Corgi AA32017 Hurricane 1B – W9220, 880 NAS , Sub Lt RJ Cork – Arbroath & St Merryn, 1941

The Royal Navy acquired Hurricanes to help in the Battle of the Atlantic which, in early 1940, had a steep rise in shipping losses far from shore, where land-based aircraft could not provide air cover for Allied convoys. This gave rise to the ‘Hurricat’, a converted Hurricane carried by CAM-ships. Hurricanes converted for such a role needed only the addition of catapult spools, and 50 Hurricane Mk I land-planes were so modified and designated Sea Hurricane Mk IA. The first of the Hurricanes and Sea Hurricanes to see service with the Fleet Air Arm arrived in February 1941 and were operating with front line unit 880 Squadron from 15 March 1941. Battle of Britain ace ‘Dickie’ Cork first flew W9220 on 7 April 1941 and continued to do so for several months. The Sea Hurricane Mk I were followed by about 300 Mk I’s converted to Sea Hurricane Mk IB configuration, these having catapult spools plus a V-frame arrester hook: in addition 25 Mk IIA were modified as Sea Hurricane IB or Hooked Hurricane II fighters.