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A painting of a Lancaster bomber was unveiled in the Warkworth RSA pool room this month in honour of one of the association’s founding members.
RSA past president John Stephen says he had long wanted a picture of a Lancaster in the pool room, since it is known as the Dambusters Room – after the famous bombing raid on the
The Möhne and Edersee dams in 1943.
John commissioned local artist Charles Anderson to paint the plane on the largest canvas he could find.
John is also a close friend of the Dill family and was a friend of the late Trevor Dill – a former Lancaster navigator who died two years ago on his 95th birthday.
John thought the painting unveiling offered the perfect opportunity to honour Trevor.
Around 50 people attended the unveiling, including many former Air Force veterans, Trevor’s widow Jessie, and four of Trevor’s children – Denise, Malcolm, Jeanette and Richard.
Jessie, 92, recalled her husband had fond memories of the Lancaster, much preferring it to the Stirling bomber, which he also crewed.
“He used to say the Stirling was very slow and sluggish and hard to get off the ground with a full load of bombs,” she said.
Jessie said her husband, who was based in Cambridgeshire, England, during World War II, took part in numerous bombing raids, including several on Berlin.
“I don’t know how he survived. It was the most fortified city in Germany,” she said.
She described the unveiling ceremony as “excellent”.
“It’s a nice honour for my husband.”
