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George Cross Island Association 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Print by John Young. (Y) - Aviation Art Prints

George Cross Island Association 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Print by John Young. (Y)


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George Cross Island Association 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Print by John Young. (Y)

Official limited edition print of the 60th Anniversary of the George Cross Island Association. Spitfires from one of Maltas most famous squadrons, 249, climbing up over Valetta harbour in the summer of 1942. The panorama beneath the aircraft is the city with its thousands of Maltese citizens daily exposed to the enemy blitz, ships of the Royal Navy and Merchant Service, and the Armys anti-aircraft batteries.


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AMAZING VALUE! - The value of the signatures on this item is in excess of the price of the print itself!
Item Code : LI0029YGeorge Cross Island Association 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Print by John Young. (Y) - This Edition
TYPEEDITION DETAILSSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSYOUR PRICEPURCHASING
EX-DISPLAY
PRINT
Signed limited edition of 500 prints. (One print reduced to clear)

The corner of the border has been bent over on this print - it will not affect the framed item.>

Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!
Paper size 29 inches x 23 inches (74cm x 58cm) Twiss, Peter
McGeoch, Ian
Thompson, A R F
Jewett, Frederick
Linton, Ron
Roxburgh, John
Fraser, Stanley
Rixon, Frank
Bonello, Chevalier Antoine Pace
Micallef, George V
Tabone, Censu
Turner, Carmela
Kemp, N L D
Drake, Billy
Aldridge, Arthur
Bamberger, Cyril
Broom, Ivor
Lawrence, Keith
Leggett, P G
Moon, Harry
Pickering, James
Robertson, Douglas
Rothwell, Peter
Crosley, Mike
+ Artist : John Young


Signature(s) value alone : £990
£80 Off!Now : £240.00

Quantity:
All prices on our website are displayed in British Pounds Sterling



Other editions of this item : George Cross Island Association 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Print by John Young.LI0029
TYPEEDITION DETAILSSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSYOUR PRICEPURCHASING
PRINT Signed limited edition of 500 prints.

One secondary market print available only of this edition which is sold out at the publisher.

Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!
Paper size 29 inches x 23 inches (74cm x 58cm) Twiss, Peter
McGeoch, Ian
Thompson, A R F
Jewett, Frederick
Linton, Ron
Roxburgh, John
Fraser, Stanley
Rixon, Frank
Bonello, Chevalier Antoine Pace
Micallef, George V
Tabone, Censu
Turner, Carmela
Kemp, N L D
Drake, Billy
Aldridge, Arthur
Bamberger, Cyril
Broom, Ivor
Lawrence, Keith
Leggett, P G
Moon, Harry
Pickering, James
Robertson, Douglas
Rothwell, Peter
Crosley, Mike
+ Artist : John Young


Signature(s) value alone : £990
£40 Off!Now : £280.00VIEW EDITION...
General descriptions of types of editions :


Extra Details : George Cross Island Association 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Print by John Young. (Y)
About all editions :

A photo of the print :

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.
NameInfo


The signature of Air Marshal Sir Ivor Broom KCB CBE DSO DFC AFC (deceased)

Air Marshal Sir Ivor Broom KCB CBE DSO DFC AFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £50

Entering the RAF in 1940 he joined No 114 Squadron as a sergeant pilot flying Blenheims. After 12 operations he and his crew were allocated to No 105 Squadron and then No 107 Squadron, the last remaining Blenheim Squadron in Malta. The Squadron remained there without relief for five months carrying out low level attacks on the shipping. Very few of the original crews survived the detachment, in fact he was commissioned during this period, when 107 Squadron had lost all their officers and for a short time was the only officer, other than the CO, in the Squadron. At the end of this tour he was awarded the DFC. In early 1943 he became one of the first Mosquito instructors in the Pathfinder Force and later moved to No 571 Squadron with the Light Night Strike Force. He then formed No 163 Squadron as acting Wing Commander. He was awarded a bar to his DFC for a low level moonlight mining attack on the Dormund - Ems Canal from 50ft and then a second bar for getting a 4000lb bomb into the mouth of a railway tunnel during the final German Ardennes offensive. During his time on Mosquitoes his navigator was Tommy Broom, together they formed an inseparable combination. Remaining with the RAF after WWII and in accordance with peacetime rules for a much smaller Air Force he was reduced in rank first to Squadron Leader and then to Flight Lieutenant in 1948. Promoted to Air Marshal in 1974 he became the Head of the UK National Air Traffic Services and was the first serving officer to be appointed to the Board of the Civil Aviation Authority. Retiring from the RAF in 1979 he has been actively engaged in civil aviation since then. He died 24th January 2003.


