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Top Cover by Gerald Coulson (C) - Direct Art
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Top Cover by Gerald Coulson (C)


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Top Cover by Gerald Coulson (C)

Big Brothers and Little Friends : the enduring bond between the bomber crews and fighter pilots of the USAAF Eighth Air Force in their prolonged and hotly contested air war against Hitlers Nazi Germany, 1942-1945.
AMAZING VALUE! - The value of the signatures on this item is in excess of the price of the print itself!
Item Code : DHM2303CTop Cover by Gerald Coulson (C) - This EditionAdd any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout! Buy 1 Get 1 Half Price!
TYPEEDITION DETAILSSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSYOUR PRICEPURCHASING
PRINTLimited edition of 100 Generals Portfolio prints.

Supplied with companion print Return to Fowlmere.

Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!
Image size 29 inches x 24 inches (74cm x 61cm) Anderson, C E Bud
Karr, Robert A
East, Clyde B
Brooks, Jim
Goebel, Bob
Rall, Gunther
Schuck, Walter
Olds, Robin (companion print)
+ Artist : Gerald Coulson


Signature(s) value alone : £445
£30 Off!Now : £410.00

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



Other editions of this item : Top Cover by Gerald Coulson.DHM2303
TYPEEDITION DETAILSSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSYOUR PRICEPURCHASING
PRINTLimited edition of 400 prints, with three signatures.
Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!
Paper size 29 inches x 24 inches (74cm x 61cm) Anderson, C E Bud
Karr, Robert A
East, Clyde B
+ Artist : Gerald Coulson


Signature(s) value alone : £150
£70 Off!Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!Now : £130.00VIEW EDITION...
ARTIST
PROOF
Limited Aces Edition of 25 artist proofs. Image size 29 inches x 24 inches (74cm x 61cm) Goebel, Bob
Brooks, Jim
Anderson, C E Bud
Karr, Robert A
East, Clyde B
+ Artist : Gerald Coulson


Signature(s) value alone : £245
£50 Off!Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!Now : £290.00VIEW EDITION...
PRINT Limited Aces Edition of 250 prints, with five signatures. Image size 29 inches x 24 inches (74cm x 61cm) Goebel, Bob
Brooks, Jim
Anderson, C E Bud
Karr, Robert A
East, Clyde B
+ Artist : Gerald Coulson


Signature(s) value alone : £245
£35 Off!Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!Now : £275.00VIEW EDITION...
PRINT Limited edition of 25 remarques.

SOLD OUT.
Paper size 29 inches x 24 inches (74cm x 61cm) Anderson, C E Bud
Karr, Robert A
East, Clyde B
Brooks, Jim
Goebel, Bob
Rall, Gunther
Schuck, Walter
Olds, Robin (companion print)
+ Artist : Gerald Coulson


Signature(s) value alone : £445
SOLD
OUT
VIEW EDITION...
SLIGHT
BORDER
DAMAGE
Limited edition of 400 prints, with three signatures.

The print has slight damage to the border area, mostly on a corner. Not noticeable once framed.

Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!
Paper size 29 inches x 24 inches (74cm x 61cm) Anderson, C E Bud
Karr, Robert A
East, Clyde B
+ Artist : Gerald Coulson


Signature(s) value alone : £150
£85 Off!Now : £115.00VIEW EDITION...
General descriptions of types of editions :


Extra Details : Top Cover by Gerald Coulson (C)
About this edition :

Companion Print :


Return to Fowlmere by Gerald Coulson.


Each print in this edition is supplied with a copy of Return to Fowlmere by Gerald Coulson, with the signature of Robin Olds.

About all editions :



A photograph of an edition of this print, showing the signature(s) in the border.

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 Brigadier General Robin Olds (deceased)

Brigadier General Robin Olds (deceased)
*Signature Value : £55

After leaving West Point in June 1943, Robin Olds was posted to the 479th Fighter Group in England, joining 434 Squadron. Based at Wattisham in East Anglia, and flying P-38s, he was involved in heavy bomber escort duties and fighter sweeps until the Normandy invasion, soon after which his Squadron converted to P51 Mustangs. by early 1945 Robin Olds was in command of 434 Squadron taking part in the Battle of the Bulge, flying escort missions, and providing air support to the airborne attack across the Rhine. At the end of World War II Robin Olds had 24.5 victories, of which 13 were in the air. Later in Vietnam Robin Olds gained four more victories, flying F4 Phantoms and flew with the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing. Sadly, Robin Olds passed away on 14th June 2007.


The signature of Captain Jim Brooks

Captain Jim Brooks
*Signature Value : £45

Jim Brooks joined the 31st Fighter Group in Italy in early 1944, flying the P51 against Me109s, Fw190s, and the Italian Macchi Mc202. He scored his first victory on a mission to Ploesti. Later, leading the 307th Fighter Squadron on a Russian shuttle mission, they engaged a large formation of Ju87 Stukas, shooting down 27 enemy aircraft, Jim Brooks accounting for three of them. He ended his tour with 280 combat hours, and 13 confirmed victories.


