X9993 LAST EYES | Heroes Line T-Shirt | Blaq Cat Apparel

Flight Lieutenant, Albert Eric Boorman

AG, No.40 Squadron RAF (Bomber Command, Wellington)
Rear Gunner. Last eyes. First target.

Eric didn’t sign up to be a hero — he signed up because it had to be done.
Posted to 40 Squadron, flying Wellington bombers out of Alconbury until posted to RAF Luqa in Malta, he took the loneliest seat in the sky: rear gunner.

45 ops. Shot down twice. Survived five days missing in action, walking back to base in the desert.
Eric rose through eight ranks in four years. When they finally grounded him, he didn’t stop. He taught.

As Chief Instructor at the RAF Central Gunnery School, he trained the next generation of gunners to track, fire, and survive against fast-moving aircraft.

He never boasted. He never broke.

We don’t just honour him.
We carry him in everything we build.

What’s printed in:

Front Left Chest — “No.40”
His squadron. His crew. His reason.
No.40 Squadron RAF flew deep into occupied skies. This isn’t just a number — it’s a legacy stitched into fabric.

Back — “BL–R”
The call sign of Eric’s Wellington.
“BL” — the squadron code. “R” — the aircraft ID letter.
These markings flew into danger and brought him home more than once. A quiet reminder of who he flew with, and a tribute to the bravery of Bomber Command.

Right Sleeve — “X9993”
The tail number of the Wellington shot down over Malta.
Not every mission ends clean.
This one didn’t. But Eric survived. And now, so does the story.

Every mark is earned. Every stitch is a signal.
This isn’t merch. This is memory.
Wear it so they aren’t forgotten.

Heroes Line // Blaq Cat
Lest We Forget.