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
Thundering Home by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) - Cranston Military Prints

Thundering Home by Nicolas Trudgian. (B)


Thundering Home by Nicolas Trudgian. (B)

When the U.S. Air Forces arrived in Europe in 1942 it was the beginning of a three year aerial campaign, the scale of which had never been seen before, nor since. The 8th, 9th, 12th and 15th Air Forces constituted the mightiest aerial armada in history. With outstanding leadership and sustained courage, they blazed a trail of glory across the skies of war-torn Europe that today is legend. Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the beginning of the U.S. Air Forces campaign in Europe, the talented aviation artist Nicolas Trudgian has painted a spectacular canvas, bringing to life the men and machines of that epoc-making era, half a century ago. Set in a dramatic and powerful evening sky, B-17 Fortresses come thundering home after a mid over enemy territory. Joining the formation are a pair of B-24 Liberators which have become separated from their own group, and P-51 fighters fly in close escort for the perilous journey home. Aboard the aircraft, pilots and gunners scan the horizon for enemy fighters. Flight engineers are busy coaxing their ships along, some having to deal with overheating engines, damaged fuel lines, leaking hydraulics and other inflicted damage. Some have injured on board. Glistening in the strong evening sunlight the lead aircraft fills the canvas. Clearly visible are the pilot and upper turret gunner, and all the fine detail of this legendary warbird as it thunders through the sky. Below, reflecting the evening glow, is the forbidding North Sea, providing a constant reminder that the dangers of the mission are not yet ever.
Item Code : DHM2667BThundering Home by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) - Editions Available
DESCRIPTIONSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSPRICEPURCHASINGPACKS
Limited edition of publishers proofs. Paper size 30.5 inches x 23 inches (77cm x 58cm)
Davis, Ben

Died : 2002
General Ben Davis (deceased)
Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr was born in Washington, D.C. on December 18, 1912. A Westpointer, Ben Davis completed over 60 missions with both the 12th and 15th Air Forces. He flew P-40s, P-39s, P-47s and P-51s, all in combat. Davis himself led dozens of missions in P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51 Mustangs. He received the Silver Star for a strafing run into Austria and the Distinguished Flying Cross for a bomber-escort mission to Munich on June 9th, 1944. He saw action in North Africa and later in
Signature Value : £65
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Wright, Hugh L
NO
PHOTO
AVAILABLE
Lieutenant Hugh L Wright
Hugh Wright saw action with the U.S. infantry before volunteering for the Army Air Corps. Having completed training he arrived in Europe in 1944, joining the 57th Bomb Wing, 310th Bomb Group, U.S. 12th Air Force. Flying B-25s he completed 70 missions in the Mediterranean Theatre, when the 310th supported the landings in southern France, making continual strikes against German communications. Highly decorated, he fiew combat until the end of the war.
Signature Value : £55
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Brown, Al
NO
PHOTO
AVAILABLE
Died : 2006
Captain Al Brown (deceased)
Based in England with the 8th Air Force, Alvin H Brown flew B-17s with the 95th Bomb Group, taking part in the first bombing raid on Berlin in March 1944. The 95th BG claimed 425 enemy aircraft destroyed, the highest number by any Fifth Air Force Bomb Group. All Browns crew survived 26 awesome raids without a scratch. He returned to the U.S. with an array of decorations, later flying C54s out of Japan during the Korean War. He was awarded 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses. He died on 8th January
Signature Value : £65
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
McColpin, Carroll W

Died : 2003
Major General Carroll W McColpin (deceased)
Carroll Warren McColpin was born in Buffalo, New York on November 15th 1914 and was raised and educated in Los Angeles. Carroll McColpin participated in civilian flying activities in Los Angeles, he started to learn to fly in 1928 and in 1936 obtained his pilots certificate. As a young man, he had built his own airplane and taught himself the basics of stick flying and aerial acrobatics by the age of sixteen. Carroll Red McColpin volunteered for the RAF in 1940 despite official US disapprova
Signature Value : £75
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
+ Artist : Nicolas Trudgian

Signature(s) value alone : £260		£210 Off!SOLD
OUT		NOT
AVAILABLE


Some other related items available from this site.

Briefing at 0500 hours on the morning of 14 October 1943 brought the crews of the 92nd Bomb Group news they did not want to hear: Its Schweinfurt again! The same message was being repeated in USAAF bomb group briefing rooms all over eastern England in the early hours of what was to become forever known as Black Thursday. Robert Taylors majestic painting shows Colonel Budd Peaslees B-17 Equipose, piloted by Kemp McLaughlin, leading the Fortresses of the 92nd Bomb Group en-route to the vital ball-bearing factories at Schweinfurt.