The signature of Colonel Bob Goebel (deceased)

Colonel Bob Goebel (deceased)
*Signature Value : £50

December 1943 found Bob Goebel in North Africa flying Spitfires in preparation for joining the 31st Fighter Group. As soon as they arrived they re-equipped with P51 Mustangs and flew to Italy, where Bob flew a total of 62 combat missions, including 16 hazardous trips to the Romanian oilfields. During his combat operations he led his squadron into action seven times, and his entire Group twice, whilst still only aged 21. He ended the war with 11 air victories. Sadly, Bob Goebel passed away on 20th February 2011.


The signature of Colonel C E Bud Anderson

Colonel C E Bud Anderson
*Signature Value : £55

Bud Anderson went to England with the 357th Fighter Group in 1943, the first Eighth Air Force Group to be equipped with the P-51 Mustang. He got himself on the score sheet on one of the first Berlin missions, dog fighting with a bunch of Me109s who had set upon a straggling B-17. On 29th June 1944, leading his squadron on a mission to Leipzig, they ran into a formation of Fw190s. In the ensuing battle Anderson shot down the leader, and two more Fw190s. After a short rest in the U.S., Bud returned for a second tour, just in time for the 357th's big day on 27th November 1944. With the 353rd they took on a huge formation of some 200 enemy fighters, Anderson adding three more to his score. He finished the war with 16 air victories and many more probables.


The signature of General Gunther Rall (deceased)

General Gunther Rall (deceased)
*Signature Value : £75

A young pilot with III/JG52 at the outbreak of war. He quickly demonstrated his natural ability and leadership qualities, scoring his first air victory early in the Battle of Britain, and by July 1940 was leading 8/JG52. After transfer to the Eastern Front his air victories mounted at an astonishing rate. A crash hospitalised him but within nine months he was back in the cockpit, and, when commanding III/JG52, gained the Wings 500th victory. Gunther fought throughout the war to become the 3rd highest Ace in history with 275 victories. He was awarded the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Gunther Rall was born on March 10, 1918 in the small Bavarian town of Gaggenau, Baden. Immersing himself in Boy Scout activities during the difficult economic times in Germany following WW 1, Rall finished school in 1936 and joined the German Army. Influenced by a friend, who was a young officer in the Luftwaffe, Rall entered pilots school in 1938. His initial posting was with JG52. He attained his first aerial victory during the Battle of France in May of 1940. During the Battle of Britain JG52 absorbed many casualties, and Rall was promoted to Squadron Commander at the young age of 22. With his fair-hair and smooth complexion the young officer looked even younger than his years. But behind this pleasant exterior was a fierce competitor with the heart of a tiger. Later, Ralls squadron would support the attack on Crete, followed by deployment to the Southern Sector on the Eastern Front. Ralls victory totals began to mount. Following his 37 th victory, GiInther was himself shot down. He was lucky to survive the crash, but with a badly broken back he would spend most of the next year in various hospitals. In Vienna at the University Hospital he would meet his future wife, Hertha. Miraculously, Rall recovered and returned to the Luftwaffe in August of 1942. By November his score exceeded 100 and he was awarded the Oak Leaves to accompany the Knights Cross he was awarded only weeks earlier. As the War progressed against Russia, Rall began to encounter ever more experienced Soviet pilots flying better performing aircraft. Despite this fact, and being shot down several more times himself, Ralls victory tally kept rising. By March of 1944 the ace had attained 273 aerial victories. With the War now going badly for Germany, Rall was transferred to the Western Front. He was able to attain only two more victories against the swarms of Allied bombers and fighter escorts which now pounded Germany every day and night. In May of 1944 Rall was shot down by a P-47. Losing his thumb in the battle he remained out of combat until later in 1944. Ralls final assignments included flying 190Ds as Kornmodore of JG300, and flying the Me-262 jet. Ralls 275 aerial victories (attained on less than 700 combat sorties) make him the third highest scoring ace of all time. If not for the down time suffered as a result of his broken back, Rall might have actually equaled or exceeded Erich Hartmanns alltime record of 352 aerial victories. Rall was not much for socializing during the War. He was a fierce competitor with a businessmans attitude about flying. He was an excellent marksman, and possibly the best deflection shot expert of the War. He continued to fly with the Bundeslufwaffe following the War, serving as its Commander-In Chief in 1970-74. Sadly Gunther Rall died on 4th October 2009.

Gunther Rall signing the print - Eagles Over the Steppes - by Graeme Lothian.



