Handley Page Halifax VII PN230 “Vicky the Vicious Virgin” was one of WWII’s most elaborately decorated Bomber Command aircraft. The artwork, created by bomb aimer Bert “Scratch” Evans of No. 408 (RCAF) Squadron, featured the name and pin-up art on both sides, with crew nicknames—including “The Dirty Old Man” for pilot Ron Craven—painted by each station. Despite the humor, the crew completed 21 missions, 13 of them in Vicky.
The Halifax, Britain’s second four-engined heavy bomber, had a troubled start but evolved into a vital part of the bombing offensive. Though often compared unfavorably to the Lancaster, many crews valued the Halifax for its durability and contribution to the war effort—a debate still respectfully left to the airmen who flew them both.
