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Normandy Veterans Association 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Print by Michael Turner. - Direct Art

Normandy Veterans Association 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Print by Michael Turner.


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Normandy Veterans Association 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Print by Michael Turner.

Official limited edition print of the 60th Anniversary of the Normandy Veterans Association. The Eastern Flank of the D-Day battlefield, 1300 hours, June 6th 1944. No single picture could possibly encompass the actions of all British forces on D-Day, let alone the Allies overall, whise front stretched 60 miles along the Normandy coastline. The eastern flank of the D-Day battlefield has been chosen to symbolise the achievements of British forces on June 6th 1944 because no other part of the invasion front illustrates better the combined efforts of all three services.
AMAZING VALUE! - The value of the signatures on this item is in excess of the price of the print itself!
Item Code : LI0030Normandy Veterans Association 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Print by Michael Turner. - This Edition
TYPEEDITION DETAILSSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSYOUR PRICEPURCHASING
PRINT Signed limited edition of 500 prints.

SOLD OUT.
Paper size 29 inches x 23 inches (74cm x 58cm) Donnet, Mike
Boyle, Peter B
Cassidi, Desmond
Clostermann, Pierre
Otway, Terence
Gondree-Pritchett, Arlette
Gueritz, E
Gale, Robert
Deedes, Lord
Martin, P L de C
Bart, Hereward Wake
Gautier, Leon
Tait, J B Willie
Brothers, Peter
Knights, Bob
Ellacombe, John
Rose, Jack
Valentine, Leslie
Crosley, Mike
Gibbs, Roland
Bramall, Lord
Carrington, Lord
Wood, David J
Todd, Richard
+ Artist : Michael Turner


Signature(s) value alone : £865
SOLD
OUT
NOT
AVAILABLE
All prices on our website are displayed in British Pounds Sterling


Extra Details : Normandy Veterans Association 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Print by Michael Turner.
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 1er Maitre Leon Gautier LdH MM CdeG MDLR

1er Maitre Leon Gautier LdH MM CdeG MDLR
*Signature Value : £25

A Free French Commando, Gautier landed on D-Day at 7.20 with Lord Lovats legendary Special Service Brigade on Sword Beach. Gautiers task with 4th Commando was to clear the beach defences and the strong point at Riva Bella Casino. The Commandos then moved on up to Pegasus Bridge to help defend 6th Airbornes bridgehead. Here they fought a bitter battle against German counter attacks that was to last 77 days. Originally in the Free French Navy; Gautier volunteered for Commando training in 1943, joining 4th Commando for the Normandy Campaign. Leon Gautier is President of the French Commando Association. He lives in Ouistreham, not far from where he landed on D-Day.


The signature of Able Seaman LC/SIG Robert Gale DSM

Able Seaman LC/SIG Robert Gale DSM
*Signature Value : £20

A signaler in landing craft LCA 10 10, operating on Gold Beach, Gale won an immediate DSM for his ,complete disregard for danger; standing up in the bow of his craft as they came inshore to spot, and sometimes fend off, mined obstructions. His courage inspired all those whose who came into contact with him, not least the troops going ashore. He was already a veteran of the North African and Sicily landings. After the war he returned to his familys bakery business which he eventually took over and ran until his retirement.


The signature of Admiral Sir Desmond Cassidi GCB (deceased)

Admiral Sir Desmond Cassidi GCB (deceased)
*Signature Value : £15

Admiral Sir Desmond Cassidi GCB joined the Royal Navy in September 1938 and as a Midshipman saw war service in HM Ships Cumberland and Hardy with the Iceland Patrols and Russian Convoys. He was promoted to Sub-Lieutenant in 1944 and took part in the D-Day and South of France landings. After service in 814 and 810 Naval Air Squadrons, he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 1953. In 1954 he served at the RN Air Station at Ford in Sussex as the Senior Pilot of the Gannet Intensive Flying Trials Unit, and afterwards became Commanding Officer of 820 Squadron. In 1955/56 he served in the Ice patrol Ship HMS Protector as First Lieutenant during her first journey to the Antarctic. During 1956/59 he was on the Directing Staff at the RN Staff College in the rank of Commander. This was followed by a sea appointment as Commanding Officer of the frigate HMS Whitby, and in 1962/64 he served as Fleet Operations Officer to the Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet. In 1964 he was promoted to Captain and served as Assistant Director of Naval Plans (Warfare) in the Ministry of Defence until 1967 when he was appointed in command of the anti-Submarine frigate HMS Undaunted and as Captain (D) Portland Squadron. In 1969 he was at the Imperial Defence College and in January 1970 returned to the Ministry of Defence as the Director of Naval Plans. In command of HMS Ark Royal from August 1972 to November 1973, he was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1974 when he took up the post of Flag Officer Carriers and Amphibious Ships and Commander Carrier Striking Group Two. He became Director General Naval Manpower and Training in 1975. He was promoted to Vice Admiral in 1976 and in 1978 took the post of Flag Officer Naval Air Command at Yeovilton. In September 1979 he was promoted to Admiral when he took the post of Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel and in December 1982 became Commander-in-Chief Home Command. He was Flag ADC to The Queen 1982-1985 and retired from the Navy in 1985. He died on 12th October 2019.


