To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, the iconic Supermarine Spitfire flown by Flight Lieutenant Antony ‘Parky’ Parkinson together with the powerful Eurofighter Typhoon flown by Flight Lieutenant Ben Westoby-Brooks join to create a unique synchronised display. The stark contrast between the aircraft is highlighted in line astern formation with the elliptical wing of the Spitfire immediately pursued by the piercing delta of the Typhoon before the pair split to complete mirrored wingovers, rolls, derry turns and head-on low level passes. Though generations apart, these seemingly disparate world class fighters have a rare harmony connecting the past and the present, serving as a living memorial to ‘The Few’. Spitfire MkIIa P7350 is the oldest airworthy Spitfire in the world, and the only Spitfire that fought in the Battle of Britain still flying. P7350 is painted to represent Spitfire MkIa N3162 ‘EB-G’ flown by 21-year-old Pilot Officer Eric Stanley Lock of No. 41 Squadron. Lock became the RAF’s most successful pilot of the Battle of Britain with 21 kills during the period of the Battle. During his service with No. 41 Squadron, Lock was awarded the DSO, two DFCs and a Mention in Despatches. Sadly, Lock died on 3 August 1941, at the age of only 22, when he failed to return from a strafe attack on troops and gun positions at Calais. His body have never been found, despite extensive searches, and he has no known grave. Although Eric Lock faced the enemy for only a limited period of time, he remains one of the RAF’s top 10 Aces of World War II, credited with some 26.5 aircraft destroyed and 8 probable, most of these achieved with No. 41 Squadron. Typhoon FGR4 ZK349 ‘BZ’ wears the No. 249 Squadron markings of the Hawker Hurricane flown by Flight Lieutenant Eric James Brindley Nicolson during the Battle of Britain. Nicolson, aged 23 was to become RAF Fighter Command’s only Victoria Cross recipient.
Available from Squadron Prints here
Typhoon at the Duxford VE Day display, May 2015. Pics by Alpha Delta 210 - more of his great pics here