Schweinfurt - The Second Mission by Robert Taylor.		 Colin P. Kelly, Americas first hero of WW II, was born in Florida in 1915. He was accepted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and following graduation Kelly married the former Marian Wick. Kelly received his primary flight instruction at Randolph Field in San Antonio, and after earning his wings he moved across town to Kelly Field for advanced pilot training. Unlike many would-be fighter pilots, Kelly was not disappointed with being assigned as a bomber pilot. Kelly received a letter of commendation from The Secretary of War when he crash landed a Northrop A-17A he was ferrying to Mitchel field in a vacant street in Brooklyn. In September of 1940 Kelly was promoted to Captain, and was assigned to the 42nd Bomb Squadron as commander of a B-17. Kelly trained in Hawaii, and was later made Operations Officer for the 14th Bomb Squadron. In September of 1941 Kelly and his crew flew from Hawaii to Clark Field in the Philippines. The B-17s were an important addition to the woefully inadequate and obsolete air forces which America had in the Philippines. The Japanese Imperial forces attacked the Philippines only hours following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Mitsubishi Zero fighters, flying to maximize their range, were able to accompany Japanese bombers from bases in Formosa. The initial attack on Clark Field damaged or destroyed many American aircraft. Kellys squadron had been moved south to another field and had escaped damage. On December 10, Kellys squadron was ordered to fly north to Clark Field where they would refuel and arm their aircraft for attacks on the Japanese invasion fleet. Kellys regular B-17D was out of service, so his crew was assigned a B-17C. At Clark Field three 600-pound armor piercing bombs were loaded on Kellys B-17 when an air raid hastened their departure. Kelly flew northward to the northern most tip of the island of Luzon. Kelly spotted a number of Japanese ships which were supporting an amphibious landing. The young Captain dropped his three bombs hoping to destroy the largest of the Japanese ships. One bomb struck the vessel, igniting a tremendous blaze. On returning to Clark Field, the B-17 was attacked by a number of Japanese fighters, including a Zero flown by Saburo Sakai. Sakai would become the highest scoring Japanese ace to survive the War with 64 victories. Amazed by the speed of the Flying Fortress, the Zeros needed full throttle to make passes at the B-17. Kellys B-17 was eventually hit and set afire. Captain Kelly ordered his crew to abandon ship. Kelly remained with the aircraft, and he did not survive the crash landing. With America desperate for any good news on the war front, and with Army brass in the Philippines anxious to claim some positive results, Colin Kellys exploits became exaggerated in many news accounts. By the time the story was publicized stateside, many believed he had dived his B-17 down the funnel of a Japanese battleship. While Kelly was indeed an American hero, the unfortunate gross exaggeration of his exploits, should not tarnish the fact that Kelly, like many that would follow him in the years ahead, had made the ultimate sacrifice for his country in the line of duty.

Birth of a Legend by Stan Stokes. 		The weather on the morning of 31 December, 1944 was already unpleasant. In the Ardennes, hard-pressed German troops were battling Allied ground forces advancing through several inches of snow. Above, darkening skies heralded the arrival of more snow. At 10.45am, in deteriorating weather, a battle formation of 30 Fw190D fighters climbed out of Varrelbusch and headed south over the snowcovered landscape. Under the command of 12./JG54 Staffelkapitan, Oblt. Hans Dortenmann, and initially tasked to provide air cover to their beleaguered comrades below, the group was re-assigned to intercept enemy aircraft in the region of Limburg almost immediately the pilots were airborne. Flying south they ran directly into the oncoming weather, and with visibility dangerously reduced, Dortenmann elected to climb through the solid cloud into clear air. As the Fw190s broke cloud above the area of Koblenz they sighted a formation of nine 2nd Air Division B-24 Liberators and formed up for an attack. Some 6000 feet above, top-cover P-51 Mustangs had watched the Fw190s climbing through the banks of clouds, and turned 180 degrees to position behind the Luftwaffe fighters. Diving in from their height advantage, the Mustang pilots entered the fray and within seconds the sky was filled with swirling dogfights.

Savage Skies by Robert Taylor. 		A prominent aviator in the Battle of the Atlantic, Terry Bulloch flew B-24 Liberators with No.120 Sqn in an anti-submarine role. Already awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for shooting down two German aircraft in a No.206 Sqn Lockheed Hudson over Dunkirk, he was awarded a Bar to this when he sunk U-boat U-597 in October 1942. After another attack, this time sinking U-132 and damaging U-89, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, and gained a Bar to this on leaving No.120 Sqn at the end of 1942. Bulloch is seen here on 8th July 1943 in Liberator GR Mk.V BZ721 of No.224 Sqn having completed his hat-trick of U-boat kills, this time sinking U-514 in the Bay of Biscay. This type had been modified by RAF Coastal Command to carry rockets, which Bulloch had used to attack the submarine, finishing it off with depth charges. After the war, Bulloch became an airline pilot, crossing the Atlantic on more than 1,000 occasions. He died in 2014.

