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Fighter Pilot of the Royal Air Force by Graeme Lothian. (APE)- Panzer - Prints .com
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Fighter Pilot of the Royal Air Force by Graeme Lothian. (APE)


Fighter Pilot of the Royal Air Force by Graeme Lothian. (APE)

Each of the 20 artist proof remarques features a hand-drawn remarque of a famous WW2 RAF fighter pilot alongside the signatures.
AMAZING VALUE! - The value of the signatures on this item is in excess of the price of the print itself!
Item Code : GL0002APEFighter Pilot of the Royal Air Force by Graeme Lothian. (APE) - This EditionAdd any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout! Buy 1 Get 1 Half Price!
TYPEEDITION DETAILSSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSYOUR PRICEPURCHASING
ARTIST
PROOF
Limited edition of 20 artist proof remarques - (This one of) Air Commodore Alan Deere.


Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!
Image size 16 inches x 12 inches (41cm x 31cm) Doe, Bob
Pickering, Tony
Nicholls, Doug
Snell, Vivian
Robillard, Larry
Toombs, J R
Blair, Ian
Cunningham, Peter
Plumridge, Ken
Pujji, Mahinder
Nichols, Dennis
Gould, Ron
Harman, Bert
Stillwell, Len
Morgan, Tom Dalton
Neil, Tom
+ Artist : Graeme Lothian


Signature(s) value alone : £765
£480.00

Quantity:
All prices on our website are displayed in British Pounds Sterling



Other editions of this item : Fighter Pilot of the Royal Air Force by Graeme Lothian.GL0002
TYPEEDITION DETAILSSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSYOUR PRICEPURCHASING
PRINTSigned limited edition of 350 prints, signed by 12 pilots.
Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!
Image size 16 inches x 12 inches (41cm x 31cm) Blair, Ian
Cunningham, Peter
Plumridge, Ken
Pujji, Mahinder
Nichols, Dennis
Gould, Ron
Harman, Bert
Stillwell, Len
+ Artist : Graeme Lothian


Signature(s) value alone : £310
£30 Off!Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!Now : £170.00VIEW EDITION...
ARTIST
PROOF
Limited edition of 20 artist proof remarques - (This one of) Squadron Leader Neville Duke.
Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!
Image size 16 inches x 12 inches (41cm x 31cm) Doe, Bob
Pickering, Tony
Nicholls, Doug
Snell, Vivian
Robillard, Larry
Toombs, J R
Blair, Ian
Cunningham, Peter
Plumridge, Ken
Pujji, Mahinder
Nichols, Dennis
Gould, Ron
Harman, Bert
Stillwell, Len
Morgan, Tom Dalton
Neil, Tom
+ Artist : Graeme Lothian


Signature(s) value alone : £765
Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!£480.00VIEW EDITION...
ARTIST
PROOF
Limited edition of 20 artist proof remarques - (This one of) Flying Officer Cobber Kain.
Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!
Image size 16 inches x 12 inches (41cm x 31cm) Doe, Bob
Pickering, Tony
Nicholls, Doug
Snell, Vivian
Robillard, Larry
Toombs, J R
Blair, Ian
Cunningham, Peter
Plumridge, Ken
Pujji, Mahinder
Nichols, Dennis
Gould, Ron
Harman, Bert
Stillwell, Len
Morgan, Tom Dalton
Neil, Tom
+ Artist : Graeme Lothian


Signature(s) value alone : £765
Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!£480.00VIEW EDITION...
ARTIST
PROOF
Limited edition of 20 artist proof remarques - (This one of) Squadron Leader Sandy Lane.
Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!
Image size 16 inches x 12 inches (41cm x 31cm) Doe, Bob
Pickering, Tony
Nicholls, Doug
Snell, Vivian
Robillard, Larry
Toombs, J R
Blair, Ian
Cunningham, Peter
Plumridge, Ken
Pujji, Mahinder
Nichols, Dennis
Gould, Ron
Harman, Bert
Stillwell, Len
Morgan, Tom Dalton
Neil, Tom
+ Artist : Graeme Lothian


