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Bomber Command Halifax Aircraft Prints by Gerald Coulson and Robert Taylor.- Panzer - Prints .com
DHM2250.  Leading the Way by Gerald Coulson. <p>On August 15th 1942, under the leadership of Don Bennet, a new group was formed from Bomber Command to develop specialised target finding and target  marking. Made up purely from experienced volunteers, this elite and highly trained group of men were known as the Pathfinders. Up until this point the means available to Bomber Command of accurately finding their targets were totally lacking and the task of the Pathfinders was to develop techniques to precisely define these targets ahead of the main force.  Initially made up of four Squadrons  Nos. 7 (Stirlings) 35 (Halifax) 83 (Lancaster) and 156 (Wellingtons)  they were based at a clutch of airfields between Cambridge and Huntingdon. Originally part of No.3 Group Bomber Command the Pathfinder Force was directly answerable to C-in-C Air Marshal Arthur Harris until January 1943 when it became a separate group, No.8 (PFF)  .  Personally selected for the task by Arthur Harris, the Australian born Don Bennet, just 32 years of age proved to be and inspired choice to form the Pathfinders. A navigation expert without peers he was widely experienced in flying all types of aircraft including fighters, flying boats and bombers and already an experienced operational bomber captain. Along with many of his colleagues, such as Hamish Mahaddie and John Searby he was responsible for instilling in his men the Pathfinder Spirit - an intangible quality of dedication which bonded them together.  Pathfinder crews used a combination of personal skill and technical equipment to locate their targets. Often flying against overwhelming odds and in appalling conditions they transformed the performance of a bomber force that in 1941 was dropping almost half its bombs on open countryside.  The first Pathfinder unit to fly the Halifax was 35 Squadron based at Graveley. With some of the greatest Bomber Aircrew amongst their number the unit quickly gained a reputation for excellence that was second to none.  This superb painting from one of the worlds most highly regarded Aviation Artists, Gerald Coulson, depicts a Halifax B.MkII series 1A of 35 (PFF) Squadron on an operation over occupied Europe. Flying at around 20,000 feet and completely alone and unprotected, the crew navigate their bomber well ahead of the main force, leading the way to their target.  <p><b>Less than 20 now available.</b><b><p>Signed by Flight Lieutenant John Rollins DFC AFC (deceased), <br>Warrant Officer Ernest Kenwright DFC DFM <br>and <br>Squadron Leader Pat Carden DFC AE (deceased). <p>Signed limited edition of 500 prints. <p> Image size 31 inches x 26 inches (79cm x 66cm)
DHM1818B. Out of the Night - The First To Go In by Robert Taylor. <p> Silently out of the night they came. With flaps deployed, three timber and plywood Horsa gliders swept swiftly down through the night skies, rapidly closing with their objective - Pegasus Bridge over the Caen Canal. On board, with tension etched deep into their blackened faces, men from the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, part of the British 6th Airborne Division, braced themselves for landing. They, and sappers from the Royal Engineers, were about to become the first fighting force to land in France on D-Day. They were about to make history. <b><p>Signed by : <br> Private Alf Whitbread (deceased),<br> Private Billy Gray,<br>Private Frank Bourlet,<br>Sergeant Peter Rocky Bright,<br>Private Stan Watson,<br>Craftsman Roy Bishop,<br>Gunner Ernie Brewer L d Hon,<br>Lance Corporal Harry Hopkins,<br>Private Frank Sankey<br>and<br>Squadron Leader John Fisher DFC.<p> D-Day edition of 200 prints<p> Paper size 25.5 inches x 21.5 inches (65cm x 54cm)

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  Website Price: £ 285.00  

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Bomber Command Halifax Aircraft Prints by Gerald Coulson and Robert Taylor.

PCK1540. Bomber Command Halifax Aircraft Prints by Gerald Coulson and Robert Taylor.

Aviation Print Pack.

Items in this pack :

Item #1 - Click to view individual item

DHM2250. Leading the Way by Gerald Coulson.

