Description
Anniversary Edition
THE SECOND RELEASE IN ROBERT TAYLOR’S NEW TRILOGY TO COMMEMORATE THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN
THE HARDEST DAYS – PART TWO
On August 12th, 1940 the Luftwaffe turned their full attention to the RAF’s forward fighter bases and radar stations with the intent to obliterate them once and for all. The outcome of the Battle of Britain hung in the balance.
It was late in the afternoon of Sunday, 18 August 1940. The previous week had seen the hardest days of fighting in the Battle of Britain as the young pilots of the RAF Fighter Command had engaged in deadly duels with the Luftwaffe. Bystanders gazed cautiously upwards at the weaving contrails in the clear blue skies over southern England as they anxiously awaited the outcome.
For just a moment, all was at peace: A gentle breeze floated across the airfield at RAF Hornchurch as the exhausted young pilots of 54 Squadron could rest for a few brief minutes and reflect on their own previous two encounters with the enemy that day. The Luftwaffe had thrown everything at them in the past few days, but today had been the toughest of them all.
And then the calm was shattered by the shrill tones of the alarm, the Luftwaffe had launched another huge raid of over 300 aircraft across the Channel, and it looked like Hornchurch was the target.
Robert Taylor’s masterful new painting, Hornchurch Scramble, portrays the moment as 54 Squadron’s commanding officer, Squadron Leader James Leathart, taxis out at Hornchurch to prepare for take-off. Quickly following, the aircraft of New Zealander Colin Gray is guided out from dispersal by his ground crew. Gray would claim 3 Bf110s in the encounter and would eventually become the top scoring New Zealand Ace of the war.
THE SIGNATURES
This historic new edition carries the original signatures of highly respected RAF veterans that flew in combat during the Battle of Britain.
THE ANNIVERSARY EDITION
This special Anniversary Edition has been signed and numbered by Robert Taylor and by 9 of the most respected pilots who flew under RAF Fighter Command in the Battle:
Wing Commander GEORGE W. SWANWICK
Squadron Leader GEOFFREY WELLUM DFC
Squadron Leader TONY IVESON DFC AE
Wing Commander JOHN FREEBORN DFC*
Wing Commander TOM NEIL DFC AFC AE
Group Captain BILLY DRAKE DSO DFC*
Squadron Leader ‘BOB’ FOSTER DFC
Pilot Officer NORMAN BROWN
Wing Commander ROGER MOOREWOOD
THE ANNIVERSARY EDITION with NINE signatures
350 Anniversary Edition
Overall Print Size: 33” wide x 25¼” high