The signature of Air Commodore John Ellacombe CB DFC* (deceased)

Air Commodore John Ellacombe CB DFC* (deceased)
*Signature Value : £45

John Ellacombe joined the RAF in 1939 and was posted to 151 Squadron in July 1940, immediately converting to Hurricanes. On 24th August he shot down a He111, but a week later his Hurricane was blown up in combat and he baled out, with burns. Rejoining his squadron a few months later, in February 1941 was posted to 253 Squadron where he took part in the Dieppe operations. On 28th July, flying a Turbinlite Havoc, he probably destroyed a Do217. Converting to Mosquitos, John was posted to 487 Squadron RNZAF, and during the build up to the Normandy Invasion and after, was involved in many ground attacks on enemy held airfields, railways, and other targets of opportunity. He completed a total of 37 sorties on Mosquitos. Flying a de Havilland Mosquito XIII with a devastating set of four 20mm cannon in the nose, John Ellacombe flew deep into occupied France on the night before D-Day searching out and destroying German convoys and railway targets. As the Normandy campaign raged on, 151 Squadron intensified its interdiction sorties - including night attacks on Falaise and the Seine bridges. On August 1st Ellacombe took part in the famous attack by 23 Mosquitoes on the German bar-racks in Poitiers, led by Group Captain Wykeham Barnes. Ellacombe had first joined 151 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, direct from Flying Training School. Within weeks he had scored his first victory but also force landed in a field, having shot down a He 111, and baled out of a blazing Hurricane. He baled out a second time during the Dieppe Raid in 1942 but was picked up safely. Postwar he had a long and successful career in the RAE. Air Commodore John Ellacombe, who has died aged 94, survived being shot down three times during the Second World War - twice during the Battle of Britain. On August 15th 1940 the Luftwaffe launched Adler Tag (Eagle Day), with the object of destroying Fighter Command by attacking the ground organisation and drawing the RAF's fighters into the air. Nine Hurricanes of No 151 Squadron were scrambled during the afternoon and met enemy fighters near Dover at 18,000ft. Ellacombe attacked a Messerschmitt Bf 109 and fired three bursts. The enemy fighter rolled on to its back and dived into the sea. There was heavy fighting over the next few days, and on August 24 Ellacombe engaged a Heinkel III bomber. His fire hit its engines and the bomber crash-landed in Essex . During intense fighting on August 30 he attacked a formation of Heinkels head on. He hit one, which crashed, but return fire damaged the engine of his Hurricane and he was forced to land in a field, where a farmer accosted him with a pitchfork. On the following day Ellacombe damaged two Bf 109s before attacking a Junkers 88 bomber. When the Junkers returned fire, setting his Hurricane's fuel tank ablaze, he bailed out. As he drifted to the ground, a member of the Home Guard fired on him. He was then marched to a police station where he was assaulted by a constable who thought he was German. Later in life Ellacombe remarked: In two days, a farmer had attempted to kill me, the Home Guard had shot at me and a policeman had tried to kill me - quite apart from the Germans. I wondered whose side I was on. He received hospital treatment for his burns, and his fighting days during the Battle of Britain were over. After several months convalescing Ellacombe returned to No 151, which had been reassigned to night fighting. Equipped with the Hurricane and the Defiant, the squadron had little contact with the enemy; but Ellacombe developed a reputation for flying at night in the worst weather, and in April 1942 he was awarded a DFC for his service in the Battle of Britain and for showing the greatest keenness to engage the enemy. Posted to No 253 Squadron as a flight commander, he found night fighting dull, and volunteered for daylight operations. He flew in support of the ill-fated raid on Dieppe, and as he attacked a gun battery his aircraft was hit by flak. Ellacombe managed to get over the sea before bailing out and being picked up by a Canadian landing craft. After a rest tour, Ellacombe converted to the Mosquito before joining No 487 (NZ) Squadron, flying low-level intruder missions over France and the Low Countries. He attacked V-1 sites in the Pas de Calais and bombed roads and railways in support of the Normandy landings. He saw constant action attacking targets in support of the Allied armies and during the breakout from the Falaise pocket. After 37 intruder bombing patrols Ellacombe was rested and awarded a Bar to his DFC. He spent the remainder of the war on training duties, but still managed occasionally to take a Mosquito on an operational sortie. The son of an English doctor who had served during the Boer War, John Lawrence Wemyss Ellacombe was born at Livingstone, Northern Rhodesia, on February 28 1920 and educated at Diocesan College (Bishops) in Cape Town. In May 1939 he went to Britain to join the RAF, trained as a pilot and in July 1940 was posted to No 151 Squadron; he had never flown a Hurricane. Post-war he remained in the RAF, most of his flying appointments being in Fighter Command. After service in Aden he led No 1 Squadron, flying Meteor jets, and he commanded the Fighter Development Unit at the Central Fighter Establishment, developing tactics for the Hunter and Lightning . He served in Washington as a liaison officer with the USAF on fighter operations before commanding the RAF flying training base at Linton-on-Ouse, near York. Ellacombe was the senior serving representative at the Defence Operational Analysis Establishment, and on promotion to air commodore in 1968 was appointed Air Commander of Air Forces, Gulf, with headquarters at Muharraq, Bahrain. The withdrawal of British forces from Aden was scheduled for the end of that year, and Muharraq became a key staging post and support airfield . Ellacombe's calm handling of affairs in Bahrain was recognised by his appointment as CB. His final appointment was in the MoD, and he retired in 1973. Ellacombe then became Director of Scientific Services at St Thomas's Hospital in London, and later administrator to the hospital's trustees. A good cricketer and rugby player in his younger days, he played golf three times a week until he was 88, and he was a keen follower of Middlesex CCC. He particularly enjoyed watching his grandchildren play cricket (some of them at county junior level, including a granddaughter who turned out for Essex Ladies). John Ellacombe's wife, Mary, whom he married in 1951 when she was serving in the WRAF, had served on Winston Churchill's staff and been appointed OBE. She died in 2007, and he is survived by their son and two daughters. Air Commodore John Ellacombe, born February 28 1920, died May 11 2014.


