the aging Gloster Gladiators of 112 Sqn nonetheless put up a spirited defence in the skies above Crete as Germanys Operation Mercury gathered momentum in the Spring of 1941. Here, shark-mouthed Messerschmitt Bf.110s of ZG.76 menace a lone Gladiator during an evening encounter.
Item Code : DHM1911
Impossible Odds by Ivan Berryman. - Editions Available
Original painting, oil on canvas by Ivan Berryman. Full Item Details
Size 30 inches x 20 inches (76cm x 51cm)
Artist : Ivan Berryman
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NOT AVAILABLE
REMARQUE
Remarque edition - limited edition of 10 giclee prints featuring an original pencil remarque. Full Item Details
Image size 26 inches x 17 inches (66cm x 43cm) plus border with text and remarque drawing.
Artist : Ivan Berryman
£350.00
Scramble by David Pentland.
Robrough, Southern England, August 1940. Pilots of 247 Squadron, tasked with defending Plymouth, race to their Gloster Gladiator IIs in response to an intruder alert. Originally stationed in the Shetlands the squadron had been sent south to support the hard pressed units of fighter command during the Battle of Britain.
Pattles First Victory, 4th August 1940 by David Pentland.
Gloster Gladiators flown by Flt. Lt. M.T. Pattle and Flying Officer Johnny Lancaster surprise a flight of Breda 65s from 59A Squadriglia over Bit Taob El Essem, North Africa. Pattle went on to be top Commonwealth Air Ace of all time.
Item Code : DHM0590
Pattles First Victory, 4th August 1940 by David Pentland. - Editions Available
Alone in the aerial defence of Malta in the early part of WW2, these three Gloster Gladiators, nicknamed Faith, Hope and Charity, saw such intense action against the invading Italian air force that the enemy's commanders were convinced that a much bigger force existed on Malta. They are depicted here making a low pass over the destroyer HMS Dainty as she heads out of Grand Harbour from Sliema Creek. Herself a veteran of much action in the early part of the war, HMS Dainty was lost to dive bombers off Tobruk on 24th February 1941.
Item Code : DHM1919
Veterans of the Med by Ivan Berryman. - Editions Available
Original painting, oil on canvas by Ivan Berryman. Full Item Details
Size 32 inches x 24 inches (82cm x 61cm)
Artist : Ivan Berryman
SOLD OUT
NOT AVAILABLE
REMARQUE
Remarque edition - limited edition of 10 giclee prints featuring an original pencil remarque. Full Item Details
Image size 26 inches x 18 inches (66cm x 46cm) plus border with text and remarque drawing.
Artist : Ivan Berryman
£350.00
Gloster Gladiator Aces.
Never before has a single volume been devoted exclusively to the intrepid and disparate band of pilots who could claim to be Gladiator aces. Flying the ultimate British biplane fighter, pilots in China, Finland, East Africa, North Africa, Western Europe, the Mediterranean, Norway and the Middle East all scored the prerequisite five kills to become aces. The first individuals to do so were fighting marauding Japanese fighters and bombers attacking targets in China in 1938. The likes of Sheen, Tuck and Carey will also be featured in this volume, as they were among the many early war acers who cut their teeth in Fighter Command on the Gladiator.
To commemorate Shuttleworths Golden Jubilee in 1994. A Spitfire leads a Hawker Hind and a Gloster Gladiator in formation over Old Warden. The Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden aerodrome is recognised as one of the finest private collections of vintage aircraft in the world. Many of the exhibits have direct connections with the all too short but lively career of Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth himself, and all the aircraft are flown regularly - from the frail and endearing Bristol Boxkite to what is regarded as the most genuine Spitfire flying today. Here, this Spitfire leads a Vic-3 formation of the Collections Hawker Hind and Gloster Gladiator over Old Warden during a typical flying display to Commemorate Shuttleworths Golden Jubilee in 1994.
Item Code : B0017
Shuttleworth Salute by Ivan Berryman. - Editions Available
Angels of Malta - Faith, Hope and Charity by Ivan Berryman.
