Short Stirling

THE Short Stirling was the first of the three RAF World War 2 heavy bombers, the others being the Halifax and Lancaster, to sec oper­ational service and was also the first of the three to be seconded to another role whilst remaining on front line duties. Instead of dropping bombs or mines on enemy targets it assaulted them with paratroops or by tow­ing gliders as a transport aircraft, a task for which it has never been given adequate praise. On top of this the Stirling, in its demilitarised form, had a short post-war career as a civil transport that was soon to be overtaken by more suitable aircraft for the job.