General Background

The Bristol Beaufighter was developed in about 8 months by using sections from the earlier designed Bristol Beaufort. It was given more powerful engines and a variety of modifications making the aircraft capable of many tasks. It was a night fighter, fighter bomber and torpedo bomber performing anti-shipping duty as well as ground attack and long range interdiction. The different variants, 14 in all, were capable of carrying bombs, torpedoes, rockets, canons and machine guns. The Beaufighter was operated by 11 countries.

The Aircraft

“B” for Bambi entered operations with 29 Squadron based at West Malling, Kent on July 27 1942. The regular crew was Squadron Leader Richards and Flight Sergeant Mills. In November 1942 the aircraft undercarriage was damaged when it hit a tree on final approach. The plane was repaired, painted the new grey/green night fighter camouflage scheme and transferred to No. 51 OUT (Operational Training Unit). On September 17 1944 Bambi was destroyed when it dived out of cloud into the ground near Barton-in-the-Clay, Bedfordshire.