The signature of Air Commodore Peter Brothers CBE, DSO, DFC* (deceased)

Air Commodore Peter Brothers CBE, DSO, DFC* (deceased)
*Signature Value : £65

Learnt to fly at the age of 16 and joined the RAF two years later in 1936. He first saw action in 1940 when as a Flight Commander in 32 Squadron, based at Biggin Hill, he flew his Hurricane against the fighters and bombers of the Luftwaffe. He recalls this as an intensely busy period, during which he shot down an Me109 - his first enemy aircraft; by the end of August that same year his tally of enemy aircraft shot down increased to eight. Awarded the DFC, he was transferred to 257 Squadron where he joined Bob-Stanford Tuck as a Flight Commander. Promoted in 1941 to Squadron Leader, Pete Brothers then took command of 457 Squadron RAAF, equipped with Spitfires. A year later when 457 Squadron returned to Australia, Pete took command of 602 Squadron. In the early autumn of 1942 he went on to become Wing Leader of the Tangmere Wing, succeeding his old friend, Douglas Bader. By the end of the war Pete Brothers had amassed 875 operational hours over a 44-month period. He was credited with having personally shot down 16 enemy aircraft and damaged many more. He later went on to command 57 Squadron during the Malaya campaign. Upon return to the UK Pete Brothers joined the V-Force, flying Valiant-4 jet bombers. He retired in 1973. Sadly, Pete Brothers died 18th December 2008.

Peter Brothers signing the print - Combat Over Normandy - by Graeme Lothian

Peter Brothers signing the print - Fighting Lady - by Graeme Lothian



The signature of Captain Richard Todd OBE (deceased)

Captain Richard Todd OBE (deceased)
*Signature Value : £30

Later a world famous actor - with a key role as Major John Howard in the D-Day film The Longest Day - Richard Todd jumped into Normandy with 7th Para at 0040 hours on June 6th 1944. Their immediate task was to support the holding of Pegasus Bridge against fierce German counterattacks. Originally commissioned into the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, he was seconded to The Parachute Regiment in 1943. In Normandy he transferred to 6th Airborne HO on D-Day +5 and stayed with them until September 1944 when they were withdrawn to England. He later took part in the Rhine crossing and subsequent fighting and the advance to meet the Russians at Wisman on the Baltic. His service with The Parachute Regiment ended in Palestine in 1946. He then returned to his career as an actor and producer, achieving fame for both film roles and stage performances, including the brilliant portrayal of Guy Gibson in the legendary Dam Busters film. Sadly, Richard Todd died on 4th December 2009 at the age of 90.


The signature of Colonel David J Wood MBE (deceased)

Colonel David J Wood MBE (deceased)
*Signature Value : £15

Lieutenant David Wood was born on the 23rd February 1923. He was posted to D Company in 1942, and he was received with a mild degree of apprehension by the commnading officer Major John Howard, who thought the 19 year old was 'a bit too young for the toughies in my company'. Yet Wood was full of enthusiasm and so Howard gave him No.24 Platoon to command, which was blessed with experienced NCO's, and there were no problems. Lt David Wood was one of the Platoon commanders of Major Howards epic glider assault on the Orne Canal Bridge, Wood was thrown through the balsa wood wall of the Horsa glider as it crash landed at exactly 00 17 hours June 6th 1944. Rapidly assembling his platoon, he cleared the enemy from the trenches and dugouts of the inner defences with grenades and small arms fire. This was achieved with remarkably small casualties in only 10 minutes. The second bridge over the Orne was also captured intact. After hearing the success code Ham and Jam (meaning both bridges captured) radioed he was hit in the leg by a burst of Schmeiser machine carbine fire and taken out of action. Originally commissioned into the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, David Wood took a regular commission after the war and stayed in the army until retirement in 1978 rising to the rank of Colonel. David Wood died on the 12th March 2009. David Wood was the last surviving officer of the coup-de-main parties that captured the bridges over the Caen Canal and the River Orne in the early hours of D-Day, June 6, 1944.