Although key to the allied campaign in the Mediterranean, Malta was virtually undefended against air raids in the early part of the Second World War. Just four Gloster Sea Gladiators, packed in crates, were deposited on the island by HMS Glorious, these aircraft originally intended for operations in Norway. Three of them were hurriedly assembled, the forth being held in reserve, and were instantly engaged in fierce fighting against Italian raiders. Nicknamed Faith, Hope and Charity, their determined pilots fought for seventeen days without relief, their achievements playing a major part in fooling the Italian intelligence into thinking that this crucial Mediterranean outpost was much more heavily defended than it really was.
Item Code : DHM1892
Angels of Malta - Faith, Hope and Charity by Ivan Berryman. - Editions Available
Original painting, oil on canvas by Ivan Berryman. Full Item Details
Size 30 inches x 20 inches (76cm x 51cm)
Artist : Ivan Berryman
SOLD OUT
NOT AVAILABLE
REMARQUE
Remarque edition - limited edition of 10 giclee prints featuring an original pencil remarque. Full Item Details
Image size 26 inches x 17 inches (66cm x 43cm) plus border with text and remarque drawing.
Artist : Ivan Berryman
£350.00
Gloster Gladiator Mk II L8011 YK-O. by M A Kinnear.
Aircraft History: Built by Gloster Aircraft, L8011 was one of a batch of 28 Gladiators delivered in September 1938 to the Royal Air Force. Allocated to 80 Squadron, L8011 saw service in North Africa and Greece, until it was transferred to the Royal Hellenic Air Force, 15th December 1940.
Squadron Leader Marmaduke T St. John Pat Pattle, DFC: Born on 3rd July 1914 in Butterworth, Cape Province, South Africa, Pat Pattle joined 80 Squadron in 1937. The Squadron was sent to Egypt in April 1938, and Pattle became a flight commander in 1939. During August 1940 the Squadron moved up to the Libyan border. Whilst escorting a Lysander, Pattles flight was engaged by a force of Italian fighters. Pattle (claiming 2) was forced to bale out inside Italian territory, but returned to base the next day. The Squadron moved to Greece in November in support of Greek forces on the Albanian border. Pattle was awarded the DFC in February 1941. In March he was awarded a bar to the DFC promoted to Squa.........
Image size 16.5 inches x 11.5 inches (42cm x 30cm)
none
£14.00
Faith Hope and Charity by Stan Stokes.
With Italys entry into WW II on June 10, 1940, the epic two-and-one-half-year siege of Malta began. Symbolizing the defiant resistance of the people and defenders of that tiny island, the legend of Faith, Hope, and Charity grew from a handful of Gloster Sea Gladiators which initially comprised Maltas sole aerial defense. Until the arrival of the more modern Hawker Hurricanes, these obsolescent biplanes fought the Regia Aeronautica alone in the skies above Malta. Only six or seven Gladiators were assembled from the shipment of eighteen crated aircraft which had been delivered by the HMS Glorious. Others were utilized for spare parts, and three had been dispatched, still crated, to Egypt. Though hugely outnumbered, the defenders fought on, raising the morale of the citizens of Malta, and denying the Italians mastery of the sky. Suffering from a constant shortage of spare parts, tools and equipment, the devoted ground support crews were never able to keep more than three Gladiators opera.........
Hans-Ekkehard Bob in his Bf109E of 3./JG21 shoots down a Gloster Gladiator on the morning of 10th May 1940, for his first victory. The Gladiator was one of three shot down in this skirmish, with Erwin Leykauf and Georg Schneider also claiming one each.
Item Code : B0346
First Victory by Ivan Berryman. - Editions Available
Bir el Gobi, North Africa, 8th August 1940. A full squadron sweep into Libya by 80 Squadron, designed to give the enemy a bloody nose was devised and implemented by Squadron Leader Paddy Dunn. In all 13 of the unit's Gloster Gladiators engaged some 16 Fiat Cr.42s and 2 Ro.37s, inflicting considerable damage on the enemy. Last to enter the fray were the top cover vic of Pat Pattle, Sid Richens and Greg Shorty Graham. By the end of the brief 5 minute battle 9 Italian aircraft were confirmed destroyed plus 6 probables.
