Report, photos and video: Mike Dawson and Debra Baldwin

One of the heroes of the WW2 skies was seen in all her glory over Burscough on Saturday!

Crowds gathered in the Booths car park as Fairey Swordfish W5856 - one of the oldest surviving Swordfish - completed a memorable flypast on her way to the Blackpool Air Show at around 2pm.

She was built in 1941 by Blackburn Aircraft and served with the Royal Navy on active service in the Mediterranean for three years. After the war she was acquired by a farmer before being purchased in a dilapidated state, by Sir William Roberts and shipped to Scotland to join the Strathallan Collection in 1977.

In 1990 she was bought by BAE who lovingly restored her to flying condition, and following a successful test flight at Brough in May 1993 was gifted to the Royal Navy Historic Flight.

In 2003 the aircraft was grounded with corrosion in her wing spars and her future looked uncertain. However with great generosity, BAE systems stepped in and built a brand new set of wings. She was finally restored to full flying condition and saved for nation by a major grant from the Peter Harrison foundation.

She re-joined the display circuit in 2015 carrying a new paint scheme which depicts a Swordfish of 820 Naval Air Squadron during the attack on the Bismark in 1941.



For more information on the Royal Navy Historic Flight visit www.navywings.org.uk
and for more information on HMS Ringtail visit www.hms-ringtail.org.uk