Awaiting the Return of the Aircraft Squadron

In Leonard Brooks' 1944 painting, HMS Puncher's deck crew await the return of 821 Squadron, the carrier's complement of Fairey Barracuda torpedo bombers.

This work gives a good view of Puncher's small island (command centre), and part of the vessel's nearly 140 metres of flight deck. The vivid colours of the flight deck personnel denote their varied duties. Two firefighters in white flame-resistant suits (centre), trained to extinguish fires and rescue personnel from crashed aircraft, stand near a fire extinguisher on wheels. The yellow "mule" (lower left), a small, powerful tractor, moved aircraft on the flight deck.

Awaiting the Return of the Aircraft Squadron
Painted by Leonard Brooks in 1944
Beaverbrook Collection of War Art
CWM 19710261-1064