On August 15th 1942, under the leadership of Don Bennet, a new group was formed from Bomber Command to develop specialised target finding and target marking. Made up purely from experienced volunteers, this elite and highly trained group of men were known as the Pathfinders. Up until this point the means available to Bomber Command of accurately finding their targets were totally lacking and the task of the Pathfinders was to develop techniques to precisely define these targets ahead of the main force. Initially made up of four Squadrons Nos. 7 (Stirlings) 35 (Halifax) 83 (Lancaster) and 156 (Wellingtons) they were based at a clutch of airfields between Cambridge and Huntingdon. Originally part of No.3 Group Bomber Command the Pathfinder Force was directly answerable to C-in-C Air Marshal Arthur Harris until January 1943 when it became a separate group, No.8 (PFF) . Personally selected for the task by Arthur Harris, the Australian born Don Bennet, just 32 years of age proved to be and inspired choice to form the Pathfinders. A navigation expert without peers he was widely experienced in flying all types of aircraft including fighters, flying boats and bombers and already an experienced operational bomber captain. Along with many of his colleagues, such as Hamish Mahaddie and John Searby he was responsible for instilling in his men the Pathfinder Spirit - an intangible quality of dedication which bonded them together. Pathfinder crews used a combination of personal skill and technical equipment to locate their targets. Often flying against overwhelming odds and in appalling conditions they transformed the performance of a bomber force that in 1941 was dropping almost half its bombs on open countryside. The first Pathfinder unit to fly the Halifax was 35 Squadron based at Graveley. With some of the greatest Bomber Aircrew amongst their number the unit quickly gained a reputation for excellence that was second to none. This superb painting from one of the worlds most highly regarded Aviation Artists, Gerald Coulson, depicts a Halifax B.MkII series 1A of 35 (PFF) Squadron on an operation over occupied Europe. Flying at around 20,000 feet and completely alone and unprotected, the crew navigate their bomber well ahead of the main force, leading the way to their target.

Less than 20 now available.

Signed by Flight Lieutenant John Rollins DFC AFC (deceased),
Warrant Officer Ernest Kenwright DFC DFM
and
Squadron Leader Pat Carden DFC AE (deceased).

Signed limited edition of 500 prints.

Image size 31 inches x 26 inches (79cm x 66cm)


Item #2 - Click to view individual item

DHM1818B. Out of the Night - The First To Go In by Robert Taylor.

Silently out of the night they came. With flaps deployed, three timber and plywood Horsa gliders swept swiftly down through the night skies, rapidly closing with their objective - Pegasus Bridge over the Caen Canal. On board, with tension etched deep into their blackened faces, men from the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, part of the British 6th Airborne Division, braced themselves for landing. They, and sappers from the Royal Engineers, were about to become the first fighting force to land in France on D-Day. They were about to make history.

Signed by :
Private Alf Whitbread (deceased),
Private Billy Gray,
Private Frank Bourlet,
Sergeant Peter Rocky Bright,
Private Stan Watson,
Craftsman Roy Bishop,
Gunner Ernie Brewer L d Hon,
Lance Corporal Harry Hopkins,
Private Frank Sankey
and
Squadron Leader John Fisher DFC.

D-Day edition of 200 prints

Paper size 25.5 inches x 21.5 inches (65cm x 54cm)


Website Price: £ 285.00  

To purchase these prints individually at their normal retail price would cost £335.00 . By buying them together in this special pack, you save £50




All prices are displayed in British Pounds Sterling

 

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
Flight Lieutenant John Rollins DFC AFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £40 (matted)

After joining the RAF in 1940 he was called up in early 1941 and entered OTU where he qualified as an observer and was then posted operationally to 466 Sqn at Leconfield on Wellingtons. At the end of 1942 he joined 35 Sqn as a Navigator at Gravely as part of the Pathfinder Force, initially on the Halifax and later converting to Lancasters. He remained with the Pathfinders until 1944 when he was posted to Stoney Cross to convert back to Wellington 1C's as a way of becoming reacquainted with two engined aircraft. he spent the remainder of the war flying Dakotas in the Far East and left the RAF in mid 1946. Died 26th March 2005.
The signature of Squadron Leader Pat Carden DFC AE (deceased)

Squadron Leader Pat Carden DFC AE (deceased)
*Signature Value : £30 (matted)

Joining the RAF in 1932, after qualifying as a pilot, he served as an instructor until 1942, when he joined 15 Squadron at Mildenhall, flying Lancasters. Volunteering for the Pathfinder Force he joined 35 Squadron at Gravely on Halifaxes, followed by 582 Squadron on Lancasters, taking part in many bombing sorties over Normandy, including two missions on D-Day. He finished the war having completed 66 operations. Pat Carden sadly died 28th June 2008, aged 96.
Warrant Officer Ernest Kenwright DFC DFM
*Signature Value : £30 (matted)

Joining the RAF in 1940 he was initially posted to Cardington as a driver and ended up on the Isle of Sheppey releasing explosive met balloons in order to hamper enemy aircraft. Volunteering for aircrew he attended a gunnery course at Stormy Down in 1942 and shortly after joined 51 squadron at Snaith in Yorkshire, as a Rear Gunner on Halifaxes. In 1943 after many operations with the main force he volunteered for the Pathfinders and joined 35 Squadron at Gravely on both the Halifax and Lancaster. He remained with this unit until the end of the war completing 82 operations and left the RAF in 1946
Signatures on item 2
*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
Craftsman Roy Bishop
*Signature Value : £20 (matted)