Brigadier George V Micallef MOM CBE
*Signature Value : £35

Commissioned into the Royal Malta Artillery almost direct from University in 1939, George Micallef took part in the first phase of the defence of Malta. He served with 5 Anti-Aircraft Battery of 2 AA Regiment RMA at AA Position Delimara at a critical time before being posted to Egypt in May 1940. He returned in May 1942 to serve as battery commander with the 2 AA Regiment until 1945. He had a distinguished post-war military career including command of the Royal Malta Artillery.


The signature of Chief Nursing Officer Carmela Turner RGN SCM

Chief Nursing Officer Carmela Turner RGN SCM
*Signature Value : £25

Carmela Turner was eighteen when she joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment of nurses in 1939. Based at the Irmarfa. Hospital, she was to see at first hand the terrible effects of the war on both the services and civilians in Malta. She also become a casualty herself when a bomb aimed at the nearby Takah airfield exploded next to the hospital. Although injured, she first went to see that the patients were safe. Later a piece of shrapnel was extracted from her arm and she wears the resultant scar with pride to this day.


The signature of Commander Mike Crosley DSC* Royal Navy (deceased)

Commander Mike Crosley DSC* Royal Navy (deceased)
*Signature Value : £35

Robert Michael Crosley was born on February 24 1920 , Mike Crosley was a Metropolitan Police constable (a reserved occupation) when war broke out, but volunteered on the day of the Fleet Air Arm strike on Taranto, November 11 1940. Fleet Air Arm Ace Mike Crosley joined the carrier HMS Eagle in late 1941, one of four FAA pilots flying Sea Hurricanes in defence of the Malta convoys, On June 12 he was on alert on the deck of HMS Eagle. After two hours strapped in his cockpit, he was expecting to stand down when he heard the klaxon sound. Within a few moments he was airborne, being directed by radar to an enemy aircraft; and when his flight leader turned back with engine trouble, Crosley decided to pursue the enemy alone. He closed until the wingspan of the three-engined Italian bomber filled his gunsight, then pressed the trigger. At that moment he noted sparks coming from the underside of the bomber – it was the enemy returning fire. Then smoke burst from the Italians engines and its wingtip came dangerously close as it dived towards the sea. Crosley followed, determined to finish it off; but as he emerged from the cloud he saw the bomber floating on the water with a yellow life raft beside it. The next day Crosley shot down a twin-engined German fighter-bomber. He wove in and out of the Germans slipstream, and when the target filled his gunsight he fired one long burst which hit the aircrafts wing, 'sparking like firecrackers'. In August 1942, during Operation Pedestal, he was lucky to escape with his life after the carrier was torpedoed and sunk by U73. She capsized within 7 minutes. He later joined HMS Biter flying Sea Hurricanes, in Operation Torch. and on November 8 he shot down two Vichy French fighters in a dogfight over the airfield of La Senia, near Oran. He was awarded his first DSC. Mike Crosley was then selected to pass on his experience to new fighter pilots at HMS Dipper, near Yeovilton, where he flew the Royal Navys version of the Spitfire, known as the Seafire. By D-Day Crosley had joined 886 Naval Air Squadron, flying Seafires from Lee-on-the-Solent. His role was to direct the fire of the heavy ships which were bombarding the German defences. On the second day of the Allied landings he shot down a German Bf109, which crashed 15 miles south-west of Caen, and two days later damaged an Fw190 which he chased in a dogfight through the skies over Normandy. After D-Day Mike Crossley was appointed to command 880 Naval Air Squadron; this was based in Orkney as part of 30 Naval Air Wing, which embarked in the fleet carrier Implacable and carried out a series of attacks on German shipping in the fjords of Norway. By the time the war ended 880 Squadron and Implacable were prosecuting the war in the Pacific, striking at the Japanese mainland. Crosley was mentioned in despatches, and in August 1945 received a Bar to his DSC. he finished the war in the Far East, with 5.5 victories. After the war Mike Crosley joined No 6 Empire Test Pilots Course, and left the Navy to test Shorts flying boats under development in Belfast. On the outbreak of the Korean War he rejoined the Navy, helping to train new pilots and flying 75 missions over Korea from the carrier Ocean. He wrote pilots notes for a range of aircraft, which he flew to their limits, and was awarded the Queens Commendation for Valuable Services in the Air. In 1954-55 he was commanding officer of 813 Squadron, flying the Wyvern from the new HMS Eagle. In 1958 Crosley was promoted commander and returned to test flying at Boscombe Down, making the first deck landings of the Buccaneer low-level bomber. Mike Crosley logged 2,818 flying hours in 147 different types of aircraft and made 415 deck landings. Throughout the war he kept extensive diaries, on which he based two books: They Gave Me a Seafire (1986) and In Harms Way (1995). Sadly Mike Crosley died at the age of 90 on the 20th June 2010.


