‘We were going to be back in 40 minutes’
The true story of Navy pilot Lt Derek Martin RN, who was shot down over Norway in April 1940, taken POW into high security German Stalag Luft III ('The Great Escape') and didn’t return home until 1945.
Derek’s story was relayed to me in person, telling how he had absolutely no idea what the next five years of his life were to be as took off from HMS Ark Royal at Midnight in his Blackburn Skua aircraft to attack German ships in Trondheim Harbour.
The story charts the whole episode including many fascinating insights into various escape plans at Stalag Luft III and ends with an open question on why Derek had a Rolex ‘escape watch’ whilst interned as a POW?
Dave will also give a brief update on the recovery of Fairey Barracuda LS551 that was shot down over Kaafjord, Norway in 1944, and will aid the Fairey Barracuda rebuild project at the Fleet Air Arm Museum.
David Morris AMA - Principal Conservator, Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton.
With a lifelong interest in mechanical and transport history, David Started his career at the Fleet Air Arm Museum back in 1981 as a Junior Restoration Engineer.
Through a number of position and title changes at the Museum he is now the Principal Conservator/Curator of Aircraft. Responsible for a small team that look after 102 aircraft in the collection, David has also authored several books and lectured on Conservation projects both nationally and internationally.
He is a Visiting Research Fellow at Bournemouth University and course lead at West Dean College for the Transport and Industrial Objects Conservation Course which is held there each May.