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  Tribute to Pilot Officer Pegge of No.610 Squadron by Ivan Berryman. |   Operation Bodenplatte by Nicolas Trudgian |   Spitfire Dawn by Keith Woodcock. |   First Flap of the Day 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. | |
| Name | Info |
  Wing Commander Jack Rose CMG MBE DFC (deceased) Died : 2009 *Signature Value : £50 Editions signed : Limited edition of 10 artist proofs. | Rose, Jack (Wing Commander Jack Rose CMG MBE DFC (deceased)) Jack Rose was born on January 18 1917 at Blackheath, London, and was educated at Shooters Hill School before studying Science at University College London where he represented the university at rugby. He joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve in October 1938, completing his training as a fighter pilot just before the outbreak of war. With the British Expeditionary force under constant air attack, fighter reinforcements were requested and Jack Rose flew one of the Hurricanes sent to Merville to reinforce No.3 Squadron. He was in action immediately and on the 15th he shared in the destruction of a Messerschmitt Bf109 as the air battle reached its climax. For the next few days the Hurricane squadrons operated at maximum intensity. During the afternoon of the 18th Rose intercepted a lone Messerschmitt Bf110 fighter over Douai and shot it down. A few hours earlier, his elder brother Tommy, of No 56 Squadron, had been shot down and killed in his Hurricane. The following day Rose attacked a Heinkel 111 and closed to within a few yards to shoot the bombers port engine. Oil from the engine covered the windscreen of his Hurricane so he climbed away, slowed the aircraft down to almost stalling speed, loosened his harness, stood on his seat and leant out of the cockpit in an attempt to clean the windscreen. As he did, tracer from an enemy fighter hit his aircraft. Seeing Rose standing in the cockpit, the German pilot claimed he had shot down the Hurricane, but Rose managed to break away. His aircraft was badly damaged but he managed a forced landing at a forward airfield where the aircraft was destroyed. Orders were given to evacuate the Hurricanes on the 20th. Without an aircraft, Rose joined others on a French transport and was flown to England. In the 10 days of the air war, No 3 Squadron lost seven pilots killed with another taken prisoner. A further nine Hurricanes were lost. He formed the new 184 Squadron in 1942, initially on Hurricanes, later Spitfires. In late 1943 the squadron converted to rocket firing Typhoons, and were heavily involved in the build up to D-Day, moving to France in late 1944. He later transferred to the Far East, finishing the war with 3 victories. Leading the rocket-firing Hawker Typhoons of 184 Squadron, Jack Rose swept down on German armour concentrations south of Caen on D-Day, the first of many such sorties over Normandy Constantly on call during the battle, the squadrons targets ranged from enemy armour and convoys, to gun and mortar positions, bridges and railway targets. From June 14, they operated from Advanced Landing Grounds in France, with the enemy close enough to fire at them on landing and take-off. Rose joined his first squadron, No 32, at Biggin Hill flying Hurricanes. In the Battle for France he scored three victories before returning to England to take part in the Battle of Britain. In 1942 he formed 184 Squadron from scratch, leading it until October 1944. He later flew Hurricanes again in the Far East. He left the RAF in October 1945. Sadly, Jack Rose died on 10th October 2009. |
  Wing Commander George W Swanwick (deceased) Died : 2011 *Signature Value : £50 Editions signed : Limited edition of 10 artist proofs. | Swanwick, George (Wing Commander George W Swanwick (deceased)) George Swanwick was born on 10th November 1915 and was an air-gunner on Wallaces and Hinds with 504 squadron at RAF Hucknall during the 1930s. In May 1936, 504 became part of the Auxiliary Air Force, and in October 1938 converted to a fighter unit, equipped with Gauntlets. In 1938 George re-trained as a pilot, and was promoted to Sergeant Pilot in August 1939. In May 1940 George Swanwick joined 7 BGS, and on 7th September was posted to 54 Squadron at Catterick flying Spitfires. He then went to 41 Squadron at Hornchurch. Commissioned in late 1941, he was posted to 222 Squadron at North Weald in April 1942 as a Flight Commander. In July George Swanwick joined 603 Squadron in Malta and in September 1942, George was posted to 7 OTU at Port Sudan as Flight Commander. In July 1943, he joined 81 Squadron in Malta as a supernumerary. George was invalided back to the UK and following his discharge from hospital in 1944, George held various staff appointments until the end of the war. George Swanwick was granted a Permament Commission in 1949 and retired on 30th April 1970, as a Wing Commander. Sadly, George Swanwick passed away on 4th January 2011. |
  Flight Lieutenant Richard L Jones (deceased) Died : 2012 *Signature Value : £45 Editions signed : Limited edition of 10 artist proofs. | Jones, Richard L (Flight Lieutenant Richard L Jones (deceased)) Richard Jones was born in 1918 and in July 1940 Richard Jones was posted to 64 Squadron at Kenley, flying Spitfires. He was involved in heavy fighting over the Channel during the Battle of Britain, with the squadron suffering many losses during July and August. Towards the end of the Battle of Britain, in October, he moved to 19 Squadron flying Spitfires from Fowlmere, and was heavily involved in the fighter sweeps taking place at that time. Near the end of the Battle of Britain, Pilot Officer Richard Jones was shot down during a dogfight over Kent with Me 109s. Jones crash landed his Spitfire in a field, colliding with a flock of sheep - he would go on to write in his log book 'Crashed into a load of sheep. What a bloody mess!' After the Battle of Britain, Richard Jones became a test pilot for De Havilland at Witney in Oxfordshire, and test flew thousands of Hawker Hurricanes and other types, including civil types. After the war Richard Jones joined the RAFVR and started a long career in the motor industry. Sadly Richard Jones passed away on 7th March 2012. |
  Chief Test Pilot Alex Henshaw (deceased) Died : 2007 *Signature Value : £70 Editions signed : Limited edition of 10 artist proofs. | Henshaw, Alex (Chief Test Pilot Alex Henshaw (deceased)) Alex Henshaw perhaps understands the Spitfire better than any other pilot - for he was Vickers Chief Test Pilot on Spitfires at the new Spitfire factory at Castle Bromwich during World War II. By the end of the war he had personally test flown a total of 2360 different Spitfires and Seafires - more than ten per cent of the entire production. It is often stated that those lucky enough to have seen Alex handle the Spitfire in flight, that it is an experience that can never be forgotten, he was acknowledged as a virtuoso in aerobatics. Alex Henshaw died 24th February 2007. |
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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 |
Signature(s) value alone : £215