Skuas flew from HMS Ark Royal through much of the 1940 campaign off Norway, and one is seen getting airborne in typically grey North Sea weather. The Blackburn Skua had many remarkable firsts to its credit; the first all-metal monoplane built for the Fleet Air Arm (FAA); the first dive bomber in British air services; the first enemy aircraft shot down in WW2 fell to a Skua; the first fighter ace in the FAA (Lt. Bill Lucy DSO) flew Skuas and the first warship (Konigsberg) destroyed by dive bombing was sunk by Skuas.
Item Code : DHM2620
Supreme Courage by Philip West. - Editions Available
Joined the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm in August 1940. He served on the aircraft carriers HMS Furious, Ark Royal and Illustrious in the Mediterranean and Atlantic. In February 1942 he was drafted to Gibraltar to fly in Skua, Fulmar and Swordfish aircraft for exercise attacks on the Fleet and Gibraltar fortress. He was then transferred to North Africa (Oran) for four months, then back operationally to Gibraltar with 833 Squadron. Eric's next move was back to the UK with the carrier HMS Stalker and then he qualified at the School of Air Combat. He left the Royal Navy in October 1945. In 1950 Eric joined the RNVR and served as CPO (A) aircrew and joined 1840 & 1842 Channel Air Division, flying in Firefly, Gannet and helicopter aircraft. On the disbandonment of R~ squadrons, Eric served as Chief Radio Supervisor involving duties at Whitehall and Faslane. He left the R~ in 1971, having served 26 1/2years.
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 This flight was to reinforce Maltas handful of outdated Gladiators and few surviving Hurricanes, and on 16th August was amalgamated to become 261 Squadron.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.
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.
Llloyd Richards was born on the island of Guernsey on 8th July 1919. He joined the Royal Navy in December 1934, serving on HMS Royal Sovereign in 1936 and then HMS Royal Oak for duties on the south coast of Spain on intervention patrols during the Spanish Civil War. His next appointment was to HMS Guardian for anti-submarine net laying and target towing. Lloyd then joined the Fleet Air Arm in 1938 and trained at HMS Raven (now Southampton airport) and RAF Aldergrove Signal School. He then flew to RNAS Hatston to reform 803 squadron for duties on HMS Ark Royal flying Skuas. In June 1940 Lloyd was shot down during the attack by the Scharnhorst, taken prisoner and held in a German POW camp but escaped a few months before the end of the war. Serving as the wireless operator in the back of the Skua of pilot Sub Lt Bartlett on 12th June 1940, the Skuas were without the planned air cover from Blenheim aircraft and were decimated by the German fighter cover for the ships. With eight of the fifteen aircraft shot down almost straight away, and with fire from the ships exploding all around them, their Skua was eventually hit by cannon fire which injured Sub Lt Bartlett. Despite coming close to losing consciousness through blood loss, Bartlett managed to get his bomb away and pull out of their steep dive. The damaged aircraft crash landed in a field, and Lloyd Richards was trapped in the back of the cockpit for a while, before hacking a hole in the aircraft to escape, helping the injured Bartlett out as well. They were soon captured, and while Bartleet was sent for medical attention, Richards was sent to a POW camp. As a POW he was transferred to several different camps until 1945. On another march between camps, he escaped, and eventually found an Allied camp after a trek of some 400 miles. He was returned to the UK, and some years later returned to his native Guernsey.
Was accepted by the Admiralty Board for pilot training in 193 8. He attended Course No. 5 set up in HMS Frobisher in early March 193 9. He was transferred to the Naval College at Greenwich in early May 1939 for flying training at Gravesend. From there he went to RAF Netheravon for intermediate and advanced flying and was awarded "Wings" in November 1939. In January 1940 Derek transferred to RN Fighter Training School at HMS Raven - now known as Southampton Airport. In April 1940 he was appointed to his first operational squadron of Skuas at Donibristle (Firth of Forth); from there he flew to Prestwick en-route to HMS Ark Royal waiting in the Clyde before proceeding for operations off Norway. However, on the way, at about 800 feet Derek's aircraft suffered total engine failure and he crash landed (safely) into a ploughed field at Troon. He subsequently flew another Sktia aircraft to join Ark Royal and 800 Squadron before making way to Norway where they were to carry out protective patrols over naval operations in the region of Narvik and the Fleet anchorage at Hartstad. Early in June, the Norwegian campaign was abandoned and with evacuation complete the fleet, with HMS Ark Royal and HMS Glorious, sailed for Scapa convoying the merchant ships with recovered troops. On 7th June "Glorious", with two destroyers was detached and sailed independently for Scapa. Having no air patrols she was sighted by two German battleships on June 8th, and all three ships were sunk with the loss of 1520 men. Subsequently, 15 Skuas from 800 & 803 Squadrons from Ark Royal attacked Gernian naval forces in Trondheirn on 13th June at 0100 in daylight. Observed when still 70 miles from their targets they encountered on arrival very heavy flak and many Me109s and 110s. Eight aircraft were destroyed, seven aircrew killed and nine captured. Seven aircraft returned to the Ark - two having aborted their attack. Lt. Cdr. Martin was captured and remained a POW until May 1945. He was in at least seven different POW camps, the last one being Stalag Luft 111 (north camp), from which in January 1945 they were marched out ahead of the Russian forces. He was finally released in Lubeck, arriving back in England on VE day. He resigned the Royal Navy as a ND (dagger) in June 1966.
Ronnie Hay joined the Royal Marines in 1935 and volunteered to fly with the Fleet Air Arm. In 1940 he joined 801 Squadron flying Skuas on HMS Ark Royal for the Norwegian Campaign, claiming his first victory on his first operational sortie. He took part in the operations covering the Dunkirk beaches and flew Fulmars with 808 Squadron during the Battle of Britain. By the time Ark Royal was unk in 1941, he had a further 7 victories. In 1944 he became Wing Leader of 47 Naval Wing flying Corsairs aboard HMS Victorious in the Far East where his tally climbed. His final socre was 13 victories. Sadly Ronnie Hay died on 22nd November 2001.
