Description
A TRIBUTE TO THE MEN OF RAF BOMBER COMMAND
Heavy snow has settled over the frozen countryside around RAF Fiskerton in Lincolnshire, and for once the Lancasters of 49 Squadron stand quietly idle at their dispersal points, March 1944.
RAF Bomber Command flew more than 389,000 individual sorties from 101 operational bases across the east of England during WWII and of the 125,000 men who served, 55,573 were killed. For every 100 airmen who joined Bomber Command, 45 would lose their lives, 6 would be seriously wounded and 8 made prisoners of war.
With an average age of just 22 the young airmen were forced to grow old quickly. Yet they resolutely overcame the overwhelming forces stacked against them, including some of the worst flying conditions imaginable and, never flinching from their task, flew until victory was finally achieved.
“The Nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everyone else, and nobody was going to bomb them. At Rotterdam, London, Warsaw, and half a hundred other places, they put their rather naive theory into operation. They sowed the wind, and now they are going to reap the whirlwind.”
Air Marshal Sir Arthur Harris, Commander-in-Chief Bomber Command, June 1942
Overall Print Size: 23¼” wide x 14¼” high Image Size: 19¼” wide x 9½” high
THE SIGNATURES
To help commemorate those who served, each print in this new edition has, along with the artist Richard Taylor, been individually signed by THREE veterans who flew Lancasters with Bomber Command in WWII:
Air Commodore CHARLES CLARKE OBE
Bomb Aimer with 619 Sqn
Flight Lieutenant RUSSELL ‘RUSTY’ WAUGHMAN DFC AFC
Pilot with 101 (Special Duties) Sqn
Flight Lieutenant KEN THOMAS DFC
Pilot with 622 Sqn
375 Signed & numbered
25 Artist Proofs
THE REMARQUES
Regarded as one of the most gifted exponents of pencil drawing in the industry, Richard Taylor will hand-craft an original drawing in the lower margin of each print. If you have any particular requests, such as specific aircraft markings, please ask when placing your order and we will do our best to accommodate.
25 Remarques
10 Double Remarques
