'The Woodpeckers'
Spitfire VB - South-East Asia 'The Woodpeckers,' 136 squadron.

New Year’s Eve, Friday 31 December 1943. Leading Red Flight was Connie Conway. Using maximum combat revs and full throttle, Conway hurtled down on the unsuspecting Japanese aircraft, a mixture of twelve Ki 21s bombers – or ‘Sallys’ as the Allies called them. Approaching the Sallys at a very high closing speed from both above and behind, he aimed at the bomber  then pressed down on the gun button to fire his 20mm cannons. As the Spitfire shuddered, the enemy fighter escort suddenly broke formation and the Sally blew apart with a huge explosion of flame and debris.