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Bristol Beaufighter VI nightfighter V8738 WM-L of No 68 Squadron shooting down a Luftwaffe Dornier bomber over the North Sea in the early hours of 14 June 1943. Beaufighter pilot F/O DB "Bernie" Wills and his navigator, F/O GA "Peter" Ledeboer, who were at the time seconded to 604 Squadron at RAF Scorton, were vectored onto an approaching German bombing raid by the Goldsborough Chain Home Low radar station at Scarborough in North Yorkshire. My picture was commissioned by F/O Wills's son.

After spotting the enemy aircraft they closed from behind at a height of about 3,000ft. Wills gave it a two-second burst from his four 20mm Hispano cannons, firing 118 rounds, and saw "a large explosion" from the front of the fuselage. In their combat report, they said "bits flew off in all directions" and the enemy aircraft fell away to starboard in a mass of flames. It crashed into the sea a few miles east of Flamborough Head.

At the time there was some uncertainty as to the type...

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...