A Welsh artist was so impressed by the welcome received on a nostalgia trip to the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre that he promptly went home and created a painting of a Sunderland flying boat for the centre.
Peter Mayo, of Aberdare, was following in his father’s footsteps by visiting ‘PD’. Dad - William Henry Mayo - was stationed at the local RAF station in 1940/41 with 210 Squadron before going overseas.
“Dad died three years ago and he didn’t talk much of his war experiences, but he did about his time at Pembroke Dock, working on Sunderlands. He was a rigger and well remembered kitting up in waterproofs and wading into the water to bring Sunderlands ashore,” said Peter.
“We were made so welcome when we visited the centre and this inspired me to paint a Sunderland which dad remembered so well. It also brought back special memories of my father.”
On a return visit, Peter presented the Sunderland painting to Heritage Centre volunteer Ron Boreham, who flew in Sunderlands from Pembroke Dock in the 1950s.