AMERICAN stars are ‘flying’ again at Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre thanks to Penfro Model Club members who have completed painting a large-scale Catalina model in US Navy colour scheme.

The Catalina, which was gifted to the Centre by Rolls Royce at Derby, now depicts an aircraft of Patrol Squadron 63 (VP-63), the US Navy’s first squadron to operate in wartime Britain.

RAF Station Pembroke Dock was VP-63’s base for several months in 1943, operating alongside the resident Sunderland squadrons of the RAF and Royal Australian Air Force.

VP-63 was known as ‘The Madcats’ on account of the secret magnetic detecting equipment which, uniquely, its Catalinas were equipped with. The squadron flew many operations out of ‘PD’ in the summer and autumn of 1943 at a critical time in the Battle of the Atlantic, losing one of its Catalinas to German fighters in that time.

Several model club members – also volunteers with the Heritage Centre team – worked on the project and the model now sports the American white star on a blue background and the individual markings of an aircraft which flew from Pembroke Dock during that wartime period.

Many models created by club members are on view at the centre. Members previously repainted a large model depicting Sunderland T9044 which sank locally in 1940. Now many artefacts and displays in the centre tell the story of T9044.

The model club, which holds its monthly meetings at the centre, is well into planning for its next annual show – on Saturday, March 28, 2020, following on the great success of the inaugural show last March.

For further information on the model club see its Facebook page ‘Penfro Modellers Pembroke Dock’ or contact 01646 689783.