Brooks Aviation Art  Robert Taylor 

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Strike and Strike Again
by Robert Taylor


By the spring of 1945, Germany’s once all-conquering submarine fleet, driven by allied forces from its bases in western France, had fled to the relative safety of the Norwegian fjords. In one of Hitler’s last stands, more than 100 U-Boats, flakships and other military vessels were gathered in the narrow fjords, laying up by day and sailing under the cover of darkness.
Tasked with the difficult job of eliminating this force were the Beaufighters and Mosquitos of RAF Coastal Command’s Strike Wings based in Scotland.
Piloting the twin engine Beaufighter through the narrow fjords, hugging the cliff face at close to 300 mph and, with every enemy gun that could be brought to bear throwing up a wall of lead, these shipping strikes were not for the faint hearted. Shown here are Beaufighters of No 455 Squadron RAAF from the Dallachy Strike Wing as they skim the rugged rock face, exiting the target area after a successful rocket attack on shipping deep in a Norwegian fjord.
Throughout the last weeks of World War II the aircrews of 455 Squadron continued to pound the elusive enemy with great courage and determination, upholding
their squadron motto – Strike and Strike Again. 

23¼" x 35¼"

Available in the following editions

450 RAF Aircrew edition   Signed by three Beaufighter pilots. $320




The signatories
Flying Officer Harold Corbin CGM.
Harold Corbin joined the RAF in November 1940 and was sent to the United States to train as a pilot. On completion he returned to England as a Sergeant and after several positions was posted to 235 Squadron at RAF Portreath flying operations on Beaufighters. He completed many missions attacking various ports and enemy shipping on the French coast and in the Bay of Biscay. In 1944 he converted onto Mosquitos and joined 248 Squadron at RAF Banff, part of the Banff Strike Wing. The Banff Wing was to become immortalised for undertaking some of the most dangerous and concentrated attacks on German Surface vessels and U-Boats in the North Sea and Norwegian coastline. Harold was awarded the CGM in August 1944, and was given a full commission in December 1944.
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Warrant Officer Les Doughty DFM.
Joining the RAF in 1939 as a driver, Les Doughty was posted overseas to serve in Iraq. In 1941 he applied for, and was accepted, to be a pilot and went on to train in Rhodesia. In 1943 his first operational posting was to 248 Squadron flying
Beaufighters from RAF Predannack, providing fighter escorts and coastal patrols, with combat strikes mostly against
enemy shipping. He moved with 248 Squadron to RAF Portreath and converted to Mosquitos. In early 1944 during a strike mission, he attacked submarine U-155 whilst under heavy fire as it was entering the French harbour of Lorient.
The submarine was put out of action for the duration of the war, and Les was awarded an immediate DFM.
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Flight Lieutenant Herbert ‘Bert’ Graham
‘Bert’ Graham joined the RAF in 1941 and was immediately posted to a pilot training station in Torquay, Devon. After passing his final exams he then went on to fly Tiger Moths, before being posted to RAF Brize Norton flying Oxfords.
In 1942 Bert transferred to 143 Squadron flying Blenheims, but quickly moved onto the Beaufighters with the North Coates Strike Wing. For his second tour Bert was posted to Scotland flying Mosquitos, where, before the end of hostilities he completed many port and shipping strikes over Norway and occupied Europe.
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