Item Code : DP0191
Textbook Attack by David Pentland. - Editions Available
Slow, frail, out-dated and hopelessly outnumbered, Gladiator biplanes of 112 Squadron RAF tenaciously throw themselves into the fray, attacking Luftwaffe fighter-bombers in the battle for Crete, in April 1941. This painting shows Me110Cs of II./ZG76, having attacked naval units off the coast of Crete in early May 1941, being bravely intercepted by two Gladiators of 112 Squadron. Heavily outnumbered, the best the RAF pilots can hope for is to disrupt the Luftwaffe formation. And this they continued to do until, literally, they had no more aircraft left!
Item Code : DHM2615
Operation Mercury by Nicolas Trudgian. - Editions Available
Malta, 22nd June 1940. Some 12 days after the air battle for Malta began, the recently raised ad hoc Gladiator flight claimed its first confirmed victory. Flt. Lt. George Burges, and Flg. Off. Timber Woods were alerted to a lone S.79 from 219 Squadriglia on a reconnaissance sortie. They managed to intercept the intruder over Valetta, and although Timber's first attack was unsuccessful, Burges in Charity shot off the Savoia's port engine sending it crashing into the sea at Kalafrana.
Top scoring New Zealand Ace with 22 victories, Deere was born in Auckland on December 12th 1917. Alan Deere would become one of the RAFs finest pilots. Joining the RAF in 1937, in September 1938 Al Deere was posted to No.54 Sqn at the time flying Gloster Gladiators, then in early 1940 the Squadron converted to Spitfires. His first brush with death happened when his oxygen failed while at altitude and ke blacked out, coming to only in time to pull his aircraft out of a dive and certain death. At the beginning of May 1940 Deere took part in the intensive air war over Dunkirk and on 23rd May 1940 Deere took part in a daring rescue operation. He and Pilot Officer Allen escorted their flight commander, James Leathart, to France where he was to land a Miles Master trainer and pick up the CO of 74 Squadron who had made a forced landing on the airfield at Calais-Marck. While the pick up was made, Alan Deere was at low level with Pilot Officer Allen at 8000 feet. As Flight Commander James Leathart prepared for take off in the Master, Pilot Offcier Allen spotted a flight o Bf109s coming their way.
Deere scored his first victory, as a strafing Bf109 pulled out of its dive, presenting a perfect target. Deere fired a short burst and the aircraft stalled and then crashed into the sea. Deere, climbing to help Allen, crossed the path of two 109’s, one of which turned towards him. Deere also turned, firing at the second one, which rolled over and dived away. Pursuing the first one, he caught up at treetop height and pursued him, firing off his remaining ammunition before the German headed for home. During the whole event Deere and Allen accoutned for three Bf109s shot down and three damaged. All three aircraft returned to their base at RAF Hornchurch.
During four days - 23rd to 29th May - Deere shot down three Bf109’s and three Bf110’s but his luck ran out and he was shot down over Dunkirk while attacking a Dornier Do17 and luckily managed a forced landing in Belgium where he optained a bicycle and cycled to Dunkirk where he managed to get on a destroyer and returned to Hornchurch within 30 hours of taking off. In June he was decorated with the DFC by the King at a special ceremony at Hornchurch. Alan Deere destroyed seven more enemy fighters and one bomber during the Battle of Britian and was awarded a Bar to the DFC. In January 1941 became an Operations Room Controller. He returned to operations on 7th May 1941, joining 602 Squadron in Scotland as a Flight Commander.
On August 1st 1941 Alan Deere took command of 602 Squadron and on that day destroyed a Bf109. When his second operational tour ended in January 1942 Deere went to the USA to lecture on fighter tactics. In May 1942, he took command of 403 Squadron, commanding the squadron until August before being posted to staff duties. During a temporary attachment to 611 Squadron in February 1943 Deere destroyed an Fw190. Some days later he was appointed Wing Leader at Biggin Hill. He flew 121 sorties during his six months leadership and by this time his tally was twenty-two confirmed victories, ten probables and eighteen damaged.
