Description
November 1942
A newly-formed bomber aircrew’s operational flying career has to start with its first “Op”. Puffing nervously on cigarettes, they check and recheck their flying kit, harnesses and straps that are correctly webbed up, nothing too slack that would snag on anything and trap them in the event of a Bale-out emergency as the pilot is taken through the Form 700 with the “Chiefy”. A fatherly man to the new crews he’s seen coming and going on the unit. His groundcrew have been busy since morning preparing the aircraft for this night’s “Op” Oiled, fuelled and bombed-up, the Engine Mechanics work with a flashlight as they connect the starter and ground earth cable to the port inner Merlin for start-up.
These seven airmen have been training with their Lancaster B.I, for perhaps two weeks since forming together after leaving their Training units for life on an operational front-line Bomber Squadron. They have already seen the empty tables at breakfast after the previous night’s operation from their Station. They didn’t know the men who were lost. But they know it will be their turn on a “trip” soon enough. So for these young lads, it has been nightflying tests and working-up training flights by daylight to knit them all together as a crew.
Tonight they will be doing it for real. And will see them tested over a target deep inside Hitler’s Ruhr valley steel and munitions industries. And finding their way home to their airfield in the dark, if they survive this night, will not be so easy. As with many Bomber Command aircrews, they are not, by any means, an all-British crew. The Navigator wears a CANADA flash on his upper-arm sleeve. The Wireless-Operator is also a trained air gunner and comes from Australia.
The Pilot signs the form700 and the Lancaster becomes “his”. And so begins the first Operation to Hitler’s Europe. As the moon slips into clouds that will cover their RAF Bomber-Stream in pitch- black darkness… and no moon tonight.
All orders are supplied with the back story behind the painting.
Giclée Print on Archival Paper
Measuring 33″ x 24″ and printed on very high quality Archival Paper. Signed and numbered by Simon Atack and issued with a Certificate of Authenticity
Giclée Print on Canvas – UK orders only
For that ‘original’ look. 36″ x 24″ supplied unstretched and signed and numbered on the back of the canvas and issued with a Certificate of Authenticity
Remarque Edition
Giclée Print on Archival Paper – Measuring 33″ x 24″ and printed on very high quality Archival Paper. Signed and numbered by Simon Atack and issued with a Certificate of Authenticity. Simon will draw a small original pencil image at the bottom of the print on either the left, right or in the middle
Double Remarque Edition
Giclée Print on Archival Paper – Measuring 33″ x 24″ and printed on very high quality Archival Paper. Signed and numbered by Simon Atack and issued with a Certificate of Authenticity. Simon will draw a double original pencil image at the bottom of the print (eg. two aeroplanes)
Edition Sizes:
Giclée Print on Archival Paper – 400
Giclée Print on Canvas – 200
Remarque Edition – 50
Copyright Image and Text Simon W. Atack
