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| *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. | |
| Name | Info |
 Squadron Leader Robert Kings (deceased) Died : 2013 *Signature Value : £45 Editions signed : Small limited edition of 20 artist proofs. | Kings, Robert (Squadron Leader Robert Kings (deceased)) Robert Austin Kings was born on 22nd October 1914 and joined the RAFVR about July 1938 as an Airman u/t Pilot and began training at 29 E&RFTS at Luton. Called up on 1st September 1939, he was posted to 3 ITW Hastings on 13th December and moved on to 14 FTS Kinloss on 12th March 1940 and finished the course on 2nd August. Kings went to 6 OTU Sutton Bridge on 7th August and after converting to Hurricanes was posted to 238 Squadron at St. Eval on the 31st. He damaged a He111 on 25th September and was himself shot down by a Me110 in combat over the Isle of Wight on the 26th. Kings baled out, unhurt. His Hurricane, P3830, is believed to have crashed on Colemans Farm, Porchfield. He destroyed a He111 in the action. Four days later he baled out again, after colliding with P/O VC Simmonds during a routine patrol. Kings was injured in a heavy landing because of a damaged parachute, which had ripped on the tail of his aircraft. His Hurricane, L1702, crashed near Shaftesbury. Kings was admitted to hospital and did not rejoin 238 until 15th November 1940. However he was judged to be not fully fit and he was put on administrative duties and did not return again to 238 until 22nd December, this time fit to fly. Re-joining the squadron, in 1941 they embarked for North Africa, attached to 274 Squadron in the Western Desert. The squadron embarked on HMS Victorious on 17th May 1941, en route for the Middle East. However they disembarked when the carrier was added to the task force chasing the Bismarck. After returning to Scotland to refuel, it set off again for the Mediterranean. On 14th June Kings flew off south of Majorca, heading for Malta. Refuelled, the squadron flew to Egypt the next day and on the 19th was attached to 274 Squadron in the Western Desert. On 16th September 1941 the 238 pilots were flown to Takoradi, to fly back Hurricane 11cs. On 26th November Kings was shot down in a sweep over Sidi Rezegh and made a forced-landing in the desert where he was spotted and rescued by soldiers from the 22nd Armoured Division en-route to Tobruk, and was able to rejoin his squadron. Kings was posted to the ADU in the Delta on 30th April 1942 and remained with it until 17th May 1945 when he returned to the UK. In November 1945 he was posted to India, served at RAF Poona and Calcutta and returned to the UK in November 1947. Later trained in Air Traffic Control and Radar duties, Kings retired from the RAF on 27th October 1964 as a Flight Lieutenant, retaining the rank of Squadron Leader. Bob Kings was also a test pilot on Typhoons. He died on 1st May 2013. |
  Group Captain Byron Duckenfield AFC (deceased) Died : 2010 *Signature Value : £50 Editions signed : Small limited edition of 20 artist proofs. | Duckenfield, Byron (Group Captain Byron Duckenfield AFC (deceased)) Byron Duckenfield started at Flying Training School on 25th November 1935 in a Blackburn B2 at Brough. As a Sergeant, he joined No.32 Sqn at Biggin Hill on 8th August 1936 and flew Gauntlets and Hurricanes. He joined 74 Squadron at Hornchurch on 11th April 1940, flying Spitfires, and on 5th May was posted to 501 Squadron flying Hurricanes at Tangmere. On the 11th of May at Betheniville, he survived a crash in a passenger transport Bombay aircraft in an aircraft in which he was a passenger, While comin ginto land the aircraft at 200 feet the aircraft stalled and the aircrfat fell backwards just levelly out as it histhe ground. 