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Signatures on this item | |
*The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature. 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 |
Major General Carl D Peterson (deceased) *Signature Value : £50 | Carl D. Peterson was born on January 19, 1924. After attending St. John's University, Peterson enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corp. in October 1942. He commenced pilot training in April of 1943, and in early 1944 was commissioned as a second lieutenant. After completing B-17 training at Hobbs, New Mexico, and combat crew training at Sioux City, Iowa, Peterson was assigned to the 549th Bomb Squadron of the 385th Bomb Group based at Great Ashfield, England. The 385th was part of the Eighth Air Force, which was under the command of General james Doolittle, the great aviation pioneer who had led the daring B-25 raid on Tokyo only a few short months after Pearl Harbor. Peterson arrived in England in late September 1944 in time for the 200th mission celebration. While undergoing his final training the 549th lost eleven aircraft on a single mission to Berlin during an all out attack by 75 German fighters. Peterson's rookie crew became the fifth oldest in the squadron before they had flown their first mission. Peterson participated in a bombing raid of the Cologne rail yards during his third mission. On this mission, Peterson's aircraft lost two engines because of flak hits. A third engine was lost on return and he was forced to make a crash landing in Belgium, only two miles behind the front. In November Peterson took part in the largest air battle of all time when 1100 bombers and 900 fighters of the Eighth Air Force took on 500 Luftwaffe fighters during an attack on Meresberg. Peterson flew a total of thirty-five B-17 missions. On more than half of those missions he lost one or more engines. On four of those missions they were attacked by German fighters, and on four occasions they were forced down on the European Continent due to battle damage. Carl Peterson flew Ruby's Raiders as a back-up aircraft on more than one occasion. Peterson was also present when Cpl. Ruby Newell visited the 385th for the dedication of the aircraft, named in her honor. Peterson also served in Korea as Squadron Commander of the 339th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, which flew the F-94B. In 1961 while stationed in Saudi Arabia, Peterson organized an acrobatic team flying the F-86. General Peterson served in Vietnam where he piloted the A-1 Skyraider. In 1973 Peterson was promoted to Brigadier General and put in command of the USAF Defense Weapons Center at Tyndall Air Force Base. General Peterson flew his last operational flight in an F-106 in May of 1977. This was the culmination of more than 5,400 hours of military flying in 28 different aircraft. For two years prior to his retirement in 1979 General Peterson was third in command of land, air, and naval forces assigned to the NATO mission. Peterson received more than 20 decorations during his distinguished career. He and his wife Twy-la Jean have been married for more than 44 years, and have seven children and 16 grandchildren. Carl Peterson died on 23rd December 2010. |
The Aircraft : | |
Name | Info |
Flying_Fortress | In the mid-1930s engineers at Boeing suggested the possibility of designing a modern long-range monoplane bomber to the U.S. Army Air Corps. In 1934 the USAAC issued Circular 35-26 that outlined specifications for a new bomber that was to have a minimum payload of 2000 pounds, a cruising speed in excess of 200-MPH, and a range of at least 2000 miles. Boeing produced a prototype at its own expense, the model 299, which first flew in July of 1935. The 299 was a long-range bomber based largely on the Model 247 airliner. The Model 299 had several advanced features including an all-metal wing, an enclosed cockpit, retractable landing gear, a fully enclosed bomb bay with electrically operated doors, and cowled engines. With gun blisters glistening everywhere, a newsman covering the unveiling coined the term Flying Fortress to describe the new aircraft. After a few initial test flights the 299 flew off to Wright Field setting a speed record with an average speed of 232-mph. At Wright Field the 299 bettered its competition in almost all respects. However, an unfortunate crash of the prototype in October of 1935 resulted in the Army awarding its primary production contract to Douglas Aircraft for its DB-1 (B-18.) The Army did order 13 test models of the 299 in January 1936, and designated the new plane the Y1B-17. Early work on the B-17 was plagued by many difficulties, including the crash of the first Y1B-17 on its third flight, and nearly bankrupted the Company. Minor quantities of the B-17B, B-17C, and B-17D variants were built, and about 100 of these aircraft were in service at the time Pearl Harbor was attacked. In fact a number of unarmed B-17s flew into the War at the time of the Japanese attack. The German Blitzkrieg in Europe resulted in accelerated aircraft production in America. The B-17E was the first truly heavily armed variant and made its initial flight in September of 1941. B-17Es cost $298,000 each and more than 500 were delivered. The B-17F and B-17G were the truly mass-produced wartime versions of the Flying Fortress. More than 3,400 B-17Fs and more than 8,600 B-17Gs would be produced. The American daylight strategic bombing campaign against Germany was a major factor in the Allies winning the War in Europe. This campaign was largely flown by B-17 Flying Fortresses (12,677 built) and B-24 Liberators (18,188 built.) The B-17 bases were closer to London than those of the B-24, so B-17s received a disproportionate share of wartime publicity. The first mission in Europe with the B-17 was an Eighth Air Force flight of 12 B-17Es on August 12, 1942. Thousands more missions, with as many as 1000 aircraft on a single mission would follow over the next 2 ½ years, virtually decimating all German war making facilities and plants. The B-17 could take a lot of damage and keep on flying, and it was loved by the crews for bringing them home despite extensive battle damage. Following WW II, B-17s would see some action in Korea, and in the 1948 Israel War. There are only 14 flyable B-17s in operation today and a total of 43 complete airframes |
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