spitfire jet

A gathering section of 124 Squadron Spitfires led by Peter Ayerst climbs for height above the bomber stream and a lone Mosquito. This Squadron plus many others was tasked with protecting the bombers over occupied Europe. For these long range missions the Spitfires carry 90 Gallon 'Slipper Tanks' to extend the relatively short endurance of the aircraft. In combat with enemy fighters they would jettison the tanks. However, following a shortage, they were encouraged to bring them back if they possibly could.
Overall size: 18” x 27”

The Primary Edition is signed by
Wing Commander Peter Ayerst DFC.

The Artist Proofs and Remarque Editions are signed by Wing Commander Peter Ayerst DFC
Flight Lieutenant R G (Bob) Large, DFC
(distinguished WW2 Spitfire pilots) and the artist.
 
Wing Commander Peter Ayerst DFC. Few RAF pilots flew operationally from the beginning to the end of the Second World War. Fewer still can claim to have experienced action from Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain, El Alamein and the D-Day landings, to bomber escort duty in the closing days of the war in Europe. Peter Ayerst is one such man.
Peter joined the RAF in 1938 on a short service commission and was despatched to France when war broke out. After serving with legendary fighter ace Douglas Bader, Peter was posted to North Africa in 1942 where he was forced to crash-land his Hurricane in a minefield.
Peter flew Spitfires on intruder sorties over France before and during D-Day, on bomber escort duty against V-weapons sites and in support of mass daylight raids deep into Germany. Awarded the DFC in December 1944, he also flew as fighter escort to King George VI's Dakota. By the war's end, Peter had flown every mark of Spitfire and Hurricane in the RAF's inventory! This stood him in good stead after the war when he worked with famous test pilot Alex Henshaw: he was part of the flight-test crew when Henshaw rolled a Lancaster.
 
Flight Lieutenant R G (Bob) Large, DFC, Legion d’Honneur, learned to fly in Scotland in 1940 and in 1941 joined 616 Squadron as part of the Tangmere Wing, commanded by the famous legless pilot Wing Commander Douglas Bader. The Squadron flew Fighter and Bomber sweeps over Northern France. The remains of Bob’s Spitfire lie at the bottom of the sea ten miles off Hythe (where he now lives) after being bounced by eighty plus ME 109Gs over the English Channel.
Having learned of the activities of 161 SD Squadron he was interviewed by the CO, Wing Commander Lewis Hodges, and joined the Lysander Flight. He then flew many important missions into occupied France in single, double and a memorable treble pickup when his excuse for being late at the rendezvous was that he had had a haircut “in the firm’s time” because “it grew in the firm’s time”! After D-Day he returned to Fighter Command and later flew Meteors. (Bob’s dog, Patrick, became the first dog in the Allied Forces to fly in a jet which took place in a Meteor 3 on 11th May 1946 and is now recorded in the Guinness Book of Records!)

AN OUTSTANDING NEW OIL PAINTING

Lancasters at the Ready

by Philip E. West

The final preparations are underway before these Lancasters leave for yet another mission over Occupied Europe. Along with other Bomber Command aircraft, the Lancaster took the battle to the enemy. Despite sustaining heavy losses, Bomber Command aircrew at all times showed great skill, courage and sense of duty, until ultimately ensuring the freedom we all enjoy today.

An original oil on canvas painting measuring (unframed) approximately
24” x 12” /61 cms x30.5cms

The painting is signed on the reverse of the canvas by these Bomber Command Aircrew: (Pilot) Flt Lt. Phil Ainley DFC, (Pilot) Sqn. Ldr. Lawrence “Benny” Goodman (617 Sqn), (Flt. Eng) Flight Lieutenant Don Briggs DFC, (Special Ops. Pilot) Flt Lt. Russell (Rusty) Waughman DFC, AFC and Pathfinder Pilot Joe Petrie-Andrews.  Together these men have completed over 150 ops. 
(please see below for further details)

Price: £4750.00

Imagine owning a painting of a Lancaster aircraft signed by these remarkable aircrew – five pilots and a Flight Engineer who went on to become a Vulcan pilot during the Cold War.

Flt. Lt. Joe Petrie-Andrews DFC. DFM joined the RAF at “about 14 or 15 years of age.” Rejecting the opportunity to become a bomb-aimer, Joe was determined to pester the RAF until they would accept him on a pilot’s training course. Flying mainly Lancaster and Halifax aircraft, Joe joined 158 and 35 Squadron’s, and later became part of the Pathfinder Force. During an operation to bomb Cannes in southern France on 11th November 1943, Joe’s (aged only 19) Halifax was badly shot up, forcing him to ditch the aircraft in the Mediterranean, where he and the crew spent three days in a dingy before being rescued; for this operation Joe was awarded an ‘immediate’ DFC. He completed 68 operations, 60 before his 20th birthday on 11/7/1944.

