A Lincolnshire Sunset 1944 by Gerald Coulson As the sun is setting in the early part of 1944 over their
Lincolnshire airfield, the ground crews make final preparations to the
Lancasters' of 617 squadron. Beneath the aircraft crews ready themselves
for long, gruelling night operation over occupied Europe. Produced to help raise funds for the RAF Benevolent Fund this superb
new edition is a tribute to all those who flew with RAF Bomber Command.
Each print is personally signed by prominent aircrew all of whom flew with
617 squadron during WWII. This is the first edition in a trilogy to be
released this year.
The Avro Lancaster was possibly the most
versatile and successful bomber aircraft ever and certainly became the
backbone of RAF Bomber Command during WWII. Being able to deliver a
greater payload than any other aircraft of the War; the Lancaster took
part in nearly every night bombing raid on Europe and crews would operate
whenever there was a possibility of reaching their target. Indeed the
unrelenting determination and courage of these men paved the way for the
ultimate liberation of Europe.
Of all the crews of RAF Bomber Command 617 Squadron are perhaps the
best known. Famed for their expertise in precision bombing and utilising
many of the developments of Barnes Wallis, they took part in some of the
most famous and daring operations of the war - the sinking of the Tirpitz
and the legendary attack on the Ruhr Dams are just two of the many
successes that the squadron were involved in. Many of the crews themselves
such as Guy Gibson, Leonard Cheshire and Bill Reid became household names
and their exploits are well documented.
Legends of the Air by Philip West. Probably the most famous RAF Squadron in history, mainly due to the
audacious Dambuster raid in 1943. Other notably successful missions
flying their Avro Lancaster bombers included precision raids on the
mighty German battleship Tirpitz, U-boat pens, railways, V-weapons
sites, canals and bridges. Through their skill and bravery 617 Sqn.
crews received many high honours including V.Cs for Wing Commander Guy
Gibson and Wing Commander Leonard Cheshire.
Dambusters, May 1943 by Peter Read Standing in front of their Lancaster from left to right: David
Shannon DSO, DFC (pilot). JAck Buckley, DFC (Rear Gunner). Guy Gibson, VC,
DSO, DFC (CO of 617 Squadron). Brian Jagger, DFM (Front Gunner). Len
Sumpter, DFC, DFM (Bomb-aimer).
Bomber Force by Nicholas Trudgian The tension is electric; slowly they climb to circle the airfield while
the entire squadron gets airborne. Below, the countryside reverberates
with the sound of roaring Merlin engines. Nicolas Trudgian recreates the
familiar scene in a stirring painting which captures all the awesome
reality of the mass take-off by RAF Lancaster bombers of 617 Squadron.
