Commemoration

 This might look like something of a photo dump but I have been trying to find time to sort through my shots from the recent 80th Anniversary Commemorations of the Battle of the Atlantic at Liverpool at the end of May, and now I have done I wanted to share the best of them.

On the day there were flypasts from a small selection of aircraft; an exceptionally rare  Supermarine Seafire, a version of the Spitfire designed for flying from aircraft carriers, a Fairey Swordfish which was a submarine hunter that would fly low and slow before releasing its torpedo ( a tactic that left the crew very vulnerable). My grandad worked on these planes when he was in the Fleet Air Arm during the war. And then of course the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight consisting of a Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane and an Avro Lancaster, always a magical sight to see these legendary aircraft in the sky.

Old Masters

 

So I may have gone a little over the top with the number of pictures for today's offering but I couldn't help myself. To be honest I could have shared loads more images of these beautiful flying machines.

This is the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight performing a flying display at Rhyl in August. I have been privileged to see these fly on many occasions because I used to live very close to where they are stationed at Coningsby in Lincolnshire. I would hear the sound of the Merlin engines and rush out of the house to see them overhead, it was always a joy.

Of course the history of these aircraft is sad as many pilots were lost and it is a fitting tribute to see these planes preserved. The Lancaster is the only flying example of the plane in the world.

I remember stories that my dad told of watching these planes in action above the south coast of England where he lived during WWII which were exciting and frightening at the same time.