Friday Morning Talks: From SPITFIRES to VAMPIRES and BEYOND – With Air Marshal GA ‘Black’ Robertson CBE

Join us for our Friday morning talk, where AIR MARSHAL GA ‘BLACK’ ROBERTSON CBE BA FRAeS FRSA, will join us to talk about the remarkable career of  New Zealand ace Owen Hardy, the feature of his latest book.

World War Two Spitfire pilot Owen Hardy was probably the last New Zealand ace to tell his story. He left home at 18 bent on joining the RAF and by 1942, aged only 20, he was at Biggin Hill with 72 Squadron under Brian Kingcome. D-Day found him flying over the Normandy beaches with 485 (New Zealand) Squadron. That he survived the war unharmed owed as much to luck as it did to his ability as a fighter pilot. Unable to settle in civilian life afterwards in New Zealand, he returned to the RAF for the second phase of a remarkable career.

Converting to jets, Hardy went on to command 71 Squadron, leading a Vampire aerobatic team with considerable success across Europe – dodging MiGs at the same time! But adapting to peacetime service wasn’t easy. Previously stimulated by the wartime environment and still passionate about flying, he was less enamoured with staff jobs, and this despite working on the introduction of a new, state-of-the-art missile system, Bloodhound. Then a fateful decision, to turn down a Javelin squadron and follow his mentor, led finally to disillusionment.

In telling Hardy’s story, Black Robertson shines a light not just on what it was like to fly in combat, but also on the changing face of a post-war RAF which arguably undervalued some of its heroes. From the heat of North Africa to the uncertainties of the Cold War, it’s a unique and enthralling tale.

This talk will take place onsite in the Museum’s Learning Centre and is included in Museum admission or Annual Membership.

Advance booking required – please reserve your seat via the link below.

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