Operation Benedict 1941

Created with Wondershare Filmora. This film was made for Tim Elkington. Tim went with the mission to Archangelsk (the Princess Anne visit in Aug 2016) his first time out of GB for more than 50 years, he felt in his soul he needed to close the Russian circle. Tim was a pilot in the Battle of Britain, one of the very Few now there are only 9 survivors, he was shot down almost over his mother’s garden. Recovered he went with the old carrier Argus to Murmansk in August 1941 as part of Operation Dervish. The main convoy with its crated aircraft and 500 men of Wing 151 went to Archangelsk, Tim and a small number flew directly into action over Murmansk straight from the carrier. He stayed until December when they were all brought back to Britain. This short film is a poignant tribute to the “Russian adventure”. He later volunteered as a Camship pilot, these were Hurricanes rocketed off a pile of scaffolding on a merchant ship in convoy as a one-time effort to shoot down reconnaissance planes, or bombers, tracking the convoy, after which they were to land in the sea as close as possible to an escort in the hope of rescue before dying of hypothermia.
В июле 1941 года Тим Элкингтон переведен в 134-ю эскадрильи на авиабазу Леконфилдин. После размещения самолетов эскадрильи, вошедшей в состав 151-го полка (500 летчиков и техников), на авианосце Королевских ВМС «Аргус» 12 августа 1941 г. начался морской переход в СССР. 7 сентября истребители перелетели на аэродром под Мурманском. До середины октября 1941 года Т.Элкингтон принимал участие в сопровождении бомбардировщиков, а также обучал советских пилотов летать на «Харрикейнах». 6 октября 1941 г. Т.Элкингтон вместе с сержантом Б.Барнсом сбили над Вайенгой немецкий бомбардировщик Junkers Ju 88. Т.Элкингтон вернулся из СССР в январе 1942 года.