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Been reading up on the RAF Coastal Command in WW2. This area of the war I believe is still unsung to this day, only mentioned in passing when talking about the wider story of the Battle of the Atlantic. Airmen flew for hours on end over the treacherous North Atlantic and other waters keeping watch over the vital convoys which supplied the Allies in Europe. The men of this command deserve to have their stories told.

I particularly have found it interested the numbers of American built aircraft being used by Coastal Command. Most people probably know about the PBY Catalina Flying Boats which were used by the RAF, but the RAF also used large numbers of B-24 Liberators and B-17 Flying Fortresses to patrol against U-Boats. In fact the B-24 is credited with finally closing the Atlantic Gap, or "Black Pit," by finally providing significant range of air cover for convoys. Looking at photos of B-24s in Coastal Command service, I will say that the paint schemes fit the "flying boxcars" quite well.

Another element of history that I have always found important to understand is that of LGTBQ peoples in the past. Of course in the 1940s, homosexuality was still criminalized in most of the world, including in England. One must only look the post-war story of Alan Turing, one of the men responsible for cracking the German Enigma Code during the war, to understand the plight of homosexuals in England. However I think that it is a mistake to assume that the stories of LGBTQ peoples before Stonewall are solely of misery. Anyone can tell you that no matter how much to make something illegal, there are still people determined enough to do it, especially when driven by emotional attraction. And while these two men would most likely not be acting this open with their feelings in the middle of the airfield, there are numerous stories, many still hidden, of couples of men and women expressing their love for each other during the war despite the dangers facing them. To them, it was worth the risks.

I had a lot of fun drawing this one. I have been working hard on developing new techniques in my drawings, mostly subtle improvements. I really liked how the two men turned out in this one, but I am especially happy with the plane. I haven't drawn aircraft often in my experience, but with a little time and patience, and plenty of reference images, I feel that "F for Freddie" here turned out great.

Hope you all enjoy! Let me know what you think!😁

Description
Been reading up on the RAF Coastal Command in WW2. This area of the war I believe is still unsung to this day, only mentioned in passing when talking about the wider story of the Battle of the Atlantic. Airmen flew for hours on end over the treacherous North Atlantic and other waters keeping watch over the vital convoys which supplied the Allies in Europe. The men of this command deserve to have their stories told.

I particularly have found it interested the numbers of American built aircraft being used by Coastal Command. Most people probably know about the PBY Catalina Flying Boats which were used by the RAF, but the RAF also used large numbers of B-24 Liberators and B-17 Flying Fortresses to patrol against U-Boats. In fact the B-24 is credited with finally closing the Atlantic Gap, or "Black Pit," by finally providing significant range of air cover for convoys. Looking at photos of B-24s in Coastal Command service, I will say that the paint schemes fit the "flying boxcars" quite well.

Another element of history that I have always found important to understand is that of LGTBQ peoples in the past. Of course in the 1940s, homosexuality was still criminalized in most of the world, including in England. One must only look the post-war story of Alan Turing, one of the men responsible for cracking the German Enigma Code during the war, to understand the plight of homosexuals in England. However I think that it is a mistake to assume that the stories of LGBTQ peoples before Stonewall are solely of misery. Anyone can tell you that no matter how much to make something illegal, there are still people determined enough to do it, especially when driven by emotional attraction. And while these two men would most likely not be acting this open with their feelings in the middle of the airfield, there are numerous stories, many still hidden, of couples of men and women expressing their love for each other during the war despite the dangers facing them. To them, it was worth the risks.

I had a lot of fun drawing this one. I have been working hard on developing new techniques in my drawings, mostly subtle improvements. I really liked how the two men turned out in this one, but I am especially happy with the plane. I haven't drawn aircraft often in my experience, but with a little time and patience, and plenty of reference images, I feel that "F for Freddie" here turned out great.

Hope you all enjoy! Let me know what you think!😁