He was also awarded the DSO and a bar to his DFC. Alan Deere was also awarded the Croix de Guerre and the DFC (USA) and in May 1945 He was awarded an OBE. In December 1977 Air Commodore Deere retired form the Royal Air Force. Iin 1959 Air Commodore Alan Deere wrote of his experiences in his book, ’Nine Lives’. Sadly, he passed away on 21st September 1995.
Born in West Hartlepool, Charles Palliser was educated at Brougham School and later attended a technical school. Joining the RAFVR at the outbreak of war in 1939, Charles Palliser was posted to No.3 ITW Hasting, moved to No.11 EFTS Perth on 5th December 1939 and in April 1940 went to No.6 FTS at RAF Little Rissington. Palliser converted to Hawker Hurricanes at No.6 OTU at RAF Sutton Bridge in July 1940 and joined No.17 Squadron at RAF Debden on 3rd August 1940 during the Battle of Britain. Palliser moved to RAF Tangmere with No.43 Squadron on 18th August 1940 and then to North Weald with 249 Squadron on 14th September 1940. On the 15th of September he claimed his first aerial victory. In April 1941 Palliser was commissioned and embarked with 249 Sqn on HMS Furious and on 10th May sailed for Gibraltar, and on arrival the squadron transferred to HMS Ark Royal. The squadron flew to Ta' Qali, Malta on 21st May 1941 to take part in the Battle of Malta. During that battle he claimed a further five victories, and on 27th November Palliser flew Gladiator "Faith" on a met flight. In January 1942 he was posted to 605 Squadron as flight commander. Palliser was awarded the DFC, which was gazetted on 30th January 1942. He left the island in February 1942 as one of the islands longest serving pilots and joined No.25 Air School at Standerton as flight commander, arriving in South Africa to take up the appointment on the 28th March 1942. Palliser was posted to No.62 CFS, Bloemfontein on 17th July, to 2 EFTS Randfontein on 19th October and then to 4 EFTS Benoni on 2nd September 1943. He returned to the UK and in October 1947 Palliser retired from the RAF, at the rank of Flight Lieutenant. Sadly, Charles Palliser died 24th September 2011.
Jim Pickering joined the RAFVR in 1937, and was attached to 769 Sqn FAA, then 804 Sqn FAA. In June 1940 he returned to the RAF and flew Spitfires with 64 Sqn during the Battle of Britain. With 418 Flight Jim flew Hurricanes to Malta from HMS Argus on 2nd August 1940. This flight was to reinforce Maltas handful of outdated Gladiators and few surviving Hurricanes, and on 16th August was amalgamated to become 261 Squadron. With this unit Jim flew Hurricanes and at least five operations in the legendary Gladiators, which have been immortalised as Faith, Hope, and Charity. In April 1941 Jim was posted, first to Egypt, then 80 Squadron in October 1942, and 145 Squadron in December. He returned to the UK in 1943. Born in 1915 in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England, James Pickering studied the printing business in Europe during the 1930s. Convinced that Hitler represented a threat which could lead to war, Pickering joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1937. As a "week-end" flyer he earned his wings as a Sergeant Pilot in April of 1939. In September of that year Pickerings unit was mobilized. He was sent to an attachment of the Fleet Air Arm, where he flew Gladiators, Skuas, and Rocs, following his carrier training. In June of 1940 Pickering returned to the RAF flying Spitfires with No. 64 Squadron based in Kenley during the Battle of Britain. Pickering was selected along with eleven other carrier-qualified pilots to fly Hurricanes to Malta off the deck of the HMS Argus. On arrival in Malta these new Hurricanes and their pilots were integrated with the 3 flyable Gladiators and 3 Hurricanes already there to form No. 261 Squadron. This unit carried on the defense of Malta against Italian and German bombing missions which were launched regularly from Sicily, only sixty miles distant. Because of his earlier experience with the Gladiator, Pickering flew both Gladiators and Hurricanes at Malta for eight months. It is believed that Pickering is the last living RAF pilot to fly the Gladiator at Malta. Following his assignment in Malta, Pickering joined No. 1 Aircraft Delivery Unit which ferried aircraft from the West African Gold Coast and Port Sudan to various points throughout the war theater of operations. Pickering delivered a P-40 Warhawk to the Flying