Lysander on secret operation Acrylic Print

acrylic prints maquis acrylic prints south of france acrylic prints grass airstrip acrylic prints lavender field acrylic prints resistance acrylic prints secret agents acrylic prints

photographs maquis photos south of france photos grass airstrip photos lavender field photos resistance photos secret agents photos

An RAF Westland Lysander IIIA, V9498, piloted by Flying Officer HJ "Frankie" Franklin, about to land secret agents on "Spitfire" field in the Vaucluse region of the South of France on 11 July 1944. The Lysander, from 148 (Special Duties) Squadron's 'C' flight, was operating from a forward base in Corsica.

This operation, codenamed Tamise, involved taking in three agents and picking up three - one of whom was Neil Marten, later the MP for Banbury, who worked with the Resistance in France and in Norway. Their contact on the ground was the Service d'Atterrissages and Parachutages (SAP) officer "Archiduc" - real name Camille Rayon.

The quirky-looking but rugged Lysander, with its automatic wing slats and solid undercarriage, and a fixed ladder for rapid access by passengers, was perfect for these clandestine operations on short, makeshift strips in occupied territory.

Photographer and digital artist based in the UK. Landscapes, cityscapes and seascapes - and photographically crafted aviation scenes under the Flight Artworks banner: catch up on Facebook or on Instagram. Please contact me or visit my website, flightartworks.com if you would like to license my photos, although a growing range is available via Alamy. Discussions about how my pictures are made are in my blog, Aerial Combat. On Instagram also at @gary.eason. On Twitter @flightartworks and @garyeason. CHANGES: As part of a constant quality improvement process please note that I review and sometimes replace or remove earlier works. COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Please respect the considerable time, effort and investment in equipment that goes...