The signature of Dr Censu Tabone MD FRCS(EDIN) KUOM

Dr Censu Tabone MD FRCS(EDIN) KUOM
*Signature Value : £30

The man who in 1987 was to become President of Malta was a newly qualified doctor when the war broke out in 1939. He immediately applied for a Medical Officer Emergency Commission and served as a medical officer with the armed forces until 1946. Apart from service at two major hospitals on the island, he was also Medical Officer to several Maltese and British units on the island. His post-war career combined politics and medicine and culminated in his election as the fourth President of Malta.


The signature of Flight Lieutenant ARF Thompson DFC (deceased)

Flight Lieutenant ARF Thompson DFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £40

Anthony Robert Fletcher Thompson was born on October 14th 1920. He joined the RAFVR about July 1939 as an airman under training pilot. Called up on September 1st, he completed his training at 15 EFTS and 5 FTS Sealand and arrived at 6 OTU on September 10th 1940. After converting to Hurricanes, he joined 85 (F) Squadron at Church Fenton on the 29th and moved to 249 (F) Squadron at North Weald in Essex on October 17th 1940. Thompson shared in the destruction of a Junkers Ju88 on October 28th and destroyed a Bf109 on the 30th. In May 1941 No.249 Squadron went to Malta and flew off of HMS Ark Royal in two groups on the 21st. On August 5th Tommy Thompson joined the Malta Night Fighting Defence Unit then formed at Ta Kali. He damaged an Italian BR20 at night on November 11th. The unit became 1435 (Night Fighter) Flight on December 23rd 1941. Thompson was posted to 71 OTU Gordons Tree, Sudan on March 3rd 1942. He returned to operations on October 1st joining 73 (F) Squadron in the Western Desert. In mid-November he was appointed A Flight Commander. At the end of December Thompson was posted to Cairo and in February he went to 206 Group as a test Pilot. He was awarded the DFC (23.03.43). On March 10th 1944 Thompson was seconded to BOAC and he took his release in Cairo on January 26th 1946 holding the rank of Flight Lieutenant. The following day he signed a contract with BOAC as a Captain. He retired from British Airways on October 14th 1975. Sadly, he died on 9th March 2008.


The signature of Flight Lieutenant Douglas Robertson

Flight Lieutenant Douglas Robertson
*Signature Value : £40

One of Robertsons strongest memories of Malta was taking Hurricanes on low level, night intruder raids on Sicily as a member of the Malta Night Fighter Unit which he joined from 249 Squadron in July 1941. These nuisance raids were intended to keep the German bombers on the ground. He had come out to Malta in April 1941, flying his Hurricane of the deck of HMS Ark Royal to join 261 Squadron initially at Takali, later transferring to 249 Squadron. In the Spring of 1942 Robertson was posted to the Aircraft Delivery Unit in Cairo.


The signature of Flight Lieutenant James Pickering AFC (deceased)

Flight Lieutenant James Pickering AFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £55

Jim Pickering joined the RAFVR in 1937, and was attached to 769 Sqn FAA, then 804 Sqn FAA. In June 1940 he returned to the RAF and flew Spitfires with 64 Sqn during the Battle of Britain. With 418 Flight Jim flew Hurricanes to Malta from HMS Argus on 2nd August 1940. This flight was to reinforce Maltas handful of outdated Gladiators and few surviving Hurricanes, and on 16th August was amalgamated to become 261 Squadron. With this unit Jim flew Hurricanes and at least five operations in the legendary Gladiators, which have been immortalised as Faith, Hope, and Charity. In April 1941 Jim was posted, first to Egypt, then 80 Squadron in October 1942, and 145 Squadron in December. He returned to the UK in 1943. Born in 1915 in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England, James Pickering studied the printing business in Europe during the 1930s. Convinced that Hitler represented a threat which could lead to war, Pickering joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1937. As a 'week-end' flyer he earned his wings as a Sergeant Pilot in April of 1939. In September of that year Pickerings unit was mobilized. He was sent to an attachment of the Fleet Air Arm, where he flew Gladiators, Skuas, and Rocs, following his carrier training. In June of 1940 Pickering returned to the RAF flying Spitfires with No. 64 Squadron based in Kenley during the Battle of Britain. Pickering was selected along with eleven other carrier-qualified pilots to fly Hurricanes to Malta off the deck of the HMS Argus. On arrival in Malta these new Hurricanes and their pilots were integrated with the 3 flyable Gladiators and 3 Hurricanes already there to form No. 261 Squadron. This unit carried on the defense of Malta against Italian and German bombing missions which were launched regularly from Sicily, only sixty miles distant. Because of his earlier experience with the Gladiator, Pickering flew both Gladiators and Hurricanes at Malta for eight months. It is believed that Pickering is the last living RAF pilot to fly the Gladiator at Malta. Following his assignment in Malta, Pickering joined No. 1 Aircraft Delivery Unit which ferried aircraft from the West African Gold Coast and Port Sudan to various points throughout the war theater of operations. Pickering delivered a P-40 Warhawk to the Flying Tigers which involved one of the first flights 'over the hump.' In October of 1942 Pickering returned to operational flying with No. 80 Squadron (Hurricanes) at EI Alamein, and later with No. 145 Squadron (Spitfires). Having completed three separate operational tours, Pickering returned to England when victory was achieved in North Africa. In England, Pickering was assigned as a test pilot with No. 3501 Servicing Unit. He tested modifications to the Spitfire, and also test flew a number of P-51 Mustangs. Later he was transferred to No. 151 Repair Unit as its Chief Test Pilot. This was the largest unit of this kind in the RAF. Because of these experiences, Pickering is unusual in having flown eighty different types of aircraft during the War. Awarded the Air Force Cross, Pickering was released from the RAF at Wars end. He returned to his family-owned printing business, and spent his working career with the company, from which he retired in 1965. He also served as an outside Director of the largest Building Society in Britain. Pickering joined the Volunteer Reserve once again following the War, and continued to fly with the RAF until reaching the mandatory age limit of sixty. Pickering has had a private pilots license since 1938. He has flown thousands of hours and he is an expert on geological and archaeological research from the air. A Fellow of both the Geological Society and the Society of Antiquaries, Jim Pickering epitomizes the English character of determination and persistence which was so vastly underestimated by Hitler during WW2. He died on 6th October 2004.


