Cranston Military Prints .com Home Page
Customer Helpline (UK) : 01436 820269
Subscribe to our Newsletter!

You currently have no items in your basket

Payment Options Display
Buy with confidence and security!
Publishing historical art since 1985

Navigation Menus
Military
Art Index 		Aviation
Art Index 		Naval
Art Index 		Artists
Index
Product Search         
Aviation
History Archive 		Naval
History Archive
HALF PRICE AND FREE PRINT SPECIAL OFFERS
ALWAYS GREAT OFFERS :
20% FURTHER PRICE REDUCTIONS ON HUNDREDS OF LIMITED EDITION ART PRINTS
BUY ONE GET ONE HALF PRICE ON THOUSANDS OF PAINTINGS AND PRINTS
FOR MORE OFFERS SIGN UP TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
The Biff Boys by Robert Taylor. - Cranston Military Prints

The Biff Boys by Robert Taylor.


The Biff Boys by Robert Taylor.

On the morning of 30th November 1917, Lieutenant Andrew McKeever, a Canadian serving with 11 Squadron RFC, together with his observer/gunner Lieutenant Leslie Powell, climbed into their Bristol F2b Fighter and took off alone; their task to fly a solo reconnaissance patrol over Cambrai, where the decisive battle involving tanks for the first time in history was raging on the ground below - it was to prove a remarkable day. As they flew over the enemys lines they encountered a pair of German two seater observer aircraft, protected by no fewer than seven enemy Albatross DV scouts. Armed with a forward firing .303 Vickers machine gun and a ring mounted Lewis gun in the back seat, McKeever skilfully manoeuvred his aircraft to engage one of the enemy scouts, and destroyed it. As he turned to get back to the Allied lines, five of the remaining enemy Albatross fighters dived on his tail, but Lt Powell rapidly downed two of them in quick succession with deadly fire from his Lewis gun. Continuing the duel with the remaining Germans, McKeever managed to destroy a further Albatross when suddenly his observers Lewis gun jammed. The pair seemed doomed, however McKeever, showing great courage and initiative, feigned disaster by rolling his aircraft over, plummeting it towards the ground. Fooled by the manoeuvre, the German aircraft climbed away, and McKeever levelled out just twenty feet above the ground and flew back to safety. Remarkably, all of McKeevers thirty one victories were achieved at the controls of the Bristol F2b Fighter, making him the highest scoring ace with 11 Squadron, and of any pilot flying two seater aircraft during the First World War.
Item Code : DHM1681BThe Biff Boys by Robert Taylor. - Editions Available
DESCRIPTIONSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSPRICEPURCHASINGPACKS
Signed limited edition of 600 prints. Paper size 30.5 inches x 23.5 inches (77cm x 60cm) - Image size 24 inches x 16 inches (61cm x 41cm)

Extras....
Supplied with companion print entitled Camels on Patrol by Robert Taylor, sized overall 22 inches by 15 inches (56cm x 38cm) featuring Sopwith Camels over northern France. The companion print is signed by Flight Lieutenant Henry Botterell.


Botterell, Henry (companion print)
Died : 2003
Flight Lieutenant Henry Botterell (deceased)
First World War fighter pilot with the Royal Flying Corps. Born in 1896, Henry Botterell joined the Royal Naval Air Service in Canada, and in 1916 sailed for England where he trained as a pilot to fly fighters. In 1917 he was posted to France, joining an operational squadron on the Western Front, butan engine failure on his second take off brought his flying to an abrupt conclusion, forcing him to spend several months in hospital and convalescing back in England, where he was demobilised. Aft
Signature Value : £80
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
+ Artist : Robert Taylor

Signature(s) value alone : £80		£40 Off!Now : £210.00

Quantity:
In 12 Pairs
and 2 Packs
View
Limited edition of 65 artist proofs. Paper size 30.5 inches x 23.5 inches (77cm x 60cm) - Image size 24 inches x 16 inches (61cm x 41cm)

Extras....
Supplied with companion print entitled Camels on Patrol by Robert Taylor, sized overall 22 inches by 15 inches (56cm x 38cm) featuring Sopwith Camels over northern France. The companion print is signed by Flight Lieutenant Henry Botterell.


