A popular statue of a plane on Stonehaven promenade has been rescued by the artist after it became at risk of being swept out to sea.
Jim Malcom, known as the Stonehaven’s Banksy, is a retired welder who secretly started erecting steel statues across the north-east town almost 20 years ago.
He ‘was caught’ in 2019 after a friend revealed his identity, and a year later, he unveiled the plane sculpture at the top of a boulder at the town’s boardwalk.
Inspired by the story of a Norwegian plane that landed in Stonehaven during WWII, Jim’s wee steel statue has found a place in the hearts of the locals.
The plane rescued from Storm Babet
Stonehaven neighbours were worried yesterday about their beloved art work being washed out to sea, however, its creator managed to save it this morning.
“I rescued it with the help of a friend, and it is now safe at my home,” Jim told the P&J.
He added: “I learnt yesterday that the rock it was attached to had fallen but the tide was too high.”
The artist says he will restore the popular sculpture once Storm Babet is over, however, it will not be in the exact same place.
“We’ll need to find a new rock for it to sit on,” he concluded.
The story behind the sculpture
The sculpture commemorates an unexpected wartime landing in Stonehaven harbour by a Norwegian biplane – sixty years ago in May 1940.
A plaque sits neatly beneath the sculpture, with an image first printed by the Press and Journal, of the original byplane touching down.
Information from the P&J’s archives states: “The Marinens Flyvebaatfabrikk M.F.11 was a three-seat, single-engine biplane used by the Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service for maritime reconnaissance in the decade before the Second World War.
“This particular aircraft was pictured at Stonehaven in May 1940 after landing with three Norwegian Airmen aboard who evaded Luftwaffe planes on the trip across the North Sea.
“Apparently the men were well entertained at the officers’ mess at Dyce.
“The aircraft later returned to participate in fighting in Northern Norway before ending up in Finland.”
