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Clipped Signature - J Frank Bell. - Cranston Military Prints

Clipped Signature - J Frank Bell.


Clipped Signature - J Frank Bell.

J Frank Bell - A pilot of the A-26 Invader with the 409th Bomb Group, he flew his first mission on 15th December 1944. He was shot down and taken prisoner on 16th April 1945.

Leonard R McBride - Flew 65 missions with the 416th Bomb Group flying the A-20 Havoc and A-26 Invader. He died in 2009.
Item Code : CLP0360Clipped Signature - J Frank Bell. - Editions Available
DESCRIPTIONSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSPRICEPURCHASINGPACKS
Clipped Signature.
Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!
Bell, J Frank

Flight Officer J Frank Bell
409th B G. A-26 pilot, flew his first combat mission Dec 15th 1944. Shot down and taken POW April 16th 1945.
Signature Value : £35
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

McBride, Leonard R

Died : 2009
First Lt Leonard R McBride (deceased)
Flew 65 missions with the 416th Bomb Group flying the A-20 Havoc and A-26 Invader. He died on 9th September 2009.
Signature Value : £40
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 

Signature(s) value alone : £75		£10 Off!
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Arthur R Milow - Commanding Officer of the 643rd Bomb Squadron, 409th Bomb Group, he flew 66 combat missions in the A-20 Havoc and A-26 Invader, including on D-Day itself and in the Battle of the Bulge. He died in 2012.<br><br>Wayne E Downing - A pilot on the A-20 Havoc with the 416th Bomb Group, he flew missions D-Day. He later converted to the A-26 Invader, completing a total of 86 combat missons. Post-war he stayed with the Air Force flying the B-47 and B-52 until 1962, becoming a maths teacher after leaving the service. He died in 2018.<br><br>Ralph F Conte - A bombardier / navigator with the 416th Bomb Group, he flew his first mission on 4th March 1944. Flying a total of 65 combat missions in the A-20 Havoc and A-26 Invader, he was awarded the Purple Heart after being wounded by flak on 18th July 1944. He died in 2016.

Clipped Signature - Arthur R Milow.		 The A-26 Invader was one of the most effective attack bombers to see action late in the War, and the aircraft, when fitted with eight .5 caliber machine guns in its nose, was an incredibly effective ground or surface ship attack aircraft. Douglas Aircraft developed the aircraft. The team of Edward Heinemann and Jack Northrop worked on the initial design of what would become the A-20 Havoc. Northrop then left Douglas to form his own company. Heinemenn and project engineer Robert Donovan began work on the A-26 project in 1941. It would incorporate several of the A-20s features yet it would be as advanced as possible with many state-of-the-art concepts. A mid-mounted, laminar-flow airfoil wing was utilized with double slotted electrically controlled flaps. Defensive armament was limited to remotely controlled dorsal and ventral turrets both under the control of a gunner located in the rear of the fuselage. Approval to develop prototypes was received from the Army in June of 1941. Three were built at Douglas El Segundo, California plant and were designated the XA-26. Heinemanns design team had built in a lot of flexibility into the A-26s design. The aircraft could be easily modified to vary its role. A three-man attack bomber version with a Plexiglas nose could be modified into a two-man night fighter version with radar in the nose and four ventral-mounted 20mm cannons, or modified once again into a ground attack aircraft with a variety of nose-mounted armaments. Work on the three prototypes was slowed by the War, but the aircraft was ready to go into production by mid-1942. Screw-ups within the Army and a lack of manufacturing equipment delayed the start of production until 1943. The Army decided to cancel the night fighter version of the A-26 and proceed with production of both a bomber and ground attack versions of the aircraft that would be named the Invader. The A-26B with the nose-mounted armament generally was fitted with either six or eight machine guns. The B variant could carry a 6,000-pound bomb load powered by its twin 2000-HP Pratt and Whitney R-2800-27 engines. With a maximum speed of 322-MPH the aircraft had a service ceiling of 25,000 feet and a maximum range of approximately 3000 miles. The A-26C variant was the glass nosed bomber version. In total 1,355 B versions were built along with 1,336 C versions. After the War the A-26s designation changed to the B-26 - leading to some confusion with the Martin-built B-26. In Stan Stokes painting entitled No Trains Today, a pair of A-26Bs rip into an Axis freight train behind enemy lines in 1945. The A-26 would go on to serve in the Korean War and several of these splendid aircraft remain air-worthy to this day.