Allingham, Henry
Died : 2009
Henry Allingham (deceased)
Henry Allingham is the oldest surviving veteran of World War One, Britains oldest living man, and the second oldest living man in the world. He is the last survivor of the Royal Naval Air Service, and served as a seaplane mechanic on HMS Kingfisher during the Battle of Jutland, of which he is the last survivor. He saw service on the Western Front in France, serving as an aircraft mechanic with 12 Squadron RNAS, and instrumented the first reconnaissance camera fitted to an aircraft during WW1.
Signature Value : £120
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Botterell, Henry (companion print)
Died : 2003
Flight Lieutenant Henry Botterell (deceased)
First World War fighter pilot with the Royal Flying Corps. Born in 1896, Henry Botterell joined the Royal Naval Air Service in Canada, and in 1916 sailed for England where he trained as a pilot to fly fighters. In 1917 he was posted to France, joining an operational squadron on the Western Front, butan engine failure on his second take off brought his flying to an abrupt conclusion, forcing him to spend several months in hospital and convalescing back in England, where he was demobilised. Aft
Signature Value : £80
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
+ Artist : Robert Taylor

Signature(s) value alone : £200		SOLD
OUT		NOT
AVAILABLE
Limited edition of 5 Tribute Proof Portfolios. Paper size 30.5 inches x 23.5 inches (77cm x 60cm) - Image size 24 inches x 16 inches (61cm x 41cm)

Extras....
Supplied with companion print entitled Close Shave by Robert Taylor, sized overall 22.5 inches by 22.5 inches (57cm x 57cm) . This companion print features the mounted original signature of Manfred von Richthofen and is signed by Charles A W Watson.



Supplied with companion print entitled Camels on Patrol by Robert Taylor, sized overall 22 inches by 15 inches (56cm x 38cm) featuring Sopwith Camels over northern France. This companion print is signed by Flight Lieutenant Henry Botterell.


Richthofen, Manfed von (matted on companion print)

Died : 1918
Manfred von Richthofen (deceased)
The legendary Red Baron was the most successful flying Ace of World War One, with over 80 confirmed victories. With his aircraft painted bright red, this brilliant tactician and leader served with Jasta 11 before commanding the new, much larger wing, Jagdgeschwader I, soon to earn the immortal nickname of Richthofens Flying Circus. On 21st April 1918, during a low level aerial duel, Manfred von Richthofen was fatally struck by a single .303 bullet, believed to have been fired from the trenches
Signature Value : £1050
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Allingham, Henry
Died : 2009
Henry Allingham (deceased)
Henry Allingham is the oldest surviving veteran of World War One, Britains oldest living man, and the second oldest living man in the world. He is the last survivor of the Royal Naval Air Service, and served as a seaplane mechanic on HMS Kingfisher during the Battle of Jutland, of which he is the last survivor. He saw service on the Western Front in France, serving as an aircraft mechanic with 12 Squadron RNAS, and instrumented the first reconnaissance camera fitted to an aircraft during WW1.
Signature Value : £120
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Watson, Charles A W (companion print)

Died : 2005
Charles A W Watson (deceased)
Born in 1899, Charles Watson joined 11 Squadron on the Western Front in 1918 as an observer / gunner on Bristol F2B fighters, and was the worlds last survivor to be shot down during the First World War. On 9th August 1918, he and his pilot were shot down during an aerial duel near Peronne. With his pilot temporarily blinded by escaping petrol fumes, Charles managed to land the plane in front of French Army lines using the spare joystick and, with the help of the French, managed to get his daze
Signature Value : £140
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Botterell, Henry (companion print)
Died : 2003
Flight Lieutenant Henry Botterell (deceased)
First World War fighter pilot with the Royal Flying Corps. Born in 1896, Henry Botterell joined the Royal Naval Air Service in Canada, and in 1916 sailed for England where he trained as a pilot to fly fighters. In 1917 he was posted to France, joining an operational squadron on the Western Front, butan engine failure on his second take off brought his flying to an abrupt conclusion, forcing him to spend several months in hospital and convalescing back in England, where he was demobilised. Aft
Signature Value : £80
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
+ Artist : Robert Taylor

Signature(s) value alone : £1390		SOLD
OUT		NOT
AVAILABLE


Some other related items available from this site.

The distinctive black-fuselaged Albatross D.V of Jasta 12s commander taxis out for take off behind the similar machine of Leutnant d R Friedrich Hochstetter at Roucourt, late in 1917. Whilst all of Jasta 12s aircraft possessed black tails, many of them bore their pilots personalised insignia painted large on the fuselage sides. In the case of Hochstetter, it was a stacked shot emblem, whilst others sported castles, diagonal crosses or various geometric shapes. The origin of Schobingers light blue design is unknown, but may have been applied purely for recognition purposes. His final tally was eight victories, while Hochstetter scored just one.

Leutnant d R Viktor Schobinger by Ivan Berryman. 		The distinctive black-fuselaged Albatross D.V of Jasta 12s commander taxis out for take off behind the similar machine of Leutnant d R Friedrich Hochstetter at Roucourt, late in 1917. Whilst all of Jasta 12s aircraft possessed black tails, many of them bore their pilots personalised insignia painted large on the fuselage sides. In the case of Hochstetter, it was a stacked shot emblem, whilst others sported castles, diagonal crosses or various geometric shapes. The origin of Schobingers light blue design is unknown, but may have been applied purely for recognition purposes. His final tally was eight victories, while Hochstetter scored just one.