Tribute to Terry Bulloch by Ivan Berryman
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




General Ben Davis (deceased)
Died : 2002
*Signature Value : £65

Editions signed :

Limited edition of publishers proofs.


Davis, Ben
(General Ben Davis (deceased))

Benjamin Oliver Davis, Jr was born in Washington, D.C. on December 18, 1912. A Westpointer, Ben Davis completed over 60 missions with both the 12th and 15th Air Forces. He flew P-40s, P-39s, P-47s and P-51s, all in combat. Davis himself led dozens of missions in P-47 Thunderbolts and P-51 Mustangs. He received the Silver Star for a strafing run into Austria and the Distinguished Flying Cross for a bomber-escort mission to Munich on June 9th, 1944. He saw action in North Africa and later in Sicily. After a brief spell commanding 332nd Fighter Group back in the U.S. he returned to the action to fly combat in Italy, remaining with the 15th Air Force until the end of the war. Davis served at the Pentagon and in overseas posts over the next two decades. He again saw combat in 1953 when he assumed command of the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing (51 FIW) and flew an F-86 Sabre in Korea. He retired, highly decorated, a Lt. General. Davis was the first African-American general in the United States Air Force. Davis, was later advanced to four-star general, on December 9, 1998, by the President. Sadly General Ben Davis passed away on the 4th of July, 2002.


Lieutenant Hugh L Wright
*Signature Value : £55

Editions signed :

Limited edition of publishers proofs.


Wright, Hugh L
(Lieutenant Hugh L Wright)

Hugh Wright saw action with the U.S. infantry before volunteering for the Army Air Corps. Having completed training he arrived in Europe in 1944, joining the 57th Bomb Wing, 310th Bomb Group, U.S. 12th Air Force. Flying B-25s he completed 70 missions in the Mediterranean Theatre, when the 310th supported the landings in southern France, making continual strikes against German communications. Highly decorated, he fiew combat until the end of the war.


Captain Al Brown (deceased)
Died : 2006
*Signature Value : £65

Editions signed :

Limited edition of publishers proofs.


Brown, Al
(Captain Al Brown (deceased))

Based in England with the 8th Air Force, Alvin H Brown flew B-17s with the 95th Bomb Group, taking part in the first bombing raid on Berlin in March 1944. The 95th BG claimed 425 enemy aircraft destroyed, the highest number by any Fifth Air Force Bomb Group. All Browns crew survived 26 awesome raids without a scratch. He returned to the U.S. with an array of decorations, later flying C54s out of Japan during the Korean War. He was awarded 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses. He died on 8th January 2006.




Major General Carroll W McColpin (deceased)
Died : 2003
*Signature Value : £75

Editions signed :

Limited edition of publishers proofs.


McColpin, Carroll W
(Major General Carroll W McColpin (deceased))

Carroll Warren McColpin was born in Buffalo, New York on November 15th 1914 and was raised and educated in Los Angeles. Carroll McColpin participated in civilian flying activities in Los Angeles, he started to learn to fly in 1928 and in 1936 obtained his pilots certificate. As a young man, he had built his own airplane and taught himself the basics of stick flying and aerial acrobatics by the age of sixteen. Carroll Red McColpin volunteered for the RAF in 1940 despite official US disapproval, going via Canada to England. After serving with No.607 Squadron, he became the second Eagle Ace after shooting down two ME-109s on October 2, 1941 and is the only pilot known to have fought in aerial combat to a draw - with Werner Molders, the high-scoring German Ace. Red McColpin commanded 133 Eagle Squadron up to the transfer to the USAAF in September, 1942, General McColpin was the only American to fly combat in all three RAF American Eagle Squadrons. His total missions in these Squadrons exceeded three hundred counting the ones he flew with the 607. He was a double ace before Pearl Harbor and was the first American to be decorated, in Buckingham Palace by King George during World War II. McColpin joined the 4th Figher Group. He later led the 404th Fighter Group in support of the D-Day invasion and the drive across Europe. In 400 missions, he recorded 11.5 victories and collected 29 awards for gallantry. Following the war, McColpin remained in the Air Force, serving in several command and senior staff positions, ultimately becoming the commander of the 4th Air Force. He retired as a Major General in August, 1968. Sadley Major General Carroll Warren McColpin passed away on November 28, 2003.
Aircraft Related to This Print
Flying Fortress
Liberator

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