Signature(s) value alone : £765
Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!£320.00VIEW EDITION...
ARTIST
PROOF
Limited edition of 20 artist proof remarques - (This one of) Squadron Leader Ginger Lacey.
Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!
Image size 16 inches x 12 inches (41cm x 31cm) Doe, Bob
Pickering, Tony
Nicholls, Doug
Snell, Vivian
Robillard, Larry
Toombs, J R
Blair, Ian
Cunningham, Peter
Plumridge, Ken
Pujji, Mahinder
Nichols, Dennis
Gould, Ron
Harman, Bert
Stillwell, Len
Morgan, Tom Dalton
Neil, Tom
+ Artist : Graeme Lothian


Signature(s) value alone : £765
Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!£480.00VIEW EDITION...
ORIGINAL
PAINTING
Original Painting by Graeme Lothian. Image size 16 inches x 12 inches (41cm x 31cm)Artist : Graeme Lothian£3500.00VIEW EDITION...
General descriptions of types of editions :



Extra Details : Fighter Pilot of the Royal Air Force by Graeme Lothian. (APE)
About this edition :


The remarque.

The remarque with signatures.
About all editions :

A photo of an edition of the print :

Signatures on this item
*The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare.
NameInfo


The signature of Bert Harman (deceased)

Bert Harman (deceased)
*Signature Value : £35

F II A. Joined B Flight in 1936. Resigned from RauxAF and joined AID when war broke out. Spent the war in A V Roe factory at Yeadon. Held private pilots licence. He died in March 2007.


The signature of Dennis Nichols (deceased)

Dennis Nichols (deceased)
*Signature Value : £45

Battle of Britian pilot also served in Italy with 241 squadron. Former chairman of the Spitfire Society. Dennis Nichols was born on the 16th of January 1924 and died on the 1st of June 2008, following a short illness.


The signature of Flight Lieutenant Larry Robillard DFM CD (deceased)

Flight Lieutenant Larry Robillard DFM CD (deceased)
*Signature Value : £65

Born in Ottawa, 17 November 1920, Canadian ace with 8 victories. Sgt. Joseph Guillame Laurent Robillard, During a sweep over the Lille area, less than a month after his first operational flight, Sergeant Robillard, a former member of the Ottawa Flying club, saw a fellow pilot parachuting. Believing it was his commanding officer who had been shot down, Robillard started to protect the descending pilot by escorting him down, but was himself attacked by nine enemy fighters. In the fierce fight which followed the daring Ottawan destroyed at least two of his attackers. Flight Leutnant Larry Robillard was one of Johnnie Johnsons keen and skillful Canadian pilots. He was shot down over France in 1943. However, with his fluent French and the help of the Resistance, he managed to get back to England, and received a heros welcome when he returned to France to continue the fight, leading a section of 443 Squadron of Johnnies 144 Wing following the Liberation. He flew with 145 Sqn RAF, 72 Sqn RAF, 402 Sqn RCAF, 443 Sqn RCAF. Larry Robillard died at his home in Montreal, Canada on 8th March 2006.
The signature of Flight Lieutenant Ron Gould

Flight Lieutenant Ron Gould
*Signature Value : £35

Flight Lieutenant Ron Gould learned to fly under the Arnold Scheme in America, flying Stearmans. Later he flew Spitfire Mk II, V, IX & XVI in the UK and with 322 (Dutch) Squadron in Holland and Germany from before D-Day to late 1945.


The signature of Group Captain Tom Dalton Morgan DSO, DFC*, OBE (deceased)