Flt Lt Phil Ainley DFC was accepted for aircrew training in February 1942 at the age of 17½ years.  He was selected for pilot training and was sent to the United States Naval Aviation base in Pensecola.  After gaining his United States Navy wings on completion of his Catalina flying boat course, he was commissioned and returned to the UK.  Following retraining on land planes, he eventually joined No. 57 Lancaster squadron in May 1944.

The squadron was heavily engaged in attacking both French flying bomb sites, the build up to D. Day and German industrial targets.  One sortie to Konigsberg necessitated flying for 11 hours 10 minutes, whilst another was to drop mines in the Stettin canal from 250 feet.  For this last sortie Flt Lt Ainley was awarded an immediate DFC. He completed his operational tour of 33 sorties in October 1944, having flown all this time with the same crew with the exception of a replacement flight engineer. On completing a course at the Bomber Command Instructors School, he became a flying instructor in Bomber Command.

Sqn. Ldr. Lawrence “Benny” Goodman (Pilot. 617 Sqn) volunteered for aircrew at 18 years of age and was called up in 1940. After basic training he went to RAF Abingdon – a Whitley O.T.U – for what he was told would be ‘straight through’ training. This did not materialise and he found himself in the role of a Ground Gunner. In 1941, a posting eventually came through to the Initial Training Wing followed by Elementary Flying School at Peterborough and an instructor’s course at Woodley, Reading; then to Clyffe Pyparde, a holding unit. A sea journey to Canada followed and Service Flying Training School on Ansons. On completion he was posted to Kingston, Ontario, to instruct Acting Leading Naval Airmen on the Royal Navy tactics of the time. e.g. jinking after take off, dive bombing etc.  “However, I had to learn everything first, so I was just about one step ahead of the students! said Benny.

Eventually returning to the UK and O.T.U. on Wellingtons at Silverstone and Heavy Conversion Bomber Unit at Swinderby on Stirlings. Then a short course at the Lancaster Conversion Unit. After an interview Benny and his crew were surprised and delighted to find they had been selected for 617 Squadron – this was in 1944 and they stayed together as a crew on 617 Squadron until the war in Europe ended. He completed 30 missions – all with William “Jock” Burnett as his flight engineer. Notable raids Benny took part in were on the Tirpitz (29/10/44), dropping the Grand Slam 22,000 bomb on the Arnsberg Viaduct (19/03/45) and the attack on Berchtesgarten ‘Eagles nest’ (25/05/45). 

Flight Lieutenant Don Briggs DFC entered the RAF in 1939 as an Aircraft Apprentice at RAF Halton, Bucks. He later serviced Hampden & Wellington Bombers before becoming aircrew  and completed two tours of operations as a flight engineer on No 156 Pathfinder Squadron (survived 62 sorties)  His crew were engaged on several trips in support of the ground forces just after D day and took part in attacks on flying bomb sites in the Pas de Calais    On one particular trip to Nuremberg Don's skipper successfully corkscrewed his way out of three night fighter attacks    On another operation a flak shell exploded less than 50 feet above the cockpit   Perspex panels and wing surfaces suffered damage but happily none of the crew were hurt  Don retrained as a pilot after the war and flew Meteors, Jet Provosts, Canberras, and all three V Bombers   He took part in Operation 'Grapple' on Christmas Island his crew dropping Britain's 3rd H Bomb in June '57    He retired from the RAF in 1973 and became a Commercial flying instructor training pilots for many different airlines    Don eventually 'called it a day' from flying at age 84 thus completing 64 years of flying 

Flt Lt Russell (Rusty) Waughman DFC, AFC, volunteered for the RAF in 1941. After training in Canada, he qualified as a heavy bomber pilot. In November 1943 he was posted to No 101(Special Duties) Squadron at Ludford Magna. He completed a tour of operations, which began during the ‘Battle of Berlin’, where they did several operations.  Surviving a mid-air collision, only to write the aircraft off on landing, ‘Rusty’ and his crew on a subsequent flight had a miraculous escape when their aircraft was blown upside down, over the target, at Mailly-le-Camp; they also survived the Nuremberg raid on 30th March 1944, when 97 aircraft were lost – including about one quarter of 101 sqn strength that night.