The signature of Flight Lieutenant N L D Kemp DFC (deceased)

Flight Lieutenant N L D Kemp DFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £45

A Battle of Britain veteran who had flown with Douglas Bader in the famous 242 Canadian squadron. Nigel Kemp transferred with the squadron to Malta in 1941, flying his Hurricane of Ark Royal on Nmember 12. The squadron sufferred such heavy losses in Malta that in March 1942 the survivors were absorbed into 126 and 185 Squadrons. He had been with 242 in 1941 when the squadron was re-equipped with the Hurricane II and took part in the cross channel offensive, receiving the D17C in October 1941 for a series of daring attacks on enemy shipping. Nigel Kemp passed away on 13th March 2005.


The signature of Flight Lieutenant Peter Rothwell (deceased)

Flight Lieutenant Peter Rothwell (deceased)
*Signature Value : £35

Reaching Malta early in 1942, after a tour on Coastal Command Wellingtons in the UK, Peter Rothwell was posted to the Special Duties Flight which he subsequently took over. This remarkable unit of Wellingtons co-operated with the Navy to find enemy convoys, homing ships or aircraft on to them, dropping flares, observing results and finally bombing themselves. After 38 hazardous sorties Rothwell was sent back to the UK. Taking a tired Wellington back to Egypt on the way, he was lucky to survive the aircraft catching fire on take-off. He died on 20th December 2010.


The signature of Group Captain Billy Drake DSO DFC* (deceased)

Group Captain Billy Drake DSO DFC* (deceased)
*Signature Value : £50

Joined the R.A.F. in 1936. His first posting was to 1 squadron flying Furies then Hurricanes and first saw action over France in the Spring of 1940 and was awarded his first DFC by the end of the year. As a Squadron Leader he was sent to West Africa to command 128 Squadron. 1942 saw his commanding 112 squadron in North Africa, in July saw an immediate BAR to his DFC and in December an immediate DSO. Posted to Malta as Wing Commander he won a US DFC in 1943. Back in the UK he now was flying Typhoons in the lead up to D-Day. With Pete Brothers he was sent to the States to attend the US Staff School at Fort Leavenworth. After the war he continued in the R.A.F. serving in Japan, Malaya, Singapore, Switzerland and his final posting as Group Captain RAF Chivenor, Devon. Retired in July 1963. Going to Portugal where he ran a Bar and Restaurant and dealing in Real Estate. In his flying career he accounted for more than 24 enemy aircraft. Sadly, Billy Drake passed away on 28th August 2011.


Lieutenant Colonel Chevalier Antoine Pace Bonello MBE GC OCC
*Signature Value : £40

At the outbreak of war Pace Bonello was commissioned into the Royal Malta Artillery. He became Battery Commander of 8 S/L (Searchlight) RMA performing a critical if often underestimated role in conjunction with the AA guns and nightfighters. Post-war he became commander of 3rd/11th Regiment Royal Malta Artillery.