Group Captain Tom Dalton Morgan DSO, DFC*, OBE (deceased)
*Signature Value : £75

Tom Dalton-Morgan was born on March 23rd 1917 at Cardiff and educated at Taunton School. He was a descendant of the buccaneer Sir Henry Morgan and the Cromwellian General Sir Thomas Morgan, Thomas Frederick Dalton-Morgan. Tom Dalton-Morgan joined the RAF in 1935, serving with 22 Squadron. Flying the Wildebeeste torpedo bomber, he joined the training staff at the Air Ministry. In April 1940 he applied to return to flying, and was appointed to No.43 Squadron. In June 1940 he was posted to Tangmere as B Flight commander with 43 Squadron, flying Hurricanes, scoring his first victory on 12 July. In action over the Channel he shared in the destruction of a Heinkel bomber, but he was forced to bale out with slight wounds the following day when he destroyed another and then was hit by crossfire. With no badges of rank in evidence - he was wearing pyjamas under his flying suit - he was captured by a bobby who placed him in the cells along with the German bomber crew he had just shot down. Dalton-Morgan resumed flying and was soon back in action, accounting for four more enemy aircraft in the next three weeks. In early September, he shot down three Messerschmitt fighters. After one engagement he was wounded in the face and knee, and had to crash-land. His DFC praised him for displaying great courage when his behaviour in action has been an inspiration to his flight. After the Battle of Britain, Dalton-Morgan's primary task was to train new pilots for service with the squadrons in the south. He was also required to establish a night-fighting capability with the Hurricane, a task he achieved with great success. Few enemy night bombers fell victim to single-seat fighter pilots, but Dalton-Morgan, hunting alone, destroyed no fewer than six. Three of his victims went down in successive nights on May 6-7 1941, when the Luftwaffe embarked on a major offensive against the Clydesdale ports and Glasgow. On June 8th, Dalton-Morgan achieved a remarkable interception when he shot down a Junkers bomber, having made initial contact by spotting its shadow on the moonlit sea. After two more successes at night, he was carrying out a practice interception on July 24th with a fellow pilot when he saw another Junkers. Dalton-Morgan gave chase and intercepted it off May Island. Despite his engine failing and fumes filling the cockpit, he attacked the bomber three times. He had just watched it hit the sea when his engine stopped. Too low to bale out, he made a masterly landing on the water, but lost two front teeth when his face hit the gun sight. He clambered into his dinghy before being rescued by the Navy. In January 1942 he left the squadron to become a Controller. Promoted Wing Commander Operations with 13 Group, he then led the Ibsley Wing, consisting of 4 Spitfire, 2 Whirlwind, and 2 Mustang Squadrons. His final victory in May 1943 brought his score to 17. Briefly attached to the USAAF 4th Fighter Group, with the task of mounting long-range offensive sorties over northern France and providing scouts for the tactical bomber squadrons. After damaging an Me 109 in December, he shot down a Focke Wulf 190 fighter and damaged another during a sweep over Brest. He was awarded the DSO in May 1943, which recorded his victories at the time as 17. He flew more than 70 combat sorties with the group. Promoted group captain early in 1944, he served as operations officer with the 2nd Tactical Air Force. Dalton-Morgan engaged in planning fighter and ground attack operations in support of the campaign in Normandy, then moved to the mainland with his organisation after the invasion. Years after, his CO at the time (later Air Marshal Sir Fred Rosier) commented: It would be impossible to overstate Tom D-M's importance and influence on the conduct of fighter operations for and beyond D-Day. A month before the end of the war in Europe, Dalton-Morgan learned that his only brother, John, who also had the DFC, had been shot down and killed flying a Mosquito. Dalton-Morgan remained in Germany with 2nd Tactical Air Force after the war before attending the RAF Staff College, and becoming a senior instructor at the School of Land/Air Warfare. Later he commanded the Gutersloh Wing, flying Vampire jets, before taking command of RAF Wunsdorf. He was appointed OBE in 1945 and mentioned in dispatches in 1946, the year President Harry Truman awarded him the US Bronze Star. Group Captain Tom Dalton-Morgan, who has died in Australia aged 87, on the 18th September 2004, was one of the RAF's most distinguished Battle of Britain fighter pilots.
The signature of J R Toombs (deceased)

J R Toombs (deceased)
*Signature Value : £50

John Richard 'Jack' Toombs flew Blenheims during the Battle of Britain with No.236 Sqn, and also flew with No.264 Sqn and has also flown Defiants. Jack Toombs passed away on 11th December 2006.


The signature of Len Stillwell (deceased)

Len Stillwell (deceased)
*Signature Value : £40

Len Stillwell trained in Southern Rhodesia and was posted to Italy with 92 Squadron flying Hurricanes. Later Len Stillwell went onto fly Mk.V , MK VIII and IX Spitfires with 92 squadron providing close ground support. He was wounded when enemy fire hit his aircraft injuring both his legs, but soon he rejoined the squadron. It was sad news to hear of his passing on the 6th December 2008.
The signature of P/O Ken Plumridge (deceased)

P/O Ken Plumridge (deceased)
*Signature Value : £35

Battle of Britain Pilot. P O Ken Plumridge flew with the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain with 111 Squadron. In November 1944 he joined 152 squadron.
The signature of Peter Cunningham (deceased)