Tigers which involved one of the first flights "over the hump." In October of 1942 Pickering returned to operational flying with No. 80 Squadron (Hurricanes) at EI Alamein, and later with No. 145 Squadron (Spitfires). Having completed three separate operational tours, Pickering returned to England when victory was achieved in North Africa. In England, Pickering was assigned as a test pilot with No. 3501 Servicing Unit. He tested modifications to the Spitfire, and also test flew a number of P-51 Mustangs. Later he was transferred to No. 151 Repair Unit as its Chief Test Pilot. This was the largest unit of this kind in the RAF. Because of these experiences, Pickering is unusual in having flown eighty different types of aircraft during the War. Awarded the Air Force Cross, Pickering was released from the RAF at Wars end. He returned to his family-owned printing business, and spent his working career with the company, from which he retired in 1965. He also served as an outside Director of the largest Building Society in Britain. Pickering joined the Volunteer Reserve once again following the War, and continued to fly with the RAF until reaching the mandatory age limit of sixty. Pickering has had a private pilots license since 1938. He has flown thousands of hours and he is an expert on geological and archaeological research from the air. A Fellow of both the Geological Society and the Society of Antiquaries, Jim Pickering epitomizes the English character of determination and persistence which was so vastly underestimated by Hitler during WW 11.
Roy Daines joined the RAF as soon as he was able, and after completing his hurried training as a pilot, was posted to join 247 Squadron in the autumn of 1940. Here he flew Gladiators and Hurricanes on coastal patrols, 247 being the only squadron to fly Gladiators during the Battle of Britain, before converting to nightfighting Hurricanes. Later, in 1943, he flew Typhoons with 247 before being posted to join 65 Squadron flying Spitfires and Mustangs.
Flt. Lt. John Chips Carpenter DFC was born on 9 April 1921. He began elementary flying instruction at Redhill and later on Harvards at Turnhill with the RAF in February 1939 and on completion of his training he joined 263 Squadron at Filton in November. On 21 April 1940 the squadron embarked on HMS ‘Glorious’ for Norway, flying off three days later to land on a frozen lake. By the 26th all the Gladiators were either destroyed or unserviceable, so 263 Squadron re-embarked for the UK. In May another attempt was made. From the 21st until it re-embarked on HMS ‘Glorious’ on 6 June the squadron gave a good account of itself, covering the evacuation of the Army and flying offensive patrols. The carrier was sunk by enemy action soon after sailing and nearly all 263’s pilots were lost. Carpenter had not flown on to the carrier and returned to the UK by another ship. He joined 222 Squadron on Spitfires at Hornchurch in late June 1940 in time for the evacuation of Dunkirk. On 31 August he claimed a probable Bf109, on 1 September he destroyed another Bf109, on the 3rd a Bf110 and on the 4th a further Bf109. Soon afterwards he was shot down and wounded and returned to the squadron in October. Carpenter stayed with 222 Sqn. until April 1941, when he was posted to 46 Squadron, just as it prepared to go to the Middle East. The squadron embarked on HMS ‘Argus’, before transferring to the ‘Ark Royal’, from which they flew off to Hal Far, Malta on 6 June. 46 Squadron was kept in Malta and re-numbered 126 Squadron. On 30 June Carpenter shot down a Mc200, on 4 September he claimed another, on 8 November a Mc202, on the 12th another Mc202 and on 27 December he shot a Ju88 down into the sea. Carpenter, who had been a Flight Commander since early October, was awarded the DFC (2.1.42) and posted to 92 Squadron in the Western Desert. In May 1942 he covered the invasion of Sicily and Italy and was given command of 72 Squadron at Anzio. After a rest Carpenter was given command of 72 Squadron at Lago, Italy in January 1944. On 11 April he was posted away, received a Bar to the DFC (7.7.44) and returned to the UK. He went to Hawker’s as a production test pilot. Carpenter was granted a Permanent Commission in September 1945 and he retired on 31 December 1959, as a Flight Lieutenant, retaining the rank of Squadron Leader. Post war he served as CO in Kai Tek, Hong Kong. He died 11th February 2005.
