Combat over Lincolnshire

Pilot Officer ‘Sandy’ Ballantine and his gunner Sergeant McTaggart engage a Heinkel 111 over North Lincolnshire on the afternoon of 7th March 1941. Ballantine was airborne in Defiant N3333 YD-B of 255 Squadron performing an air test when he came across the Heinkel in layers of cloud.  Less than two months later both men (seen below on N3333) were forced to bale out of this aircraft when it was shot down in combat over Nocton in Lincolnshire.

In 2018, I was part of the digging team that recovered the remains of N3333 from a field in Lincolnshire. The dig formed part of the TV documentary series 'Treasure Hunters' hosted by 'Suggs' from the 80s pop group Madness. Amongst the guests that day was the pilot's daughter Christine who had flown all the way from Canada to see the recovery of the aircraft. I was proud to present her with a copy of this painting in memorial of her father who was killed later in the war.

Frame is for illustrative purposes only, the painting is sent unframed for ease of postage.

It might be possible to supply a fragment of N3333 from the dig with this original painting, to be framed alongside. Please contact us if interested.