An Early Bath by Ivan Berryman. [Original Painting]

In the early evening of the 18th of July 1941, following coastguard reports of an enemy aircraft in their vicinity, two Hurricanes of 87 Sqn on detachment at the Airfield at St Mary's, Scilly Isles were scrambled to an area some 30 miles south west of the Scilly Isles where they intercepted a lone Heinkel He111. Alex Thom was the first to attack, his windscreen being sprayed with oil as his rounds tore into the Heinkel's starboard engine. Breaking away, his wingman F/O Roscoe now took over the chase, but the German bomber was already mortally wounded and was observed to alight onto the sea where upon the crew immediately took to their life raft as the Heinkel began to sink beneath the waves just minutes later, Thom circled overhead until he saw the motor launch arrive to pick up the German aircrew before returning back to St Mary's.

Original painting, oil on canvas by Ivan Berryman.

Size 30 inches x 20 inches (76cm x 51cm)