Brian Fabris Kingcome was born in Calcutta on May 31st 1917. Brian Kingcome was educated at Bedford and in 1936 entered the RAF College, Cranwell. Soon after he began his pilot course he was seriously injured in a car accident and was told by the RAF medical board that he would never fly again as he was expected to suffer permanent double vision. But after months in hospital and with Brians strength of character he proved the board wrong. In 1938 he was posted to No 65, a biplane Gladiator fighter squadron based at Hornchurch. Brian Kingcome took part in the Battles of France and Dunkirk but transferred to 92 Squadron as a flight commander and flying Spitfires in May 1940 scoring his first victories in June 1940. Brian Kingcome became acting commanding officer during the latter stages of the Battle of Britain. During this time he and his pilots achieved the highest success rate of any squadron in the entire Battle of Britain. After being shot down by Me109s and wounded, he returned to active operations. In February 1942 he was posted to command 72 Squadron, followed by promotion to Wing Leader at Kenley. In May 1943 he was posted to lead 244 Wing in the Mediterranean during the invasion of Sicily. An Ace, Brian Kingcome flew Spitfires in combat continually until the end of 1944, his tally finishing at 8 and 3 shared destroyed, plus a score of probables and damaged. One of the prewar Cranwell elite, Brian Kingcome was to become one ofthe Second World Wars great fighter leaders, alongside such immortals as Douglas Bader, Bob Stanford Tuck and Johnnie Johnson. At the outbreak of war he was serving in 65 Squadron, but in May 1940 was posted to 92 Squadron as flight commander. On 25 May he shared a Do 17 and on 2 June destroyed two He l l Is and damaged a third. He shared a Ju 88 with two others on I0 July, and again on the 24th. On 9 September he probably destroyed a Bf 110 and two days later shot down a He 111. On the 14th he damaged another. He shot down a Bf 109 on the 23rd and next day probably destroyed another and damaged a Ju 88. Three days later he shared a Ju 88 again, damaged two others, probably destroyed a Do 17, and damaged one of these also. Around this time he was awarded a DFC for six victories, and on 11 October got a Bf 109 He claimed another next day, and also damaged one. In 1941 he became commanding officer, having frequently led the squadron. It will be noted that he claimed many probables and damaged during the Battle of Britain, and this was due to his view that it was more important to hit as many as possible than to try and confirm victories. On 16 June 1941 lie probably destroyed a Bf 109, and on 24 July shot one down. He was then rested until late in the year, when he was posted to command 72 Squadron, and in February 1942 gave escort cover to the Fleet Air Arm pilot Eugene Esmonde, who won the VC trying to attack German capital ships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and and the cruiser ‘Prinz Eugen’ with Swordfish during the Channel Dash. In atrocious weather Kingcome caught a fleeting glimpse of tbe Scharnhorst - Oh what a beautiful battleboat! he exclaimed, just as a shell made a hole the size of a dustbin lid in his port wing. During 1941 he received a Bar to his DFC, having brought his score to 10. He was promoted to lead the Kenley wing, and on 15 April 1942 damaged a Fw 190. He probably destroyed a Bf 109 on 28 May, and during the year was awarded a DSO, having added another victory to his score. In 1943 he was posted to North Africa to lead 244 Wing, and lead this for 18 months, becoming a Gp. Capt. after the invasion of Italy. By the end of his stay with the wing he had brought his score to 18, and was then posted as SASO of a Liberator group, and flew an operation as a waist gunner over northern Yugoslavia after taking up this appointment. Sadly Group Captain Brian Kingcome passed away aged 76 in 1994.
John Moffat was born in Kelso in 1919 and at the outbreak of WWII, was sent to Sydenham, Belfast where a training school, set up by Short Brothers, was based. John learnt to fly in a Miles Magister. During 1939, he was sent to No.1 Flying Training School at Netheravon and here he was taught to fly advanced open-cockpit aircraft such as Hawker Hinds and Audaxes. Commissioned into the RNVR as a sub-lieutenant he was moved to Eastlee (now Southampton Airport) to the Naval Fighter School, learning fighter techniques in Blackburn Skuas and Rocs and the well-known Gloster Gladiator. In 1940, John was moved to Sanderling, the Royal Naval air station at Abbotsinch (now known as Glasgow Airport). In 1941, on board HMS Ark Royal stationed at Gibraltar, they were ordered to assist in the hunt for Bismarck and Prinz Eugen. The aircraft headed first to HMS Sheffield who gave them signals by Aldis Lamp on the position of the Bismarck. John Moffat served on HMS Ark Royal, HMS Argus, HMS Furious and HMS Formidable, and served with 759 Sqn, 818 Sqn, 820 Sqn and 824 Sqn.