The signature of Colonel Pierre Clostermann CDLL MM CdeG DFC* (deceased)

Colonel Pierre Clostermann CDLL MM CdeG DFC* (deceased)
*Signature Value : £55

One of the RAFs best known fighter pilots, with more than 20 victories, Clostermann was a Free French officer and later the author of a classic book about World War Two flying, The Big Show. Clostermann came to Britain via the United States and was first in action with 341 (Alsace) Squadron on Spitfires in 1943. By D-Day he was with 602 Squadron, also on Spitfires, and flew a patrol over the beaches late in the afternoon of June 6th. On June 14th he became the first French pilot to land in liberated France. Rested in July 1944, Clostermann returned to action in January 1945 and from 4th March was flying Tempests with 274 Squadron. His first Tempest score was a Bf 109 on his second day during a cannon test. In the middle of March 1945 he was posted as a Flight commander to No 56 Squadron. With this unit he destroyed a Bf109 in the air. On 8th April he was transferred to No 3 Squadron as A Flight commander where he on 20th April scored two Fw190D-9s. Clostermanns final score in Tempest is at least 12 destroyed, 6 shared and 2 probables. He was awarded the DSO and DFC and Bar in addition to French, Belgian and American decorations. Post war he achieved world-wide fame with The Big Show, and other books, and enjoyed a substantial career in politics and the aviation industry. Pierre Clostermann passed away on 22nd March 2006.


Final Total : 33 destroyed

19 Fw190
7 Me109
2 Dornier 24
1 Fieseler 156
1 Ju252
1 Ju88
1 Ju290
1 Heinkel 111

On the ground he destroyed :

7 Ju88
6 Do18
4 He177
2 Arado 323
1 Ju252
1 Blom-Voss
,br>Add to it some 72 locomotives , 5 tanks , 1 submarine and 2 destroyers.



The signature of Colonel Terence Otway DSO LdH (deceased)

Colonel Terence Otway DSO LdH (deceased)
*Signature Value : £40

Terence Otway was born in Cairo, Egypt, on the 15th June 1914. He was commissioned into the Royal Ulster Rifles in 1933, first with the 2nd Battalion, but in 1935 he journeyed to Hong Kong to join the 1st Battalion. In May 1937 he was posted to Hong Kong HQ Cipher Staff, but as a Lieutenant rejoined the 1st Royal Ulster Rifles in August of that year. The Battalion made up part of the international force that was sent to Shanghai to protect it from the Japanese invaders.'We spent four months in Shanghai, and we were bombed, shelled and machine-gunned almost every day by the Japanese, whilst guarding the International Settlement. We then moved to India. We'd hardly arrived before we were involved in putting down riots in Rawalpindi. Then we moved up to the North-West frontier and we were there for a year on active service. Not a week passed without us having a scrap with the tribesmen, and some of the scraps were hand-to-hand fighting with knives and swords. So that was so-called peace!' In December 1937 the Battalion was posted to India, and several months later On return from six weeks leave the battalion was posted to Razani, North West Frontier. Otway was appointed Signals Officer. In August 1939, Otway married Stella Whitehead and just over a year later, by which he had returned to England with the Ulsters, their first son, Michael, had been born. In the final days of 1940, Otway was promoted to Major and in June 1941 he attended Staff College, six months later passing out fourth of two hundred. In 1942, he was posted to the War Office as a Staff Officer responsible for briefings and briefing papers for the War Cabinet. In July 1943, he returned to the 1st Royal Ulster Rifles to take command of one of their companies. In his absence, the Battalion had been converted to the airborne role and was now a part of the 6th Airlanding Brigade. In the following month he applied to join the Parachute Regiment and became Second-in-Command of the 9th Parachute Battalion, but in March 1944, Otway was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and given command. The gallant attack on the Merville battery led by Colonel Otway on D-Day with a much depleted force is one of the legendary episodes of airborne history. Most of the forces and equipment dropped for this operation had been scattered across France including anti-tank guns, mortars and mine detectors. Finding himself with only 150 paratroopers of the 750 planned for the assault on this heavily defended gun battery commanding the invasion beaches, Otway did not hesitate in pressing home his attack. Without heavy weapons the issue came down to bitter hand-to-hand fighting. The defenders yielded and the D-Day beaches were safe - although the guns were less formidable than expected. After the attack only 80 paratroopers remained unwounded. Colonel Otway retired from the army in 1947 taking up a new career in business from which he retired again in 1979. One of his men, Sergeant Les Daniels said of him, 'Colonel Otway was a very hard man, very stand-offish, naturally as you'd expect your Commanding Officer to be. No tolerance for a fool whatsoever. You daren't make a mistake with the Colonel.' Otway's own philosophy on command was straight-forward, he wrote, 'I wanted to be respected and I wanted to be considered to be a fair person, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get popularity. I wanted an efficient, well run, happy Battalion, and I reckon I had it.' Sadly Colonel Otway passed away on the 23 July 2006.