The signature of Lieutenant Peter Twiss OBE DSC (deceased)

Lieutenant Peter Twiss OBE DSC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £55

Peter Twiss was born on the 23rd of July,1921 in Lindfield, West Sussex. Peter Twiss spent much of his early days on a farm near Salisbury. When war broke out later in 1939 he enlisted as a Naval Airman Second Class in the Fleet Air Arm, qualifying as a pilot after initial training at 14 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School at Castle Bromwich on Tiger Moths and then went on to fly Hawker Harts and Fairey Battles. Operational training followed at RNAS Yeovilton flying Blackburn Rocs and Skuas and Fairey Swordfish followed by a period at the Army School of Co-operation at Andover on Bristol Blenheims on twin conversion before being posted to the Orkneys to 771 Squadron. By then he had amassed 292 hours on 12 types and attained the rank of Midshipman. Peter Twiss flew with 807 Squadron FAA from the carrier HMS Furious during the Malta convoys, and later took part in the invasion of North Africa. Best known as a post-war test pilot, particularly of the Fairey Delta FD2 with which he set a World Absolute Speed Record, Peter Twiss also saw distinguished service as a Fleet Air Arm pilot. Flying Fulmars, he was with HMS Ark Royal when she was sunk in November 1941 and then served with his squadron on both Argus and Furious for several of the vital Malta convoys with Force H. He formed the first Seafire Squadron for Operation Torch and was awarded a Bar to his DSC. Returning to the UK, he was sent to the Night Fighter Development Unit. During the war Peter began to get opportunities to fly new aircraft and he started his test flying in America late 1944 and had his first opportunity to fly a jet aircraft. By now he had attained the rank of Lieutenant-Commander. In 1945 he attended the Empire Test Pilots School at Cranfield and then went to the Naval Squadron at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment based at Boscombe Down. In 1946 he joined Fairey Aviation as a test pilot. Lieutenant-Commander Peter Twiss test flew many of the Fairey aircraft including the Fairey Primer, Fairey Firefly, Fairey Gannet, the Fairey FD1, and the Fairey Rotadyne compound helicopter and in 1947 he entered the Lympne Air flying a Firefly IV winning the high speed race with 306 mph. His achievement in breaking the world air speed record in 1956 in the Fairey Delta 2 was recognised by receiving the Queens Commendation for Valuable Service and an OBE. By 1959 Peter was Chief Test for Fairey Aviation when the company was sold to Westland Aircraft and he decided to retire from test flying. He had then amassed 4,500 hours in 148 different types of aircraft. Sadly, Peter Twiss passed away on 31st August 2011.


The signature of Lieutenant Stanley Fraser

Lieutenant Stanley Fraser
*Signature Value : £40

As a member of the 4th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment in Malta, Stan Fraser endured more than three thousand air raids and constant direct attacks on his battery of 3.7 AA guns which killed and maimed several of his comrades. When he reached Malta in July 1941 he had already survived the evacuation from Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain when he served in a mobile column of AA guns, and the London Blitz. In 1992, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the award of the George Cross to the island of Malta, Stan Fraser presented a restored battery of 3.7 AA guns to the island.


The signature of Merchant Seaman Gunner Ron Linton

Merchant Seaman Gunner Ron Linton
*Signature Value : £20

The last known survivor of the tanker Ohio which was at the heart of the legendary Pedestal convoy, Ron Linton had set out on that operation, as a 19 year old Merchant Seaman Gunner, on another ship, the MV Dorset. Hit by a stick of bombs, Dorset was crippled and abandoned. Linton was rescued by HMS Bramham and then volunteered to join the stricken tanker Ohio to help man her AA guns for the last desperate effort to reach Malta. The arrival of the surviving Pedestal ships, particularly the tanker Ohio, was the turning point in the siege of Malta.


The signature of Petty Officer Frederick Jewett

Petty Officer Frederick Jewett
*Signature Value : £20

With his Action Station, as a member of the gunnery team, on the bridge of the destroyer HMS Ashanti, Fred Jewett had a very close-up view of the famous Pedestal convoy. Rear-Admiral Burrough, the C-in-C, transfer-red his flag to Ashanti after his flagship Nigeria was put out of action. Jewett was already a veteran of many naval actions and he went on to take part in the D-Day landings. In 2000 he finally realised his dream to create a commemorative Malta Window in the Church of St Thomas the Martyr in Newcastle.


Sergeant Major Frank Rixon BEM
*Signature Value : £35

A member of the 2nd Battalion Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment, Frank Rixon went to Malta in April 1940, staying for more than three difficult years. The duties of the battalion were the defence of the island but most of his time was spent on Luqa Airfield building aircraft pens, filling in bomb holes and assisting the RAF in rearming and refueling aircraft and also unloading ships in the harbour. A career soldier, Rixon later spent 18 months in Korea for which service he was awarded the BEM. Now PRO for the GCIA, he writes frequently on the siege.


