In October 2025, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s (BBMF) Lancaster PA474 will begin an 18-month ‘Major’ maintenance programme under contract, away from its home at RAF Coningsby. This extensive work—essential to keeping the 80-year-old bomber airworthy—will be covered in detail in the “Keeping ’em Flying” feature in the Club’s Autumn 2025 Journal. When PA474 emerges from its overhaul in 2027, it will wear an entirely new set of markings, revealed here exclusively to Club members before any public announcement.
The aircraft will be repainted to represent Lancaster LM220 of No. IX Squadron, based at Bardney, Lincolnshire, during 1944–45. Delivered to IX Squadron in June 1944, LM220 was fitted with bulged bomb bay doors—allowing it to carry the 12,000 lb ‘Tallboy’ or ‘Super Cookie’ bombs—although this modification will not be reproduced on PA474. The bomber carried the code letters WS-Y, which by autumn 1944 were outlined in yellow, creating a particularly colourful livery.
Flying Officer Douglas Tweddle DFC flew 25 of his 37 wartime operations in LM220. It was his crew who had the aircraft’s distinctive nose art applied—featuring the slogan “Getting Younger Every Day” alongside a bearded “Father William” figure, an image borrowed from William Younger’s brewery advertisements in Edinburgh. The design originated from a tray “liberated” from the crew’s favourite pub and faithfully reproduced on the bomber by a member of the groundcrew.
(l-r) A. Foot (m/u gunner); Paddy Carson (w/op); J.W. Singer (b/a); C. Heath (f/e);
W.D. Tweddle (pilot); K. Mallinson (rear gunner); E. Shields (nav). Photo via www.bombercommandmuseumarchives.ca
During its service with IX Squadron, LM220 completed 63 operations, more than a dozen of them Tallboy missions, including two raids against the German battleship Tirpitz. The second of these, in November 1944, contributed to the successful attack that capsized the vessel. In May 1945, the aircraft also flew two Operation EXODUS missions to repatriate Allied prisoners of war. Having survived the war, LM220 was struck off charge and scrapped in November 1946. The full background to PA474’s forthcoming “new identity” will be told in a future Club magazine. In the meantime, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting nose art inscription for an 80-year-old Lancaster still flying strong—“Getting Younger Every Day.” For more information about the RAF Memorial Flight Official Club, visit www.memorialflightclub.com.