Landing at Gold beach on D-Day + 3, he served in a Light Aid Detachment of the 49th Division (Polar Bear) as part of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. These Light Aid Detachments provided dedicated logistical support to Armour and Infantry units handling the repair of all weapons, optics and vehicles including tanks and armoured cars.
Gunner Ernie Brewer L d Hon
*Signature Value : £10 (matted)

Ernie Brewer landed on Gold Beach on D-Day with the 5th Battalion, Royal Horse Artillery, part of the 7th Armoured Division - the Desert Rats - equipped with Sexton 25pdr self-propelled guns.
Lance Corporal Harry Hopkins
*Signature Value : £10 (matted)

Fighting with the 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade, also part of the 7th Armoured Division, Desert Rats, Harry Hopkins landed on Gold Beach on D-Day + 9, June 1944.


Private Alf Whitbread (deceased)
*Signature Value : £30 (matted)

Alf Whitbread, known in the war as 'Lucky Jim' was born in Twickenham, London and when his father got a job in the Building Research Station in Garston the family moved to Watford. Alf Whitbread left school to become a machine engineer, but was encouraged to volunteer for the army after hearing a patriotic speech on the radio. On June 19th, 1940, Alf Whitbread went to the Edgeware recruiting office and joined the Royal West Kent Youth Battalion at the age of 18 and in 1942 in Ireland, Alf heard rumours about a newly formed airborne unit and volunteered. Alf said : 'We thought we were going to be in the paratroopers, who were mad, but we finished up in the gliders and the paratroopers thought we were mad.' Alf Served with 17 Platoon of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. He landed as part of the Coup de Main operation on Glider No.6 into Pegasus bridge in the early hours of D-Day. Alf was part of the second group of gliders which landed first at Horsa Bridge, before taking part in the battle for Pegasus Bridge, (the subject of the film 'The Longest Day'.) They sent the message 'ham and jam', a code confirming they had captured both bridges. The men held off many counter attacks by German troops and tanks until midday on June 6th. Alf would later say 'Two of our gliders were sent to secure Horsa bridge and frankly, it was a walk over. Our platoon never lost a man. We secured the bridge and then, when another platoon relieved us, we went and joined John Howard on Pegasus Bridge.' Alf Whitbread was later to take part in Operation Varsity, the last major battle of the war in Europe. On March 24th 1945 Operation Varsity was launched. The aim was to take a bridge over the Rhine again by gliderborne troops. Almost 1,500 men of the Ox and Bucks died during the operation, and Lucky Jim lived up to his reputation before his glider even landed. Alf would say: 'They say dont volunteer for anything, but I did and it worked out to my benefit. I remember when we were set to get on a glider on the way for the Rhine crossing and it was too full. I was detailed to another glider. They both crash landed. All the troops in the first glider were killed. Only three of us got out of the other glider alive, after it broke in half.' After the war Alf Whitbread joined London Transport as an engineer for 40 years and in all that time Alf never took a day off due to illness. With great sadness we have been told that Alf has passed away peacefully on 19th March 2011 at the age of 88. Cranston Fine Arts feel very honoured to have had Alf sign some of our art prints.
Private Billy Gray
*Signature Value : £20 (matted)

The first man out of Glider No. 1 into Pegasus Bridge as part of the Coup de Main operation in the early hours of D-Day. He served with 25 Platoon of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Private Frank Bourlet
*Signature Value : £10 (matted)

Fought at the Pegasus Bridge action with 25 Platoon, D Company, 2nd Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 6th Armoured Division.
Private Frank Sankey
*Signature Value : £15 (matted)

Frank Sankey landed on Juno Beach with the 5th/7th Gordon Highlanders, part of the 51st Highland Division.
Private Stan Watson
*Signature Value : £15 (matted)

Landing at Pegasus Bridge in Horsa Glide No.1, Stan Watson served with 25 Platoon, 2nd Battalion, the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
Sergeant Peter Rocky Bright
*Signature Value : £10 (matted)

Peter Bright, serving with 23 Platoon, 2nd Battalion, the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, flew in Horsa Glider No.5 during the coup de main operation against Pegasus Bridge on 6th June 1944. In August he was wounded by shrapnel, posted back to England and promoted to Sergeant.
Squadron Leader John Fisher DFC
*Signature Value : £20 (matted)

John Fisher served with 644 Squadron flying Special Duties Halifaxes on supply drops to resistance movements throughout North West Europe, and dropping personnel for SOE duties. On the night of 5th June, he flew Halifax LL219 towing a Horsa glider as part of the assault on Pegasus Bridge. In two operations on D-Day + 1 he towed two further gliders into the Normandy area. He later flew two more glider operations over Arnhem, and another on the Rhine crossing. He received the DFC (USA) which was presented to him by General Jimmy Doolittle.

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