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Towards the Home Fires by Robert Taylor. - Cranston Military Prints

Towards the Home Fires by Robert Taylor.


Towards the Home Fires by Robert Taylor.

As the New Year of 1945 dawned, the snow had already spread to blanket the southern half of England. The festivities of Christmas had passed and the relentless pounding of German cities and industrial targets continued unabated. On every front Hitler's once-fabled armies were in full retreat. The endgame was now in play. With dusk approaching, Robin Olds, flying his P-51K Scat VI, leads a flight of Mustangs of the 434th Fighter Squadron, 479th Fighter Group low over the historic estuary town of Maldon in Essex as they head home to their base at Wattisham, 14 February 1945. The mission saw Olds add three more German fighters to his tally south of Berlin, making him one of the foremost Aces of the unit.
Item Code : DHM6610BTowards the Home Fires by Robert Taylor. - Editions Available
DESCRIPTIONSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSPRICEPURCHASINGPACKS
Signed limited edition of 300 prints. Image size 26 inches x 17.5 inches (66cm x 45cm)
Drake, Walter M
Lieutenant Colonel Walter M Drake
Entering the Air Force in March 1942, he joined the 479th Fighter Group at Wattisham in May 1944 equipped with P-38s. Flying alongside Robin Olds in the 434th Fighter Squadron, his first combat sortie was on 2nd June just in time for the D-Day missions. He later scored an aerial victory over an Me109 and completed a total of 68 combat missions. Converting to P-51s in September he destroyed three aircraft on the ground during the Group's epic raid on the Luftwaffe airfield at Nancy-Essey l
Signature Value : £10
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

+ Artist : Robert Taylor

Signature(s) value alone : £10		£215.00

Quantity:
Collector's limited edition of 25 artist proofs. Image size 26 inches x 17.5 inches (66cm x 45cm)
Drake, Walter M
Lieutenant Colonel Walter M Drake
Entering the Air Force in March 1942, he joined the 479th Fighter Group at Wattisham in May 1944 equipped with P-38s. Flying alongside Robin Olds in the 434th Fighter Squadron, his first combat sortie was on 2nd June just in time for the D-Day missions. He later scored an aerial victory over an Me109 and completed a total of 68 combat missions. Converting to P-51s in September he destroyed three aircraft on the ground during the Group's epic raid on the Luftwaffe airfield at Nancy-Essey l
Signature Value : £10
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Frolking, James E
First Lieutenant James E Frolking
With the 436th Fighter Squadron he flew his first combat mission in a P-38 on D-Day, patrolling the English Channel and on ground attack missions in support of the advancing Allied armies in Normandy. After converting to P-51 Mustangs he primarily flew escort missions to B-24 and B-17 bombers and completed 52 combat missions. On 7th October 1944, on the way back to England from Czechoslovakia, his Mustang was hit by enemy flak, forcing him to bale out over the Dutch coast. He landed uninjured
Signature Value : £20
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Olds, Robin

Died : 2007
Brigadier General Robin Olds (deceased)
After leaving West Point in June 1943, Robin Olds was posted to the 479th Fighter Group in England, joining 434 Squadron. Based at Wattisham in East Anglia, and flying P-38s, he was involved in heavy bomber escort duties and fighter sweeps until the Normandy invasion, soon after which his Squadron converted to P51 Mustangs. by early 1945 Robin Olds was in command of 434 Squadron taking part in the Battle of the Bulge, flying escort missions, and providing air support to the airborne attack acr
Signature Value : £60
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
+ Artist : Robert Taylor

Signature(s) value alone : £90		£375.00

Quantity:
Collector's limited edition of 200 prints. Image size 26 inches x 17.5 inches (66cm x 45cm)
Drake, Walter M
Lieutenant Colonel Walter M Drake
Entering the Air Force in March 1942, he joined the 479th Fighter Group at Wattisham in May 1944 equipped with P-38s. Flying alongside Robin Olds in the 434th Fighter Squadron, his first combat sortie was on 2nd June just in time for the D-Day missions. He later scored an aerial victory over an Me109 and completed a total of 68 combat missions. Converting to P-51s in September he destroyed three aircraft on the ground during the Group's epic raid on the Luftwaffe airfield at Nancy-Essey l
Signature Value : £10
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Frolking, James E
First Lieutenant James E Frolking
With the 436th Fighter Squadron he flew his first combat mission in a P-38 on D-Day, patrolling the English Channel and on ground attack missions in support of the advancing Allied armies in Normandy. After converting to P-51 Mustangs he primarily flew escort missions to B-24 and B-17 bombers and completed 52 combat missions. On 7th October 1944, on the way back to England from Czechoslovakia, his Mustang was hit by enemy flak, forcing him to bale out over the Dutch coast. He landed uninjured
Signature Value : £20
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Olds, Robin

Died : 2007
Brigadier General Robin Olds (deceased)
After leaving West Point in June 1943, Robin Olds was posted to the 479th Fighter Group in England, joining 434 Squadron. Based at Wattisham in East Anglia, and flying P-38s, he was involved in heavy bomber escort duties and fighter sweeps until the Normandy invasion, soon after which his Squadron converted to P51 Mustangs. by early 1945 Robin Olds was in command of 434 Squadron taking part in the Battle of the Bulge, flying escort missions, and providing air support to the airborne attack acr
Signature Value : £60
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
+ Artist : Robert Taylor

Signature(s) value alone : £90		Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!£265.00

Quantity:


Some other related items available from this site.

Big Brothers and Little Friends : the enduring bond between the bomber crews and fighter pilots of the USAAF Eighth Air Force in their prolonged and hotly contested air war against Hitlers Nazi Germany, 1942-1945.