No Trains Today by Stan Stokes.		 The A-26 Invader was one of the most effective attack bombers to see action late in the War, and the aircraft, when fitted with eight .5 caliber machine guns in its nose, was an incredibly effective ground or surface ship attack aircraft. Douglas Aircraft developed the aircraft. The team of Edward Heinemann and Jack Northrop worked on the initial design of what would become the A-20 Havoc. Northrop then left Douglas to form his own company. Heinemenn and project engineer Robert Donovan began work on the A-26 project in 1941. It would incorporate several of the A-20s features yet it would be as advanced as possible with many state-of-the-art concepts. A mid-mounted, laminar-flow airfoil wing was utilized with double slotted electrically controlled flaps. Defensive armament was limited to remotely controlled dorsal and ventral turrets both under the control of a gunner located in the rear of the fuselage. Approval to develop prototypes was received from the Army in June of 1941. Three were built at Douglas El Segundo, California plant and were designated the XA-26. Heinemanns design team had built in a lot of flexibility into the A-26s design. The aircraft could be easily modified to vary its role. A three-man attack bomber version with a Plexiglas nose could be modified into a two-man night fighter version with radar in the nose and four ventral-mounted 20mm cannons, or modified once again into a ground attack aircraft with a variety of nose-mounted armaments. Work on the three prototypes was slowed by the War, but the aircraft was ready to go into production by mid-1942. Screw-ups within the Army and a lack of manufacturing equipment delayed the start of production until 1943. The Army decided to cancel the night fighter version of the A-26 and proceed with production of both a bomber and ground attack versions of the aircraft that would be named the Invader. The A-26B with the nose-mounted armament generally was fitted with either six or eight machine guns. The B variant could carry a 6,000-pound bomb load powered by its twin 2000-HP Pratt and Whitney R-2800-27 engines. With a maximum speed of 322-MPH the aircraft had a service ceiling of 25,000 feet and a maximum range of approximately 3000 miles. The A-26C variant was the glass nosed bomber version. In total 1,355 B versions were built along with 1,336 C versions. After the War the A-26s designation changed to the B-26 - leading to some confusion with the Martin-built B-26. In Stan Stokes painting entitled No Trains Today, a pair of A-26Bs rip into an Axis freight train behind enemy lines in 1945. The A-26 would go on to serve in the Korean War and several of these splendid aircraft remain air-worthy to this day.

No Trains Today by Stan Stokes. 		When the seasoned B-26 crews of the 386th Bomb Group took delivery of their Douglas A-26 Invader aircraft in September 1944, the arrival of their new fast attack bombers neatly coincided with a move to France. Now based at Beaumont-sur-Oise, they were able to penetrate deep into enemy territory. The three man crews took part in the Battle of the Bulge, their twin engined aircraft being well suited to their task of destroying strategic bridges and cutting vital supply lines. After the Ardennes Campaign, now fully equipped with the A-26, the 386th BG continued to strike hard against important targets in Germany, the nimble handling characteristics of the aircraft making low-level attacks a speciality. As the Allies advanced upon Germany the 386th moved to St. Trond in Belgium, their base at the time of Nicolas Trudgians dramatic painting. Arriving at high speed over the busy German rail yard in the heart of the Ruhr Valley, barely skimming the nearby factory chimney stacks on the way into the target, the A-26 crews on the 386th deliver a devastating blow, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. With bombs away, the Invader crews strafe the area with their battery of ten forward-firing .50 cal. machine guns, the roar of their twin 2000hp engines heightening the tension and confusion on the ground. <br><br><b>Published 2000.<br>

Ruhr Valley Invaders by Nicolas Trudgian
Signatures on these products
*The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature and is for the unmatted version where available. 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 Officer J Frank Bell
*Signature Value : £35

Editions signed :

Clipped Signature.


Bell, J Frank
(Flight Officer J Frank Bell)

409th B G. A-26 pilot, flew his first combat mission Dec 15th 1944. Shot down and taken POW April 16th 1945.




First Lt Leonard R McBride (deceased)
Died : 2009
*Signature Value : £40

Editions signed :

Clipped Signature.


McBride, Leonard R
(First Lt Leonard R McBride (deceased))

Flew 65 missions with the 416th Bomb Group flying the A-20 Havoc and A-26 Invader. He died on 9th September 2009.
Squadrons Related to This Print
Aircraft Related to This Print
Invader

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