Historical information

Watercolour painting of Catalina Flying Boat - Attached to rear of frame is a short history of the Catalina Flying Boat together with the service history of Owen and and his younger brother Roy MORTIMER who both served in the Royal Australian Air Force in the South West Pacific area during WW2

Significance

Developed as a naval patrol aircraft, the Consolidated PBY Catalina was a widely exported flying boat during World War II. Over the course of the conflict it served with a number of different nations in a variety of roles. In the Royal Australian Air Force, PBYs and PB2Bs (a variant built by Boeing in Canada) served as multi role bombers and scouts, the type eventually earning great renown among Australian aircrews. The motto of the Catalina squadrons was "The First and Furthest."

Physical description

Gold painted embossed metal frame with cream coloured mount containing watercolour painting of plane on water

Inscriptions & markings

Catalina Flying Boat
Royal Australian Air Force