Leutnant d R Viktor Schobinger by Ivan Berryman.		 The vulnerability of early air gunners is evident in this painting as this Royal Aircraft Establishment FE 2 comes under attack from a Fokker E.III early in World War 1. Archaic in appearance, compared to their German rivals, the FE2 was nevertheless heavily armed with three Lewis guns arranged to cover almost every angle, one of them fixed in a forward firing position for the pilot to operate.

Tribute to the Air Gunners - Royal Aircraft Establishment FE2 by Ivan Berryman. 		139 Squadron RAF in North Italy, December 1917.

Christmas Hunt - Bristol Fighter F2B by David Pentland.
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 Lieutenant Henry Botterell (deceased)
Died : 2003
*Signature Value : £80

Editions signed :

Signed limited edition of 600 prints.
Limited edition of 65 artist proofs.
Limited edition of 5 Tribute Proof Portfolios.


Botterell, Henry
(Flight Lieutenant Henry Botterell (deceased))

First World War fighter pilot with the Royal Flying Corps. Born in 1896, Henry Botterell joined the Royal Naval Air Service in Canada, and in 1916 sailed for England where he trained as a pilot to fly fighters. In 1917 he was posted to France, joining an operational squadron on the Western Front, butan engine failure on his second take off brought his flying to an abrupt conclusion, forcing him to spend several months in hospital and convalescing back in England, where he was demobilised. After a chance meeting with pilots on leave in England with whom he had trained, Henry applied to rejoin the service and was accepted. Re-qualifying as a fighter pilot, in early 1918 he returned to operational combat flying in France with 208 Squadron Royal Flying Corps. Flying Sopwith Camels he saw active service with 209 Squadron for the remainder of the war until the Armistice in November. Staying in France as part of the continuing Force he eventually returned to Canada in 1919 - bringing back with him a fence post which the wing of his Camel had collected on one of his many low level sorties. The post now resides in the War Museum in Ottawa. Henry died in 2003.


Henry Allingham (deceased)
Died : 2009
*Signature Value : £120

Editions signed :

Limited edition of 65 artist proofs.
Limited edition of 5 Tribute Proof Portfolios.


Allingham, Henry
(Henry Allingham (deceased))

Henry Allingham is the oldest surviving veteran of World War One, Britains oldest living man, and the second oldest living man in the world. He is the last survivor of the Royal Naval Air Service, and served as a seaplane mechanic on HMS Kingfisher during the Battle of Jutland, of which he is the last survivor. He saw service on the Western Front in France, serving as an aircraft mechanic with 12 Squadron RNAS, and instrumented the first reconnaissance camera fitted to an aircraft during WW1. The RNAS and the Royal Flying Corps merged on 1st April 1918 to become the Royal Air Force, and he is the last surviving founding member of that illustrious service. Sadly, Henry Allingham died aged 113 on 18th July 2009.




Manfred von Richthofen (deceased)
Died : 1918
*Signature Value : £1050

Editions signed :

Limited edition of 5 Tribute Proof Portfolios.


Richthofen, Manfed von
(Manfred von Richthofen (deceased))

The legendary Red Baron was the most successful flying Ace of World War One, with over 80 confirmed victories. With his aircraft painted bright red, this brilliant tactician and leader served with Jasta 11 before commanding the new, much larger wing, Jagdgeschwader I, soon to earn the immortal nickname of Richthofens Flying Circus. On 21st April 1918, during a low level aerial duel, Manfred von Richthofen was fatally struck by a single .303 bullet, believed to have been fired from the trenches below. He was buried by his Allied opponents with full military honours.




Charles A W Watson (deceased)
Died : 2005
*Signature Value : £140

Editions signed :

Limited edition of 5 Tribute Proof Portfolios.


Watson, Charles A W
(Charles A W Watson (deceased))

Born in 1899, Charles Watson joined 11 Squadron on the Western Front in 1918 as an observer / gunner on Bristol F2B fighters, and was the worlds last survivor to be shot down during the First World War. On 9th August 1918, he and his pilot were shot down during an aerial duel near Peronne. With his pilot temporarily blinded by escaping petrol fumes, Charles managed to land the plane in front of French Army lines using the spare joystick and, with the help of the French, managed to get his dazed wounded pilot back to safety.
Squadrons Related to This Print
No.11 Sqn
Aircraft Related to This Print
Albatros D.V
Bristol F2B

Contact Details
Shipping Info
Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy
Privacy Policy

Sign Up To Our Newsletter!

Stay up to date with all our latest offers, deals and events as well as new releases and exclusive subscriber content!

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

Return to Home Page