H.P. Halifax Mk III
Handley Page Halifax Mk III LK-E, 'Excalibur', LK797 578 Squadron,
Flg Off Cyril Barton Victoria Cross, Burn, 30 March 1944.
Scale 1:144 Wingspan 8.68" (220 mm)
Base size 7.71" (196 mm) square (No. 5)
Weight not including base 14.5 ozs (411 grams)
Total number of models produced 186
Only one Halifax aircrew member won the RAF's supreme award of the Victoria
Cross for a single act of gallantry. Cyril (better known as 'Cy' or 'Joe')
Barton met his end in this aircraft after crashing near Ryhope Colliery,
south of Sunderland, after returning from a raid on Nuremberg. Attacked
by a Ju 88 and an Me 410, the aircraft was badly damaged, and the bomb-aimer,
navigator and wireless operator bailed out but Barton struggled back to
save the remaining members of his crew, who survived the crash. Nose-art
had been designed for Barton's aircraft, but at the time of the crash had
been applied only in chalk, as shown. A schoolboy who witnessed the aftermath
of the crash subsequently befriended the crew, and this nose art is based
on their memories. Another Halifax pilot, Leonard Cheshire, received a VC
in recognition of his extraordinary career, which included two Halifax
tours and single tours on the Whitley and Lancaster.
Source: Osprey Aviation Books, Combat Aircraft Vol 14. ISBN 1-85532-892-5
