Corgi AA39006 Westland Lynx, AH1GT, XZ221, ‘J’ 654 Squadron Army Air Corps, Operation Granby, Iraq, 1991

Designed and built by Westland Helicopters in Yeovil, the Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter which was heavily involved during the First Gulf War in Iraq. Early in 1991 the British Army deployed twenty-four heavily armoured Lynx helicopters alongside the smaller Gazelle to Iraq, giving them the mission of locating and destroying Iraqi tanks as well as supporting the advancing coalition ground forces. On 26th February 1991 during Operation Desert Sabre, No. 654 Squadron engaged and ultimately destroyed no fewer than seven armoured vehicles of the Iraqi 12th Armoured Division. No. 654 Squadron returned to their base in Detmold on 22nd March 1991 without a single loss.