The signature of Squadron Leader Arthur Aldridge DFC

Squadron Leader Arthur Aldridge DFC
*Signature Value : £35

Although Arthur Aldridge was only to spend two months in Malta - 217 Squadrons Beauforts were actually en route to Ceylon at the time - the results he achieved make hirn a legend amongst torpedo airmen. On his first operation from Malta on June 15 1942 he and his crew made a lone attack on the Italian fleet and sank the 10,000 ton heavy cruiser Trento. Perhaps as a result, the Italian Navy never put to sea as a fleet again. On June 21 Aldridge sank the 7,744 ton cargo ship Reichenfels. Although wounded in the action, Aldridge went to the rescue of another stricken Beaufort which was under attack from a Ju88 and drove it off. For his operations in Malta, Aldridge was awarded a Bar to his DFC.


The signature of Squadron Leader Cyril Bam Bamberger (deceased)

Squadron Leader Cyril Bam Bamberger (deceased)
*Signature Value : £50

Born in Port Sunlight on May 4th 1919, Cyril Bamberger won an electrical engineering apprenticeship at Lever Brothers in 1934. He joined 610 Squadron AuxAF, in 1936 on the ground staff. Accepted for pilot training with the RAF VR in late 1938, he soloed in mid 1939. Bamberger was called up at the outbreak of war and on the 23rd October 1939 was posted to No 8 EFTS, Woodley and later went to 9 FTS, Hullavington to complete his training. He rejoined 610 (F) Squadron at Biggin Hill on July 27th but with no experience on Spitfires, he was sent to Hawarden for three weeks. Back with 610 (F) Squadron, Bamberger claimed a probable Bf109 on August 28th 1940. He was posted to 41 (F) Squadron at Hornchurch, Essex, September 17th and on October 5th he claimed a Bf109 destroyed. After volunteering for Malta, Bamberger left 41 (F) Squadron in mid-October 1940. He sailed from Glasgow on the Aircraft Carrier HMS Argus. Luckily for him, he did not fly off for Malta with the twelve Hurricanes ad two navigating Skuas which did. Only five of the fourteen aircraft reached their destination. Bamberger eventually reached Malta on November 28th on the destroyer HMS Hotspur, and on arrival he joined 261 Squadron. On January 18th 1941 he destroyed a Junkers JU87 Stuka and another the following day. 261 Squadron was dispended on May 21st 1941. Bamberger moved on the 12th to the newly formed 185 (F) Squadron at Hal Far. He was posted back to England on June 12th and was sent to Central Gunnery School at Sutton Bridge. Commissioned in February 1942, he was posted to Northern Ireland as a Gunnery Officer with the Americans who were converting to Spitfires. In March 1943 Bamberger volunteered for North Africa where he joined 93 Squadron at Hal Far, Malta in May. On July 13th operating over Sicily, he shot down a Junkers JU87 Stuka. In August Bamberger joined 243 Squadron in Sicily as a Flight Commander. He was awarded the DFC (28.09.43). On October 16th Bamberger damaged a Bf109, his first success after 243 crossed into Italy. On May 25th 1944 he claimed a Bf109 destroyed and on June 15th a Macci 202 damaged. Bamberger came off operations in July for medical reasons returning to the UK. He was sent on an instructors course and in early 1945 was posted to the Gunnery School at Catfoss. Awarded a bar to his DFC (14.11.44). Bamberger received it from the King at Buckingham Palace on July 3rd 1945. Released in 1946, Bamberger returned to Lever Brothers and rejoined 610 Squadron at Hooten Park, becoming its CO in 1950. When the Korean crisis came, he was recalled to the RAF. In February 1951 he was granted a permanent commission and in May 1952 moved to an Intelligence Unit, assessing strike capabilities of the Chinese and Koreans. Bamberger retired on January 29th 1959 as a Squadron Leader, and became managing director of a small packaging materials company – he started in 1954. On retirement he had an antique shop in Hampshire. Sadly, Cyril Bamberger passed away on 3rd February 2008.


The signature of Squadron Leader Harry Moon (deceased)

Squadron Leader Harry Moon (deceased)
*Signature Value : £50

Flying his Hurricane off the carrier Ark Royal for Malta on June 30th 1941, Harry Moon was fortunate to arrive on the island to join 249 Squadron in a period when the opposition was provided by the Italians. The Hurricane were equal to this task and Moon took part in many combats. However, in December the Lufttwaffe appeared again and losses rose sharply. In February 1942, he was transferred to 126 Squadron when 249 was temporarily disbanded as a result of losses and pending the arrival of Spitfires. In April 1942, he was posted to the Middle East. He died on 29th April 2014.