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 Field Marshal Lord Bramall KG GCB OBE MC

Field Marshal Lord Bramall KG GCB OBE MC
*Signature Value : £50

As a young infantry officer with the Kings Royal Rifle Corps, Bramall landed on Juno Beach on D-Day + 2 and was soon in action against German forces counter attacking north west from Caen. On July 16 he was wounded near Maltot, returning to his battalion in time to see the Falaise pocket closed in August. He was decorated with the MC by Field Marshal Montgomery. He went on to a long and distinguished military career which he completed as Chief of the General Staff from 1979 to 1982. Later he was a much respected Trustee (for 15 years) and Chairman (for 9 years) of the Imperial War Museum.


The signature of Field Marshal Sir Roland Gibbs GCB CBE DSO MC (deceased)

Field Marshal Sir Roland Gibbs GCB CBE DSO MC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £40

Having already served in both North Africa and Italy, Gibbs arrived in Normandy on D-Day +2. Preparing to cross the River Orne he was wounded and withdrawn but returned to his company in time to storm the bridge over the Somme at Le Long. Commissioned into the 60th Rifles from RMA Sandhurst in 1940 Roland Gibbs had a long and distinguished career in the British Army and was C-in-C UK Land Forces 1974-76. Roland Gibbs died 31st October 2004.


The signature of Flt Lieutenant Bob Knights DSO, DFC (deceased)

Flt Lieutenant Bob Knights DSO, DFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £45

A member of the elite 617 Dambusters squadron, Bob Knights had a key role on the night before D-Day. With the rest of the squadron he flew on Operation Taxable which simulated the approach of the invasion across the Pas de Calais by dropping metal strips of window to a very precise pattern. The enemy was completely deceived and kept most of their best troops on the wrong side of the Seine. Bob Knights had already flown a full operational tour with 619 Squadron Lancasters, including eight trips to Berlin, before volunteering for 617 Squadron. Under Cheshire he flew on some of the squadrons most challenging precision operations and later under Willie Tait took part in the attack that finally destroyed the Tirpitz. Seconded to BOAC in December 1944 he stayed with the airline after the war for a 30 year long career. He died 4th December 2004.


The signature of Flying Officer Leslie Valentine CdeG (deceased)

Flying Officer Leslie Valentine CdeG (deceased)
*Signature Value : £30

Entrusted with one of the RAFs most critical roles on D-Day, Valentine took his 88 Squadron Boston down to between 30 and 50 feet above the D-Day beaches laying smoke to protect the invasion fleet from enemy fire. Above and over his aircraft arched the trajectories of shells from the capital ships of the Royal Navy and the German heavy guns firing back. Before and after D-Day Valentine flew many sorties against tactical targets by both night and day. He flew two tours back to back, 60 operations in all. Valentine had originally joined the army and saw action in France in 1940 with the Highland Light Infantry. Gaining selection for pilot training in the RAF he was sent to Canada for training, returning to 13 Operational Training Unit at Bicester in January 1943. He joined 88 Squadron in May 1944. Leslie Valentine died in April 2014.


The signature of Group Captain J B Willie Tait DSO*** DFC* ADC (deceased)

Group Captain J B Willie Tait DSO*** DFC* ADC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £40

One of Bomber Commands most outstanding leaders, James Brian -Willie- Tait was one of only two RAF officers who had the distinction of being awarded three Bars to his DSO, as well as a DFC and Bar. On the night before D-Day Tait was the 5 Group Master Bomber directing from the air the massed attack by Lancasters on the German defences in the Cherbourg peninsula. By then Tait had already flown more than 100 bomber sorties with 51, 35, 10 and 78 Squadrons. A Cranwell-trained regular officer, he was very much in the Cheshire mould: quiet, bordering on the introspective. He was to go on to command the legendary 617 Dambusters Squadron and lead it on one of its most famous raids which finally destroyed the German battleship Tirpitz. In July 1944 when Leonard Cheshire was replaced by Wing Commander J B Willie Tait, 617 Squadron discovered that it had acquired a Commanding Officer very much in the Cheshire mould. Quiet, bordering on introspection, Tait, who was a Cranwell-trained regular officer, had already flown over 100 bombing operations with 51, 35, 10 and 78 Squadrons before joining 617. Tait had also received a DSO and bar and the DFC. He was 26. In the best traditions of 617 Squadron, Tait wasted no time in adapting to the Mustang and Mosquito for low level marking. He appointed two new Flight Commanders including Squadron Leader Tony Iveson DFC. Although involved in many of 617 Squadrons spectacular operations, Taits name is always associated with the destruction of the Tirpitz. An earlier attack on the ship by the squadron on 15th September 1944 had caused severe damage but Tirpitz was still afloat. On 29th October the Squadron was frustrated on the second attack by cloud over the target. The final attack was launched in daylight on 12th November 1944. Leading a mixed force of 617 and 9 Squadron Lancasters, Tait achieved complete surprise and had the satisfaction of seeing the Tirpitz destroyed at last. He had led all three attacks. On 28th December 1944 Tait received a third bar to his DSO, becoming one of only two RAF men to achieve this distinction. It coincided with his leaving 617 Squadron. Tait served in the post-war RAF, retiring as a Group Captain in 1966. He died 31st May 2007.