5 of th epassengers were killed when the centre section collapsed and crushed them. Duckenfield was fortunate as he had moved position during the flight. as the two passengers sitting each side of where he was sitting had died in the crash. (it was found later that the Bombay had beeb loaded with to much weight in the aft sectiion. ) recovering in hospital in Roehampton. On 23rd July 1940, he rejoined No.501 Sqn at Middle Wallop, then moved to to Gravesend two days later, scoring his first victory, a Ju87, on the 29th of July 1940. During August and September he scored three more victories. After a spell as a test pilot from 14th September 1940, he was posted to command 66 Squadron on 20th December 1941, flying Spitfires. On 26th February 1942 he took command of 615 Squadron flying Hurricanes from Fairwood Common, taking the squadron to the Far East. In late December 1942 he was shot down in Burma and captured by the Japanese. He remained a POW until release in May 1945. After a refresher course at the Flying Training School in November 1949, he took command of No.19 Squadron flying Hornets and Meteors from Chruch Fenton. After a series of staff positions, he retired from the RAF as a Group Captain on 28th May 1969. Duckenfield would write later his details : Burma At first light, 12 Hurricanes IIC aircraft of 615 Squadron, myself in the lead, took off from Chittagong for central Burma to attack the Japanese air base at Magwe, 300 miles away on the banks of the River Irrawaddy. Arriving at Yenangyaung, we turned downstream at minimum height for Magwe, 30 miles to the South and jettisoned drop tanks. Just before sighting the enemy base, the squadron climbed to 1200 feet and positioned to attack from up sun. On the ramp at the base, in front of the hangers, were 10 or 12 Nakajima KI - 43 Oscars in a rough line up (not dispersed) perhaps readying for take. These aircraft and the hangars behind them were attacked in a single pass, before withdrawing westward at low level and maximum speed. A few minutes later perhaps 20 miles away form Magwe, I was following the line of a cheung (small creek), height about 250 feet, speed aboput 280 mph, when the aircraft gave a violent shudder, accompanied by a very lound, unusual noise. The cause was instantly apparent: the airscrew has disappeared completely, leaving only the spinning hub. My immediate reaction was to throttle back fully and switch off to stop the violently overspeeding engine. Further action was obvious: I was committed to staying with the aircraft because, with a high initial speed, not enough height to eject could be gained without the help of an airscrew. So I jettisoned the canopy and acknowledged gratefully the fact that I was following a creek; the banks of either side were hillocky ground, hostile to a forced landing aircraft. Flying the course of the creek, I soon found the aircraft to be near the stall (luckily, a lower than normal figure without an airscrew) extended the flaps and touched down wheels-up with minimum impact ( I have done worse landings on a smooth runway!) My luck was holding, if one can talk of luck in such a situation. December is the height of the dry season in that area and the creek had little water, it was shallow and narrow at the point where I came down: shallow enough to support the fusalage and narrow enough to support wing tips. So I released the harness, pushed the IFF Destruct switch, climed out and walked the wing ashore, dryshod. The question may occur -Why did not others in the squadron see their leader go down? - the answer is simple, the usual tatctic of withdrawal from an enemy target was to fly single at high speed and low level on parallel courses until a safe distance from target was attained. Then, the formation would climb to re-assemble. Having left the aircraft, I now faced a formidable escape problem? I was 300 miles from friendly territory: my desired route would be westward but 80% of that 300 miles was covered by steep north-south ridges impenetrably clothed in virgin jungle; these were natural impediments, there was also the enemy to consider. Having thought over my predicament, I decided the best I could do - having heard reports of mean herted plainspeope - was to get as far into the hills as possible and then find a (hopefully sympathetic) village. I suppose I may have covered about 15 miles by nightfall when I came upon this small hill village and walked into the village square. Nobody seemed surprised to see me (I suspect I had been followed for some time) I wa given a quiet welcome, seated at a table in the open and given food. Then exhaustion took over, I fell asleep in the chair and woke later to find myself tied up in it. Next day I was handed over to a Japanese sergeant and escort who took me back to Magwe and, soon after that, 2.5 years captivity in Rangoon jail. Sadly we have learned that Byron Duckenfield passed away on 19th November 2010. |
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Signature(s) value alone : £95