The signature of Squadron Leader Keith Lawrence DFC (deceased)

Squadron Leader Keith Lawrence DFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £55

Keith Lawrence was born in New Zealand at Waitara on November 25th 1919. After attending Southland Boys High School at Invercargill, Lawrence went to work in a local bank in December 1936. In November 1938 he applied to join the RAF and was accepted for pilot training in Britain and sailed in February 1939. In November 1939 Keith Lawrence completed his flying training and joined the newly-formed 234 Squadron, which flew Spitfires throughout the Battle of Britain. Whilst based at St Eval in Cornwall, Lawrence shared 234s first victory on 8th July 1940 with the destruction of a Ju88 which was attacking a convoy in the Western Approaches. 234 Squadron was posted to Middle Wallop on 15 August. On 15 September Lawrence was posted to 603 Squadron at Hornchurch, and on 8 October moved to 421 Flight at Gravesend, a unit which early the following year became 91 Squadron. During the Battle of Britain he destroyed two enemy aircraft and damaged four others. Whilst on a weather reconnaissance on 26 November 1940, Lawrences Spitfire was shot down by ME 109s, his Spitfire breaking up and throwing him clear to parachute into the sea. Lawrence was picked up by a RNLI lifeboat, and having suffered severe leg injuries and a dislocated arm, was taken to hospital. He returned to 91 Squadron on the 16th of January 1942. On the 17th of February 1942 Lawrence was posted to 185 Squadron in Malta. At this time, the island's capital Valetta and its airfields were suffering almost constant bombardment from bombers with fighter escorts which generally considerably outnumbered the defending fighters. While in Malta, Lawrence was promoted to squadron commander. The Squadron flew Hurricanes until Spitfires arrived on 9 May. Lawrence returned to the UK from Malta at the end of June 1942, and began a long period as an instructor. He served at three different Operational Training Units, and after receiving training at the Central Gunnery School at Sutton Bridge, became a gunnery instructor flying Spitfires. Lawrence returned to operations with 124 Squadron from early February until the end of April 1945. The unit had been successfully intercepting German reconnaissance aircraft at 50,000 feet plus, using Spitfire VIIs with pressurised cockpits, flying from Manston. As Lawrence arrived, it was re-equipping with Spitfire IX's to carry out dive-bombing attacks on V2 sites around The Hague from RAF Coltishall. After each aircraft had dropped its 1000 lb bomb-load, it flew on to captured airfields in Belgium, and refuelled and re-armed, before bombing targets again during the return flight to Coltishall. The unit also carried out daylight escorts for bombers raiding into Germany. From the end of August 1945 Lawrence flew Meteors with 124 Squadron until he was released from the RAF in March 1946. He returned to New Zealand and settled in Christchurch but later returned to Britain. He died on 2nd June 2016.


The signature of Squadron Leader P G Leggett (deceased)

Squadron Leader P G Leggett (deceased)
*Signature Value : £60

Percival Graham Leggett was born on the 24th of February 1921 and joined the RAFVR In June 1939 as an Airman under training Pilot. He was called up for active duty on 1 September 1939 and he completed his training in September 1940. On the 18 September 1940 Leggett crashed at Oldbury on Severn in Gloucestershire but was unhurt. Leggett was posted to No.615 Squadron at RAF Prestick in Scotland then to 245 Squadron at RAF Aldergrove on 28 September and then to No.46 Squadron at RAF Stapleford on 18 October 1940. He claimed a Fiat BR.20 and probably destroyed and shared in the destruction of another on 11 November 1940. Leggett was then posted to No.145 Squadron in late November 1940 and then to No.96 Squadron on 18 December 1940. Flying his Hurricane off Ark Royal, Leggett joined 249 Squadron in Malta in June 1941 and was in action that same afternoon. In July he increased his Battle of Britain score by shooting down a Macchi C.200 but was shot down in December, bailing out with minor injuries. He was posted to the Desert Air Force just before El Alamein. An RAFVR pilot, Leggett had flown both Hurricanes and Defiants before his posting to Malta. He stayed on in the RAF commanding 73 Squadron on Vampires, retiring in 1958 as a Squadron Leader. He died on 26th May 2013.


The signature of Vice-Admiral Sir John Roxburgh KCB CBE DSO DSC

Vice-Admiral Sir John Roxburgh KCB CBE DSO DSC
*Signature Value : £40

When he took command of the submarine P 44, later to be named United, in December 1942, aged 23, Roxburgh was the youngest submarine commander in the Royal Navy. In 10 months he sent 21,000 tons of enemy ships to the bottom and damaged a further 12,000 tons, a remarkable achievement even for one of the extraordinary Fighting Tenth Flotilla based on Malta. On several occasions he came close to losing his boat in his many contacts with the enemy but survived to pursue a distinguished career in the Royal Navy including a period as Flag Officer Submarines. He was awarded a Bar to his DSC in 1945.


