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74 years after sinking the Bismarck, this war hero is flying high

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Scotland's oldest civilian flying club welcomed this 96-year-old war hero to show off his flying skills


He dropped the torpedo that sank the Bismarck in one of the most important naval battles of the Second World War, now one of Scotland's most famous war heroes has taken to the sky once again!

At 96 years old, Jock Moffat took part in an historic fly past held in his honour by Scotland's oldest civilian flying clubs, the Scottish Aero Club.

The photos of the event at Perth Airport show just how important it was to Jock, who arrived in a 1939 Mercedes 170, the last Mercedes car supplied outside Germany before the war. It was donated by the Morris Leslie Group owners of Perth Airport.

As a special surprise, thanks to the research support by the Fleet Air Arm Museum, he was also re-presented with replacements for his Second World War medals that were lost many years ago.

Accompanied by his friend Mike Ashmole, Jock then flew in his Maule Super Rocket in the lead plane, in company with a Jungmann, Tiger Moth and Pitts Special.

The veteran is also author of the novel I Sank the Bismarck about the torpedo that crippled the Bismarck, the largest battle ship ever built by Germany.

Jock co-authored the novel with Mike Rossiter and insists the book should have been titled “We Sank the Bismarck”.

After the war, Jock refused to fly for 40 years, but joined the SAC again 30 years ago. Since then, he has been a regular flyer.

A spokesman for the club said: "John continues to demonstrate a love of aviation that is second to none, even although he is now well into his 10th decade.

"He still takes every opportunity to get airborne, although these days he is accompanied by another pilot due to his deteriorating eyesight."

What a fantastic story. Is Jock one of Scotland's finest? What do you think?