Top Cover by Gerald Coulson 		P-51 Mustangs of the 357th Fighter Group clash with Me109s in close combat as they struggle for air superiority over the heart of Germany, during the desperate days of 1945. It had begun - the end game was inexorably in play. The final defeat of Germany and the end of Nazi tyranny was almost within sight but in the skies over Germany the defiant remnants of the Luftwaffe fought on with savage determination. Ever since the long-range American P-51 escort fighters had first appeared, the skies over the Reich had witnessed grim encounters with the Mustangs taking on the Luftwaffe as they tried to stop the heavy bombers of the USAAF reaching their targets. By early 1945 it was a losing battle, but still the Luftwaffe fought on and, in the resulting maelstrom of combat, the Mustang pilots still had their work cut out against these battle hardened, expert pilots. Robert Taylor's superb drawing dramatically reconstructs one such clash in early 1945 as P-51 Mustangs of the 357th Fighter Group have spotted a group of Bf109s heading their way. Without hesitation they dive head-on in an attempt to break-up the enemy formation and for the pilots on both sides the explosive encounter of close combat is suddenly upon them. Limited edition prints of this classic Robert Taylor Master Drawing have been signed over the last few years by some of the most respected USAAF P-51 and distinguished Luftwaffe pilots who duelled in those merciless skies over Europe. Since signing the prints some of these legendary names have very sadly passed away, making it one of the most collectible editions of recent years.

The Eagles Divide by Robert Taylor. 		Hub Zemke lends his name to <i>'Zemke's Wolf Pack'</i>, the 56th Fighter Group that became deadly with the P-47 Thunderbolt thanks to his tactics with the machine. He scored a total of 17.75 victories in the war, mostly with this unit, but is depicted here on 26th September 1944 flying a P-51 Mustang with the 479th Fighter Group. He scored just 2.5 victories with this unit, but the one depicted here is over the German Ace Alfred Grislawski in his Me109 - a victory that injured Grislawski and meant he took no further combat role in the war. At the end of October, Hub Zemke's airframe failed in turbulence and he bailed out to be taken prisoner for the rest of the war. Amongst his many decorations are the Distinguished Service Cross and Distinguished Flying Cross as well as the Purple Heart. He died aged 80 in 1994.

Tribute to Hubert 'Hub' Zemke by Ivan Berryman.		 An American pilot who joined the British Royal Air Force in 1940, he flew Spitfires with the 'Eagle Squadron' No.401 Sqn and No.133 Sqn and became an Ace before America joined the war. Transferring to the USAAF as Commanding Officer of the 4th Fighter Group, he is shown here in 1944 flying P-51D Mustang 44-13779. Credited with a total of 14.5 victories, he was regarded as one of the best fighter leaders of the war. He died in 2008.

Tribute to Don Blakeslee 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


Lieutenant Colonel Walter M Drake
*Signature Value : £10

Editions signed :

Signed limited edition of 300 prints.
Collector's limited edition of 25 artist proofs.
Collector's limited edition of 200 prints.


Drake, Walter M
(Lieutenant Colonel Walter M Drake)

Entering the Air Force in March 1942, he joined the 479th Fighter Group at Wattisham in May 1944 equipped with P-38s. Flying alongside Robin Olds in the 434th Fighter Squadron, his first combat sortie was on 2nd June just in time for the D-Day missions. He later scored an aerial victory over an Me109 and completed a total of 68 combat missions. Converting to P-51s in September he destroyed three aircraft on the ground during the Group's epic raid on the Luftwaffe airfield at Nancy-Essey led by Hub Zemke.


First Lieutenant James E Frolking
*Signature Value : £20

Editions signed :

Collector's limited edition of 25 artist proofs.
Collector's limited edition of 200 prints.


Frolking, James E
(First Lieutenant James E Frolking)

With the 436th Fighter Squadron he flew his first combat mission in a P-38 on D-Day, patrolling the English Channel and on ground attack missions in support of the advancing Allied armies in Normandy. After converting to P-51 Mustangs he primarily flew escort missions to B-24 and B-17 bombers and completed 52 combat missions. On 7th October 1944, on the way back to England from Czechoslovakia, his Mustang was hit by enemy flak, forcing him to bale out over the Dutch coast. He landed uninjured on a sandbar within sight of land. After a night in his tiny and leaking escape-pack dinghy he finally made it to shore and eventually made contact with the Dutch Resistance. For three weeks he was hidden by a Dutch family while German troops searched the area, and successfully managed to avoid capture, returning to spend the rest of the war as an instructor.




Brigadier General Robin Olds (deceased)
Died : 2007
*Signature Value : £60

Editions signed :

Collector's limited edition of 25 artist proofs.
Collector's limited edition of 200 prints.


Olds, Robin
(Brigadier General Robin Olds (deceased))

After leaving West Point in June 1943, Robin Olds was posted to the 479th Fighter Group in England, joining 434 Squadron. Based at Wattisham in East Anglia, and flying P-38s, he was involved in heavy bomber escort duties and fighter sweeps until the Normandy invasion, soon after which his Squadron converted to P51 Mustangs. by early 1945 Robin Olds was in command of 434 Squadron taking part in the Battle of the Bulge, flying escort missions, and providing air support to the airborne attack across the Rhine. At the end of World War II Robin Olds had 24.5 victories, of which 13 were in the air. Later in Vietnam Robin Olds gained four more victories, flying F4 Phantoms and flew with the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing. Sadly, Robin Olds passed away on 14th June 2007.
Squadrons Related to This Print
434th Fighter Squadron
Aircraft Related to This Print

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