Citation for the second bar to the Distinguished Service Order, gazetted 22nd September 1944.

Since he was awarded a Bar to the Distinguished Service Order this officer has completed many sorties against targets in enemy-occupied territory and Germany. On several occasions Wing Commander Tait has remained in the immediate vicinity of the target area, often in the face of heavy opposition, for a considerable time. His excellent leadership, gallantry and untiring devotion to duty have contributed materially to the successes achieved by the squadron he commands.
London Gazette, 1944.



Citation for the third bar to the Distinguished Servide Order, gazetted 9th January 1945.

This officer has displayed conspicuous bravery and extreme devotion to duty in the face of the enemy, constantly exemplified over a long period of operational flying. He has completed a very large number of sorties, many of them against most dangerous and difficult targets and the successes obtained are a magnificent tribute to his brilliant leadership and unsurpassed skill. On 3 occasions, Wing Commander Tait has led attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz. The last occasion was on 12th November, 1944. The vessel was lying at Tromso. Visibility was good as Wing Commander Tait led his squadron in to the attack. In spite of continuous fire from 3 ships and from land batteries, the attack was pressed home. The first bomb, dropped by Wing Commander Tait, hit the Tirpitz. Another hit was obtained almost immediately and another 12,000 lb bomb fell close alongsdie. The battleship caught fire and smoke poured from her. Finally, she capsized. By his outstanding skill and leadership, Wing Commander Tait played a prominent part in the success of the operation. This officer has completed 98 sorties and throughout has set an example of a high order.
London Gazette, 1945.



The signature of Lieutenant General Avi Baron Mike Donnet CVO DFC FRAeS (deceased)

Lieutenant General Avi Baron Mike Donnet CVO DFC FRAeS (deceased)
*Signature Value : £45

One of Belgiums most distinguished fighter pilots, Mike Donnet led 350 (Belgian) Squadron Spitfires over the D-Day beaches just before dawn, as the invasion was going in. He returned to the beachhead during the day and then finally at sunset. In all he flew 30 sorties over the beaches during the Normandy campaign. Originally a member of the Belgian Air Force, Donnet was captured by the Germans in May 1940 but subsequently made a daring escape to England by air in July 1941. Flying with 69 Squadron he scored three victories before taking command of 350 Squadron. After Normandy Donnet was in action against the V1s and the retreating German ground forces, as well as providing air cover for the Arnhem operation. In October 1944 he took command of the Hawkinge Wing of Spitfires. He rose to high command in the postwar Belgian Air Force. Mike Donnett died on 31st July 2013.


The signature of Madame Arlette Gondree-Pritchett

Madame Arlette Gondree-Pritchett
*Signature Value : £15

Arlette was a six-year-old child when British Airborne Forces landed at Pegasus Bridge and made the Gondree family cafe the very first building to be liberated in France, at exactly 23.20 hours, June 5th 1944. Fierce fighting was still going on and wounded British troops were soon being looked after in the cafe which over the years has become a shrine to returning veterans and is still owned by the same family. During the war the Gondree family were at great risk as Arlettes mother was from Alsace, which spoke a dialect of German, and this enabled her to understand conversations between German soldiers in the cafe and hand over the information to the resistance. 60 years later all British visitors are assured of a warm welcome at Cafe Gondree.


The signature of Major Sir Hereward Wake Bart MC DL

Major Sir Hereward Wake Bart MC DL
*Signature Value : £30

Bearing an historic name, Hereward Wake was a Sandhurst trained regular officer in the Kings Roval Rifle Corps who served with both the BEF in France and in the Western Desert where he seriousIv wounded in 1942. In Normandy, Wake commanded a company of the 2nd Battalion KRRC in the battles south of Caen and at Falaise. After pursuing the retreating Germans over the Seine and up into Holland, Wake was transferred to a staff role, eventually becoming a liaison officer with General Montgomery. Invalided out of the army in 1947, Wake devoted the remainder of his working life to land agency and farming in Northamptonshire. Since 1969, Sir flereward Wake has been Deputy Lieutenant for Northamptonshire and was Vice Lord Lieutenant for the County from 1983 to 1991.