Peter Cunningham (deceased)
*Signature Value : £35

Battle of Britain Spitfire Pilot. Passed away 2007. Like so many pilots, Peter began his flying career in the USA on Stearmans, staying as an instructor after qualifying. The death of a close friend in action prompted him to request posting to an active fighter squadron and after a short conversion spell on Hurricanes in England, Peter found himself flying Spitfire Mk.IXs over Italy in 1943. One incident he recalled was the occasion when he was obliged to put his Spitfire, which had been damaged by ground fire, into the sea off the coast of Anzio and the resulting difficulty he had in extricating himself from the rapidly sinking fighter! Following his tour of operations Peter was sent to the Middle?East as a test pilot and it was here that he met Vera, the WAAF who would become his wife. With flying now truly engrained in his blood, Peter went on after the war to become one of the worlds most respected civil airline pilots, flying the classic aircraft of the day and witnessing amazing sights as his adventure?filled career took him across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle?East.


The signature of Squadron Leader Doug Nicholls DFC (deceased)

Squadron Leader Doug Nicholls DFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £45

A pre-war RAFVR pilot, in June 1940 Nicholls converted to Hurricanes at 7 OTU, Hawarden. Nicholls flew during the Battle of Britain with 85 and 242 and in September joined 151 Squadron.at Digby On September 30, 1940, he shared in the destruction of a Ju 88 and returned to Digby with his Hurricane P 5182 severely damaged by return fire. Nicholls spent only a brief time with 242 but Bader made a considerable impression. After a hard day Nicholls remembers Bader taking off his legs and dressing the stumps with lotion and talcum powder. Few people realise, Nicholls feels, just how much strain combat flying with artificial legs must have been. Later in the war Nicholls flew Hurricanes with 258 Squadron in the Far East to Seletar airfield, Singapore and flew their first operation on January 31 1942. On February 10 1942 the three surviving Hurricanes of 258 were withdrawn to Palembang with the fifteen surviving pilots, six remained behind to fly with 605 Squadron, with Nicholls being one of the nine evacuated from Java to Ceylon. 258 Squadron was reformed at Ratmalana on March 1 1942 and Nicholls rejoined it. Awarded the DFC (19.5.44) he remained with 258 until August 1944, when he was posted to HQ 224 Group, Burma, as Squadron Leader Tactics. Squadron Leader Doug Nicholls, who has died aged 95, flew Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain, avoided capture in Java and earned the DFC flying ground attack missions in Burma. Nicholls and his fellow pilots of No 258 Squadron had just arrived in the Middle East as reinforcements in 1941 when Japan attacked Pearl Harbour. It was decided to rush the squadron to Singapore and it embarked on the aircraft carrier Indomitable before sailing for the Far East. On January 28 1942, 22 Hurricanes took off from the carrier and departed on the three-hour flight to Batavia. After refuelling, Nicholls headed for Palembang in the south of Sumatra. During the hazardous crossings, the squadron had lost a quarter of its aircraft before facing the Japanese. Two pilots were soon lost in combat. On February 6, the airfield at Palembang was attacked. Nicholls managed to damage a Japanese bomber but he was attacked by a Zero fighter and was forced to bail out over the jungle 30 miles from his airfield. Nicholls started walking and eventually commandeered a car, but found that his squadron had been forced to evacuate Palembang. When the car ran out of petrol he traded it for a railway ticket to a nearby port where he escaped to Batavia to rejoin his depleted squadron. It was soon decided to withdraw the squadron and leave six pilots to fly the only remaining Hurricanes. Three volunteered to stay and the remainder cut cards, the three drawing the lowest to remain. Nicholls cut a jack, which was high enough for him to join the party to be evacuated. On February 28, just six of the 22 pilots who had arrived a few weeks earlier sailed for Ceylon on an overcrowded boat. Those left behind were either killed or became PoWs for the next three years.