An uncle suggested to Roger Morewood that he should join the RAF so Roger did at the age of 17. Roger said : I was going be a pilot, that was the only reason to join. Roger trained to fly in a Tiger Moth biplane before joining 56 Squadron - regarded within the RAF as an elite unit - flying open cockpit Gauntlet fighters. The squadron were then re-equipped with Gloster Gladiators - the last RAF biplane - then the Hawker Hurricanes that would join Spitfires in fighting off Hitlers Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. While serving with 56 Squadron Roger Morewood was assigned the dangerous role of long-range fighter sweeps over the coast of occupied France and Holland but left to help form 248 Sqn at Hendon with whom he served throughout the Battle of Britain flying Blenheims. Roger said: We had a few panic station alerts when we were scrambled. We wouldd be leaping into our aircraft with flying suits over our pyjamas as we tried to get into the air in a minute and a half. In July 1942 Morewood went to 9 OTU and later HQ Transport Command. After a long post-war career in the RAF he retired in 1957. Roger Morewood once said of his squadron: It was damned dodgy. We had a high loss rate on operations. And on one sortie - then aged 21 - he nearly met his maker : I flew across to Den Helder (Northern Holland) in a long-nosed Blenheim to look after this battleship at the entrance to the Zuiderzee. We flew round this thing and sure enough I saw some aircraft coming up. They were twin-engine bombers naturally - Messerschmitt 110s. That was a bit hairy. My two blokes (other pilots) shoved off in a hurry into a cloud, and there was me popping away until I ran out of ammunition. There was just me left. I realised there was no point chasing - I was not going to knock his wings off. So I started flying home. After making hardly any noise all flight the chap (navigator) in the back said you haveve got somebody on your tail now - you had better move swiftly. So I moved to left and right. We got a pretty hefty clobbering. His turret disappeared at the back. My poor navigator wore a tin hat and I dont blame him. He got a bullet half way through his armour. He was alright. I had a dreadful wound. If I shook my hand really hard I could get blood out of one finger. I was hit all over the place. We took dozens of bullets. The aircraft was ruined. That is all there was to it. We were still going home - even with the North Sea to go across. So I trundled off back and ditched the damn thing. Thank God it didnt blow up. We literally got away with it. It was the hairiest trip I ever did. On another occasion, Roger intercepted a German weather forecasting flying boat called Weary Willy : I was in a Beaufighter at this time. I flew upwind and had a shot at him downwind. Then all the guns jammed. So I pulled alongside him - not too close - and waved him good luck lad. Anyway he sank when he got back to Norway. That was that one finished. Flying from Shetland, his squadron attacked German shipping off Norway. Roger was rested and spent two years training new Beaufighter pilots but still managed to go on some operations, mainly attacking convoys off the coast of Holland. Roger Morewood said: job was to attack the flak ships, floating anti-aircraft batteries, so other Beaufighters could attack the cargo ships. It could be pretty hairy as 12 Beaufighters lined up to have a crack at the target. You wouldd see tracer shells from your mates plane whizzing over your head or underneath you. They were a bigger danger than the Germans Wing Commander Roger Morwood was posted to the Mediterranean where he contracted TB. He recalled: "In hospital, they treated you with whisky in milk and a pint of Guinness for breakfast, very primitive stuff." When the war ended and the RAF were scaled down, Roger continued to serve in various postings around the UK until 1947. after leaving the RAF Roger was recalled again as an instructor at the Central Flying School, but with the rank of flight lieutenant. He was posted to Edinburgh and then Glasgow University squadrons. finnaly leaving service in 1957. Wing Commander Roger Morewood notched up more than 5000 flying hours in 32 different types of aircraft.
