Fleet Air Arm 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.
Each print is signed by Lt. Cdr. Derek T.R. Martin (pilot), Eric
Bond and Lloyd Richards (Telegraphist Air Gunners) and CPO Ron
Skinner, HMS Ark Royal’s Ships Writer (duties included counting
the aircraft out and those who returned safely) to HMS Ark Royal. |