The signature of Squadron Leader Ian Blair DFM (deceased)

Squadron Leader Ian Blair DFM (deceased)
*Signature Value : £50

Ian Blair joined 113 Squadron in 1938 as a AC1/Armourer AG. on Hawker Hind and later Blenheim Mk 1s. He took part in the heavy fighting of the first Lybian campaign. He was forced to take control and fly the Blenheim airceaft after his pilot was killed following an attack by an Italian Fiat CR 42. Remarkably he managed not only to evade the enemy aircraft, but fly to fly the Blenheim 350 miles back to his base where he made a succesful textbook landing. This extraordinary action earned him the award of an immediate DFM. Ian Blair said about the event :
The day before, we had been sent out to bomb an enemy airfield at Derna, about 400 miles west of Alexandria. We were in a Blenheim bomber, and I was the observer. That's the guy in the front who does the navigation and drops the bombs. But as soon as I had released the bombs, a fighter-plane attacked us.
Glasgow-born Sqn Ldr Blair still has the blood-stained flight log he made that day. The pencil entries end suddenly. He said : There was an almighty bang. When I looked round, the pilot - a chap called Reynolds - was slumped forward on the controls. I think it was the very last round that killed him. It was really unfortunate. His luck had run out. Then the aircraft went into a steep dive.
Despite having never flown an aircraft in his life before that moment, the young airman - paid one shilling and sixpence per day extra to fill in as part-time air crew - took charge. He said : From that moment the only thing going through my mind was survival. Everything happened so quickly, and we had to get the heck out of there. I managed to pull the pilot's body off his seat and get the aircraft under control. But we still had to get home and land the thing. My gunner, Hank, sent a message back to base saying: 'We're in dire trouble here, the observer is flying the aircraft.' Lo and behold, when we got back to base there was whole gallery of people, cars, ambulances and fire tenders all lined up waiting for the ultimate - but it didn't happen. I had spent a long time watching pilots, and made a textbook landing. We came down in a shower of dust. Perhaps I was a bit over-confident. The air officer commanding the base apparently said: 'If that guy can fly an aircraft without a pilot's course, let's send him on a pilot's course.'
He was presented with his DFM by George VI. The experience led him to train as a pilot at No 4 SFTS RAF Habbaniya, where the No 6 War Course were heavily engaged in operations to raize the siege of the base from the Iraqi Army. He was finally awarded his wings in May 1941. On return to the UK he served with 501 Squadron on combat duties on Spitfire Mk V's until injured as a result of enemy action. On return to flying duties he was posted to 602 Squadron flying MkV's and MkIX's until June 1944. In February 1944, he claimed a high altitude victory by destroying a Me.109 F at an altitude of 35,000 feet, flying a Spitfire Mk.VII H.F.


The signature of Squadron Leader Mahinder Pujji DFC (deceased)

Squadron Leader Mahinder Pujji DFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £35

In 1940 Mahinder, a qualified pilot flying for Shell in India, volunteered to join the RAF and was commissioned as Pilot Officer. Arriving in England, he was posted to 43 Squadron, and then 258 Squadron at Kenley, flying both Hurricanes and Spitfires. Later posted to the Western Desert, then to India, and finally to Burma, where he completed two tours against the Japanese. Sadly, Mahinder Pujji passed away on 22nd September 2010.


The signature of Tony Pickering AFC (deceased)

Tony Pickering AFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £45

With the RAFVR just before the war commenced, Tony Pickering joined 32 Squadron at Biggin Hill in July 1940, flying Hurricanes, and in August 1940 to 501 Squadron at Gravesend. In September he was shot down in Hurricane P5200, but unhurt in a duel with an Me109, destroying another 109 a few weeks later. In December he joined 601 Squadron at Northolt. After a spell instructing, he joined 131 as a Flight Commander in February 1943, and later served as a Squadron Commander in the Middle East. Tony Pickering died on 24th March 2016.


The signature of Vivian Snell (deceased)

Vivian Snell (deceased)
*Signature Value : £65

Battle of Britain Hurricane pilot with No.501 Sqn. Shot down over Cranbrook on 25th October 1940 while flying Hurricane P2903, bailing out uninjured. During his service life Vivian flew the Fairy Battle with 103 Squadron, later flying the Hawker Hurricane with 151 and 501(F) Squadrons during the Battle of Britain in 1940. Vivian shot down a Bf109E on the 25th October 1940 and was then shot down himself while piloting Hurricane Mk.I serial N2438. After having minor wounds attended to he returned to his squadron and flew through the rest of the Battle of Britain. In 1941 he was flying the American built Douglas DB7 Havoc night fighter with number 85(F) Squadron. He commanded his own Mosquito Squadron towards the end of the War. Vivian was released from the RAF in 1946 with the rank of Wing Commander. He died on 21st February 2010.


