|
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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. | |
Name | Info |
Captian Clayton Gross (deceased) *Signature Value : £50 | Clayton Gross was one of 12 original pilots to fly with the 355th fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group. He first saw combat in 1943, and took part in the great D-Day air operations on 6th June 1944. He flew over 100 combat missions in two combat tours on P51s, was credited with 6 confirmed kills (including an Me262 jet), 14 damaged, multiple ground vehicles destroyed, including 8 locomotives. He survived one bail-out behind enemy lines, and flew continuously in the ETO until VE Day. Captain (Air Corps) Clayton Kelly Gross (ASN: 0-663512), United States Army Air Forces, was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action against the enemy as a P-51 Mustang Fighter Pilot of the 355th Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, NINTH Air Force, in action against the enemy in aerial combat in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. His gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army Air Forces. Clayton Gross died on 10th January 2016. |
Colonel Maurice Long (deceased) *Signature Value : £50 | Maurice Long arrived in England in 1943, assigned to the 355th Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group. Flying the P51B Mustang he served as a Flight Commander, operations Officer and Squadron Commander, achieving 8 and a half victories. In the ETO he took part in the vital D-Day missions over Normandy, later moving with the Squadron to French soil. In a long career he took part in 140 combat missions flying P51s in the ETO, and later F84s in Korea. Sadly, we have learned that Maurice Long passed away on 31st March 2008. |
Colonel Sid Harwell *Signature Value : £40 | Col Sid Harwell. C-47 pilot who had more combat experience than most C-47 pilots, and participated in the Airborne assault during D-day with the 87th Troop Carrier Sqn dropping 101st Airborne Paratroopers into Ste-Mere-Eglise. |
Miles Wagner (deceased) *Signature Value : £25 | Glider pilot, D-Day. Miles Channing Wagner was born in Urbana, Ohio on October 23rd, 1916, the second of five children. His father, M. Channing Wagner, was a teacher/coach in Columbus, Ohio before moving to Wilmington, Delaware to take a position as Principal at Wilmington H.S. Miles was four when they moved and he made Delaware his home until he graduated from the University of Delaware in 1936 and began a career with E.I. Dupont at locations such as Dallas, Houston and Little Rock. During this period he earned his private pilot's license which he used while serving in the U.S. Army during WW II. He enlisted in 1942 and was assigned to glider pilot school. Miles participated in the D-Day invasion and later was severely injured while flying in troops at a landing in southern France. He spent a half a year recuperating and was honorably discharged in May, 1945, and earned a Purple Heart medal. Miles Channing Wagner died 26th September 2009 |
Warren Emerson *Signature Value : £25 | P51 pilot who flew during the D-Day landings. 6 victories with the 354th Fighter Squadron, 355th Fighter Group. |
William King *Signature Value : £35 | P51 pilot who flew during the D-Day landings. Serving with the 355th Fighter Squadron, he scored 5.5 victories, including 3 Fw190s in a single day. |
The Aircraft : | |
Name | Info |
Dakota | DOUGLAS DAKOTA, Transport aircraft with three crew and can carry 28 passengers. speed 230-mph, and a altitude of 23,200 feet. maximum range 2,100 miles. The Douglas Dakota served in all theatres of world war two, The Royal Air Force received its first Douglas Dakota's in April 1941, to 31 squadron which was serving in India. These were DC2, later DC3 and eventually C-47 Dakotas were supplied. The Douglas Dakota was developed from the civil airliner of the 1930's. The Royal Air Force received nearly 2,000 Dakotas, But many more than this served in the US Air Force and other allied countries. The last flight of a Douglas Dakota of the Royal Air Force was in 1970. You can still see Douglas Dakota's in operational and transport use across the world. |
Mustang | The ubiquitous North American P-51 Mustang, which many consider to be the best all-around fighter of WW II, owes its origins to the British Air Ministry. Following Britains entry into WW II in 1939, the RAF was interested in purchasing additional fighter aircraft from American sources, particularly the Curtiss P-40. Curtiss, which was busy, was unable to guarantee timely delivery so the British approached North American Aviation as a possible second source for the P-40. North American chose to propose its own fighter design which would use the same Allison engine as the P-40. Utilizing new laminar flow wings, the North American fighter was expected to have performance better than the P-40. Developed in record time the new aircraft was designated as a Mustang I by the Brits, whereas the USAAF ordered two for evaluation which were designated XP-51 Apaches. Intrigued with the possibility of using this aircraft also as a dive bomber, North American proposed this to the USAAF which decided to order 500 of the P-51 aircraft to be modified for dive bombing use. Designated as the A-36 Invader, this version of the Mustang utilized dive flaps, and bomb racks under each wing. Some reinforcing of the structural members was also required because of the G-forces to be encountered in dive bombing. A-36s entered combat service with the USAAF prior to any P-51s. In early 1943 the 86th and 27th Fighter Bomber Groups of the 12th Air Force began flying A-36s out of Northern Africa. Despite some early problems with instability caused by the dive flaps, the A-36 was effective in light bombing and strafing roles. It was not, however, capable of dog fighting with German fighters, especially at higher altitudes. Despite these drawbacks one USAAF pilot, Captain Michael T. Russo, who served with the 16th Bomb Squadron of the 27th Fighter Bomber Group, was credited with five confirmed aerial victories in the A-36, thereby becoming the first mustang ace. |
Waco |
Related Pages :
D-Day Artwork
Contact Details |
Sign Up To Our Newsletter!
This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com |
|