The signature of Vice-Admiral Sir lan McGeoch KCB DSO DFC (deceased)

Vice-Admiral Sir lan McGeoch KCB DSO DFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £50

Ian McGeoch was born in Helensburgh on 26th March 1914 and was educated at Pangbourne Nautical College, and in 1931 joined the Royal Navy as a special entry cadet. From 1933, Megeoch served as a midshipman on the HMS Royal Oak in 1933 then on the destroyer HMS Boadicea before moving on to the cruiser HMS Devonshire. McGeoch volunteered to serve on submarines and in 1936 attended the course at HMS Dolphin. Promoted to Lieutenant, McGeoch joined HMS Clyde at Malta. When war broke out he was in Malta but returned to England in Janaury 1940 serving as 1st lieutenant on the H Class H43, engaged in landing secret agents on Guernsey. In July 1940 he was appointed as second-in-command of the new submarine HMS Triumph, but was selected for the Commanding Offciers Qualifying Course before he saw active service. After passing, McGeoch returned to Malta's 10th Submarine Flotilla in May 1941, where he had the role of Spare CO on frequent call while other COs stood down for a few days rest. He took command of HMS Splendid and from November 1942 to May 1943 Splendid sank more tonnage on its six patrols than any other submarine. Lieutenant McGeoch was awarded the DSO after his fourth patrol, and the DSC after his fifth. Under McGeoch's command, Splendid sank the Italian auxiliary submarine chaser San Paolo, the Italian merchants Luigi Favorita, Devoli, and XXI Aprile, the small Italian merchant Commercio, the Italian auxiliary minesweeper No. 107 / Cleopatra, and the Italian tanker Giorgio. Splendid also sank the Italian Destroyer Aviere, escorting the German transport ship Ankara with her sister ship Camicia Nera - Splendid also attacked the Ankara, but missed her. Splendid also sank the Italian merchant Emma, despite her being heavily escorted by the Italian torpedo boats Groppo, Uragano and Clio. The German merchant Sienna (the former French Astrée) was missed in the same attack. Splendid also torpedoed and damaged the Italian destroyer Velite. Splendid left Malta for the last time on 17th April 1943. This was the submarine's sixth patrol and would take her to the waters off Naples and Corsica. While off Capril on 21st April 1943, HMS Splendid ran into the German destroyer Hermes. The submarine's periscope was spotted in the calm conditions and the German destroyer made three accurately-dropped patterns of depth charges which forced Splendid to the surface, where McGeoch ordered the crew to abandon ship and ordered the submarine to be scuttled. Five officers, including McGeoch, and 25 ratings were picked up; (18 men were lost with the ship) and taken prisoner. McGeoch suffered a wound to his right eye, and never recovered its sight. Later he managed to escape from prison camp and return to duty. He had a distinguished post-war career in the Navy including a period as Flag Officer Submarines. He was appointed CB in 1966 and advanced to KCB in 1969. He retired in 1970. Sadly at the age of 93 he died on the 12th of August 2007.
The Aircraft :
NameInfo
SpitfireRoyal Air Force fighter aircraft, maximum speed for mark I Supermarine Spitfire, 362mph up to The Seafire 47 with a top speed of 452mph. maximum ceiling for Mk I 34,000feet up to 44,500 for the mark XIV. Maximum range for MK I 575 miles . up to 1475 miles for the Seafire 47. Armament for the various Marks of Spitfire. for MK I, and II . eight fixed .303 browning Machine guns, for MKs V-IX and XVI two 20mm Hispano cannons and four .303 browning machine guns. and on later Marks, six to eight Rockets under the wings or a maximum bomb load of 1,000 lbs. Designed by R J Mitchell, The proto type Spitfire first flew on the 5th March 1936. and entered service with the Royal Air Force in August 1938, with 19 squadron based and RAF Duxford. by the outbreak of World war two, there were twelve squadrons with a total of 187 spitfires, with another 83 in store. Between 1939 and 1945, a large variety of modifications and developments produced a variety of MK,s from I to XVI. The mark II came into service in late 1940, and in March 1941, the Mk,V came into service. To counter the Improvements in fighters of the Luftwaffe especially the FW190, the MK,XII was introduced with its Griffin engine. The Fleet Air Arm used the Mk,I and II and were named Seafires. By the end of production in 1948 a total of 20,351 spitfires had been made and 2408 Seafires. The most produced variant was the Spitfire Mark V, with a total of 6479 spitfires produced. The Royal Air Force kept Spitfires in front line use until April 1954.

ARTIST

John Young



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