The signature of Wing Commander Bob Doe, DSO, DFC* (deceased)

Wing Commander Bob Doe, DSO, DFC* (deceased)
*Signature Value : £60

In 1939 he joined the R.A.F. and upon completion of his training was posted to 234 squadron. During the Battle of Britain he achieved great success. He was one of the very few pilots to successfully fly both Hurricanes and Spitfires and was one of the top scorers of the Battle with 14 and two shared victories. He was awarded the DFC in October and a BAR in November. He joined 66 squadron as a Flight Commander then moving to 130 squadron in August 1943 saw him in 613 squadron flying Mustangs. October 1943 he was posted out to the Far-East, forming 10 squadron, Indian Air Force, which he led on the Burma front. Awarded the DSO in 1945. He stayed on in the R.A.F. after the war, retirement in 1966 was followed by opening a Garage business which proved successful. Sadly, we have learned of the passing of Bob Doe on 21st February 2010.


The signature of Wing Commander Tom Neil DFC* AFC (deceased)

Wing Commander Tom Neil DFC* AFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £50

Tom Neil was born on 14th July 1920 in Bootle, Lancashire. Tom Neil (also to become known in the RAF as 'Ginger') joined the RAFVR in October 1938 and began his flying training at 17 E and RFTS, Barton, Manchester. Tom Neil was called up on the 2nd os September 1939 being sent to 4 ITW, Bexhill in early November. On 1st December 1939, he was posted to 8 FTS and on completion of the course he was commissioned and posted to 249 Squadron in May 1940 flying Hurricanes just before the start of the Battle of Britain flying from North Weald. On 7th September 1940, Tom Neil encountered and claimed a Bf109 destroyed. On the 11th an He111, on the 15th two Bf109s and a Do17 destroyed and another Do17 shared, on the 18th an He111 damaged and on the 27th a Bf110 and a Ju88 destroyed, a Bf110 probably destroyed and a Ju88 shared. On 6th October Tom Neil shared a Do17, on the 25th claimed a Bf109 destroyed, on the 27th a Do17 probably destroyed, on the 28th a Ju88 shared and on 7th November a Ju87 and two Bf109s destroyed. He was awarded a DFC on 8 October, but on 7 November, after claiming 3 victories over the North Sea off the Essex coast, he collided in mid-air with Wing Commander Francis Beamish and his aircraft lost its tail. He baled out of his Hurricane unhurt, Beamish force-landing unscathed. Tom received a Bar to his DFC on 26 November, and on 13 December was promoted flight Commander. The squadron was posted to Malta in May 1941, flying off HMS Ark Royal on the 21st. During a summer of frequent scrambles, he claimed one further victory in June, while on 7th October he led a fighter-bomber attack on Gela station, Sicily. He departed the island in December 1941, returning to the UK via the Middle East, South and West Africa, and Canada, finally arriving in March 1942, when he became tactics officer with 81 Group. A spell as an instructor at 56 OTU, before being posted as a flying liaison officer with the 100th Fighter Wing of the US 9th Air Force in January 1944. He managed to get some flying in over France with this unit, claiming a share in 6 aircraft destroyed on the ground before D-Day, and a dozen or so more later, plus a number of other ground targets. In January 1945 he was sent to the school of Land/Air Warfare as an instructor. In March 1945 he was posted out to Burma, where he undertook some operations with 1 Wing, Indian Air Force, to gain experience of the operations in this area. Returning to the UK in April, he resumed instructing at the school until the end of the year. In January 1946 he attended the Empire Test Pilots School, undertaking No.4 short course and No.5 course, a total of 18 months. Posted briefly to Farnborough, he sought a move to Boscombe Down, where he stayed for some 3 years. In 1948 in went to Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio, to take part in the first high altitude pressure suit experiments, as a precursor to the aerospace programme. 1950-51 he was a staff officer at HQ, Fighter Command, while in 1952 he attended the staff college at Bracknell. He was then given command of 208 Squadron in Egypt, which he led until 1956, leaving just before the Suez operation. He returned to the UK to become W/Cdr Operations, Metropolitan sector, until 1958, when he attended the flying college at Manby. He went to the British Embassy in Washington for 3 years from 1959, returning to the Ministry of Defence but retiring from the service as a Wing Commander in 1964. Meanwhile he had added the US Bronze Star to his decorations in august 1947, and an AFC in January 1956. Tom Neil died on 11th July 2018.

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