The signature of Major-General P L de C Martin CBE (deceased)

Major-General P L de C Martin CBE (deceased)
*Signature Value : £40

General Peter Martin was born on February 2, 1920 in India, his father was in the Indian Medical Service, was commissioned into the Cheshire Regiment in July 1939 and posted to the 2nd Battalion. On the outbreak of war, September 1939 he went with the 2nd Bn to France with the British Expeditionary Force and in May 1940 took part in the advance into Belgium and the subsequent withdrawal to Dunkirk safely bringing his platoon back to England. In 1941 the Battalion had been transferred from the 1st to the 50th Infantry Division and went with it to the Middle East, serving in Cyprus, Palestine, Iraq and Syria. In January 1942, 50 Division joined the 8th Army in defensive positions at Gazala in Libya. General Peter now promoted to Lieutenant and Company 2i/c saw further action in the withdrawal to El Alamein in June. 1942, being taken prisoner and escaping twice. The Bn fought in the battles of Alam HaIfa and El Alamein (November 1942) and Medenine and the Mareth Line (March 1943) and Enfidaville, after which 50 Division was withdrawn to Egypt to prepare for the invasion of Sicily. Commanding a company of the Cheshire Regiment, Martin landed on D-Day on Gold Beach and was soon in action. He took part in the series of bitter Normandy battles, which preceded the breakout in August, and in the pursuit across France and Holland including the Battle for the Gheel Bridgehead on the Albert Canal and Operation Market Garden. A Sandhurst trained regular, Martin first saw action in France in 1940, escaping via Dunkirk. In the desert, where he was twice captured but escaped, he was at the Battle of Alamein and in the pursuit to Tunisia. Later he landed on the first day of the invasion of Sicily. He was Mentioned in Dispatches on three occasions during a long military career. Major General Peter L de C Martin CBE succeeded Lt. General Sir Napier Crookenden KCB, DSO, OBE as Colonel of the Regiment in 1971 and served in this capacity until 1978. During his tenure of office Prince Charles became our Colonel in Chief in 1977 and New Colours were presented to the 1st Battalion in 1973. He retired from the Army in 1975 and was later President of the Normandy Veterans Association. Sadly Major General Peter L de C Martin CBE died on February 10, 2006, aged 86.


The signature of Rear-Admiral E Gueritz CB OBE DSC* (deceased)

Rear-Admiral E Gueritz CB OBE DSC* (deceased)
*Signature Value : £35

Edward Findlay 'Teddyv Gueritz was born on 8 September 1919. His father, Elton Laurence Gueritz, was an officer of the Colonial Service, who was based in Africa , and later retired to Cheltenham, and died at the age of 46 in 1931 Edward Gueritz entered Cheltenham College in 1933 as an exhibitioner . On leaving school he joined the Royal Navy as a special entry cadet in 1937. on the 13th April 1938 Gueritz was appointed to HMS Ramillies and promoted to midshipman on 26 April 1938 (with seniority from 1 May) Soon after the outbreak of the Second World War he was a midshipman on the cruiser HMS Cumberland. After the Battle of the River Plate, HMS Cumberland rejoined the squadron commanded by Commodore Henry Harwood in the blockade which resulted in the scuttling of the Germanpocket battleship Admiral graf Spee. HMS Cumberland had been part of the group hunting the raider, but was refitting in the Falklands Islands at the time of the battle. On D-Day, 6 June 1944, Gueritz went ashore on Sword Beach at 0800 as the third most senior member of the beachmaster party. Lieutenant-Commander Gueritz was the Principal Beachmaster on Sword Beach from early on D-Day until he was wounded on June 26. His role was a key one, directing landings and movement on the beach following the initial assault and during the build-up of forces which followed, on which the momentum of the campaign depended. The success of the Sword Beach landings owe a great deal to his skill and courage as was recognised by the award of a Bar to his DSC. Gueritz was already a veteran of amphibious operations before D-Day, acting as Beachmaster at the Madagascar landings in 1942 for which he received his first DSC. ( Postwar he made it a trio of landings, this time as Beachmaster for the Port Said landings during the Suez campaign.) After the war he became second in command of HMS Saumarez, and it was due to the damage control procedures that he put in place that the ship was not lost during the Corfu Channel incident in 1946. Later still he served on the staff of General Sir Hugh Stockwell during the Suez Crisis of 1956 as Beachmaster for the Port Said landings. During a long and distinguished naval career he was Admiral-President of the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth from 1968 to 1970. Sadly Rear Admiral Edward (Teddy) Gueritz passed away on the 21st December 2008.


The signature of Staff Sergeant Peter B Boyle

Staff Sergeant Peter B Boyle
*Signature Value : £15

One of the pilots in the third glider to arrive alongside what was to become famous as Pegasus Bridge, Boyle had a key role in perhaps the most dramatic action by airborne forces on D-Day. The Horsa landed heavily on the edge of a pond throwing two officers through cockpit windows and temporarily trapping some of the troops in the aircraft - one had been killed, the only fatal casualty in the landings. Boyle then joined in the actions across bridge. Although demanding very accurate flying (all three gliders landed within 500 metres of the bridge), they had been rigorously trained for the landings; Boyle remembers more than 40 individual rehearsals. A few months later he landed another Horsa at Arnhem but was taken prisoner in the subsequent fighting.


