by paula mitchell
Oil
h: 30 w: 41 d: 1 (cms).
‘Spitfire of the Seas’, MGB 81 returns to Portsmouth Harbour - Registration number 524, Status National Historic Fleet - When deciding to put work forward for ‘Afloat or Ashore’, I wanted my work to be very much afloat and to represent my home city of Portsmouth and the Hampshire County. - ‘Spitfire of the Seas’ began en plein air. I arrived in Portsmouth with my kit and the intension of capturing activity out on the water. About half an hour after setting up my 12 x 16 board, MGB 81 came into view. I could not believe my luck and I was hopeful she may be on the historic ship register. At this stage, my board already had details of the foreshore, mid water, distant seashore, and features of the Isle of Wight plotted in. - MGB 81 was powering through the Solent, so I had to be quick to get any kind of observations down. I captured on-site her position in the water in relation to the horizon line, her length to height ratio, the shape of her hull and her impact as she displaced the water. After she passed, I was able to continue with on-site observations around these marks. I was really looking forward to getting this back to my studio to complete, it felt like an exciting piece of work. I also took the time to research her history and how I came to have the chance to see her in Portsmouth that day. - MGB 81 is a 71.5ft Motor Gun Boat built by the British Powerboat Company and commissioned for the Royal Navy in 1942. At this time, she was among the fastest boats of her type in the world, and she is now the only operational MGB in the world. Her role in WW2 included action in the English Channel and Hook of Holland, attacking enemy torpedo boats and landing secret agents on occupied soil. MGB 81 was later involved in the D-Day Operations off Omaha Beach, 6th June 1944. - After learning of her restoration and after making a few calls, I had the great pleasure of speaking to an engineer who was involved in her restoration. He was also part of a team who crossed the channel in MGB 81 for the D-Day commemorations and he gave details of his incredibly special personal experience of passing under Pegasus Bridge. - The experience of the restoration team was a key factor in MGB 81 being restored at the Hampshire shipyard. They used traditional shipwrighting knowledge to refit MGB 81 but in state-of-the-art facilities. The restoration team is supported by an award-winning apprenticeship scheme that ensures these skills are passed onto the next generation of ship builders.
£760 (As exhibited.)
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