Hurricane Z4018 was flown by Flt Sgt Eric Carter during a secret mission in 1941, code named “Force Benedict”. The mission, sanctioned by Winston Churchill, at the request of Stalin was a force dispatched to defend Murmansk, the USSR’s only port not under Nazi occupation and the largest city North of The Arctic Circle. The Hurricanes were flown into Vaenga Airport, from HMS Argus and were immediately engaged in fighting the enemy. In its first five weeks of operations the wing had claimed 16 victories, 4 probable and seven damaged aircraft. Eric Carter also saw service defending the skies over England, and towards the end of the war in India and Burma. In 2005 Eric was awarded the Arctic Star, and on 26 August 2104 he was the Ushakov Medal