The signature of The Rt Hon Lord Carrington KG GCMG CH MC PC

The Rt Hon Lord Carrington KG GCMG CH MC PC
*Signature Value : £40

Eventually to become a much respected Minister of Defence, Peter Carrington started his career as a Sandhurst trained regular officer in the Grenadier Guards. As part of the Guards Armoured Division, with Sherman tanks, he took part in Operation Goodwood in Normandy and then the pursuit of German forces across Europe including Operation Market Garden in which he commanded the daring tank dash across Nijmegen Bridge. After the winter battles in Holland and Germany, he was involved in the Rhine crossing and stayed with the Division until VE-Day. He ended the war as a major, receiving an MC in 1945. Carrington resigned his commission in the same year to take up what became a long and distinguished political career.


The signature of The Rt Hon Lord Deedes KBE MC PC DL (deceased)

The Rt Hon Lord Deedes KBE MC PC DL (deceased)
*Signature Value : £45

Perhaps Britains greatest living journalist, who reported the war in Abyssinia in the 1930s and edited the Daily Telegraph from 1974 to 1986 (and is still writing for the paper today), Bill Deedes also had an eventful military career. Commissioned into the Kings Royal Rifle Corps he fought with the same company of motorised infantry from Normandy to VE-Day, ending up in command. His unit was normally attached to an armoured formation and charged with clearing enemy defensive positions that were delaying them. Frequently leading advances, the company suffered heavy casualties and Deedes was the only officer to survive from June 1944 until the end of the war. He was awarded an MC in 1944. With the Armistice he returned to the Telegraph. As a Conservative MP, Bill Deedes represented Ashford in Kent from 1950 until 1974. In 1955 Winston Churchill appointed Bill Deedes as Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Housing and Local Government. He then moved to the Home Office in 1955 as Parliamentary Under-Secretary. In 1957 he retired but five years later returned as Minister without Portfolio in the Cabinet. Bill Deedes succeeded Maurice Green as Editor of The Daily Telegraph in 1974 and remained in the post for twelve years. Since 1986 he has remained a leader writer and columnist for The Daily Telegraph. In April 2000 Bill Deedes received the Journalist of the Century award at The Oldie Magazine awards and at the press awards in March 2002, he was awarded the Press Gazette Gold Award. Bill Deedes was ennobled in 1986 and in 1999 received a knighthood for services to humanitarian causes, as well as journalism. Lord Deedes passed away on 17th August 2007.


The signature of Wing Commander Jack Rose CMG MBE DFC (deceased)

Wing Commander Jack Rose CMG MBE DFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £50

Jack Rose was born on January 18 1917 at Blackheath, London, and was educated at Shooters Hill School before studying Science at University College London where he represented the university at rugby. He joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve in October 1938, completing his training as a fighter pilot just before the outbreak of war. With the British Expeditionary force under constant air attack, fighter reinforcements were requested and Jack Rose flew one of the Hurricanes sent to Merville to reinforce No.3 Squadron. He was in action immediately and on the 15th he shared in the destruction of a Messerschmitt Bf109 as the air battle reached its climax. For the next few days the Hurricane squadrons operated at maximum intensity. During the afternoon of the 18th Rose intercepted a lone Messerschmitt Bf110 fighter over Douai and shot it down. A few hours earlier, his elder brother Tommy, of No 56 Squadron, had been shot down and killed in his Hurricane. The following day Rose attacked a Heinkel 111 and closed to within a few yards to shoot the bombers port engine. Oil from the engine covered the windscreen of his Hurricane so he climbed away, slowed the aircraft down to almost stalling speed, loosened his harness, stood on his seat and leant out of the cockpit in an attempt to clean the windscreen. As he did, tracer from an enemy fighter hit his aircraft. Seeing Rose standing in the cockpit, the German pilot claimed he had shot down the Hurricane, but Rose managed to break away. His aircraft was badly damaged but he managed a forced landing at a forward airfield where the aircraft was destroyed. Orders were given to evacuate the Hurricanes on the 20th. Without an aircraft, Rose joined others on a French transport and was flown to England. In the 10 days of the air war, No 3 Squadron lost seven pilots killed with another taken prisoner. A further nine Hurricanes were lost. He formed the new 184 Squadron in 1942, initially on Hurricanes, later Spitfires. In late 1943 the squadron converted to rocket firing Typhoons, and were heavily involved in the build up to D-Day, moving to France in late 1944. He later transferred to the Far East, finishing the war with 3 victories. Leading the rocket-firing Hawker Typhoons of 184 Squadron, Jack Rose swept down on German armour concentrations south of Caen on D-Day, the first of many such sorties over Normandy Constantly on call during the battle, the squadrons targets ranged from enemy armour and convoys, to gun and mortar positions, bridges and railway targets. From June 14, they operated from Advanced Landing Grounds in France, with the enemy close enough to fire at them on landing and take-off. Rose joined his first squadron, No 32, at Biggin Hill flying Hurricanes. In the Battle for France he scored three victories before returning to England to take part in the Battle of Britain. In 1942 he formed 184 Squadron from scratch, leading it until October 1944. He later flew Hurricanes again in the Far East. He left the RAF in October 1945. Sadly, Jack Rose died on 10th October 2009.
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.

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