The signature of Lieutenant Colonel Clyde B East (deceased)

Lieutenant Colonel Clyde B East (deceased)
*Signature Value : £55

Born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia on July 19, 1921, raised on a rural family farm. At 19, Clyde East traveled to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force. Soon after, East was admitted to pilot training and completed his training in 1942. Clyde East went on active servcie to England, where he flew interdiction missions in the P-51A Mustang, attacking ground targets in France, Belgium, and Holland. He also searched for U-boats over the water. Clyde East flew P51 Mustangs with 414 Fighter / Reconnaissance Squadron RCAF in England, before transferring to the USAAF in January 1944. He joined the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron on 2nd February flying F-6C Mustangs. On June 6, 1944, East participated in the D-Day invasion of Normandy in the Mustang. It was during this mission that East and his wingman stumbled upon several FW-190s landing and promptly dispatched them with their .50 caliber machine guns, claiming the first aerial victories of the invasion. During one mission East claimed three aerial victories and, on another, was able to jump a German Messerschmitt 109 flying low. In late 1944, East fought against a German counteroffensive in what is now known as the Battle of the Bulge. Becoming a confirmed ace in March 1945, East would go on to claim a total of 13 aerial kills against the German Luftwaffe and flew over 200 combat missions with them during the war. He later served in Korea, flying 100 missions in RF-51s and RF-80s. After his return from Korea East was given command of several different tactical recon squadrons, one of which flew an additional 100 visual and photo missions over Cuba. He retired from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel in February 1965. Clyde East died on 30th July 2014 aged 93.


The signature of Lieutenant Colonel Robert A Karr (deceased)

Lieutenant Colonel Robert A Karr (deceased)
*Signature Value : £40

Robert Karr was born on January 11, 1924, in Waterloo, Iowa. Robert enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve on July 31, 1942, and entered the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Forces on February 8, 1943, receiving his commission as a 2d Lt and pilot wings at Spence Field, Georgia, on November 3, 1943. After completing P-47 Thunderbolt training and serving with the 536th Fighter Squadron of the 87th Fighter Group, Lt Karr was assigned as a P-51C Mustang pilot with the 5th Fighter Squadron of the 52nd Fighter Group in North Africa and Italy from May 1944 to June 1945. Operating out of Madna Airfield in Italy, he got his first victory when he downed an Me109 near Udine on 9th June, adding two more a few weeks later. On 17th July, leading a flight of P51Ds, he shot down three more Me109s in a day near Blata, Poland. A P51 Ace with 6 victories plus 2 more damaged in the air to his credit, he retired from the service in 1976.

Citation for the Silver Star :

For gallantry in action as pilot of a P-51 type aircraft. On 17 December 1944, Capt Karr led a squadron formation as escort to heavy bombers attacking strategic enemy oil installations in Biata, Poland. Approaching the target a large formation of enemy fighters was sighted and, despite the superiority in numbers of the hostile force Capt Karr immediately led his squadron in attack. In the ensuing aerial battle, displaying outstanding aggressiveness, leadership and combat proficiency, Capt Karr destroyed three enemy aircraft, while his squadron accounted for three more destroyed and the remainder of the enemy formation was driven from the area. Through his highly effective protective cover, the bombers were thus enabled to complete a highly successful mission unmolested. By his conspicuous gallantry, aggressive leadership and intense devotion to duty, as evidenced throughout sixty-eight (68) successful missions against the enemy and six enemy aircraft destroyed in aerial flight, Capt Karr has reflected great credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States of America.



The signature of Oberleutnant Walter Schuck (deceased)

Oberleutnant Walter Schuck (deceased)
*Signature Value : £70

Initially with JG3, Walter Schuck was posted north to 7./JG5 in April 1942. On 15 June 1944 he chalked up his 100th victory during a day when he shot down 6 aircraft. Two days later he had his most successful day, achieving 12 victories in twenty-four hours, a feat never surpassed in JG5. On 1 August, he assumed command of 10./JG5. Walter Schuck transferred to fly the Me262 as Staffelkapitan of 3./JG7, and achieved 8 further victories flying the new jet. His final tally was 206 air victories. He was awarded the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves. Walter Schuck died on 27th March 2015.
The Aircraft :
NameInfo
MustangThe ubiquitous North American P-51 Mustang, which many consider to be the best all-around fighter of WW II, owes its origins to the British Air Ministry. Following Britains entry into WW II in 1939, the RAF was interested in purchasing additional fighter aircraft from American sources, particularly the Curtiss P-40. Curtiss, which was busy, was unable to guarantee timely delivery so the British approached North American Aviation as a possible second source for the P-40. North American chose to propose its own fighter design which would use the same Allison engine as the P-40. Utilizing new laminar flow wings, the North American fighter was expected to have performance better than the P-40. Developed in record time the new aircraft was designated as a Mustang I by the Brits, whereas the USAAF ordered two for evaluation which were designated XP-51 Apaches. Intrigued with the possibility of using this aircraft also as a dive bomber, North American proposed this to the USAAF which decided to order 500 of the P-51 aircraft to be modified for dive bombing use. Designated as the A-36 Invader, this version of the Mustang utilized dive flaps, and bomb racks under each wing. Some reinforcing of the structural members was also required because of the G-forces to be encountered in dive bombing. A-36s entered combat service with the USAAF prior to any P-51s. In early 1943 the 86th and 27th Fighter Bomber Groups of the 12th Air Force began flying A-36s out of Northern Africa. Despite some early problems with instability caused by the dive flaps, the A-36 was effective in light bombing and strafing roles. It was not, however, capable of dog fighting with German fighters, especially at higher altitudes. Despite these drawbacks one USAAF pilot, Captain Michael T. Russo, who served with the 16th Bomb Squadron of the 27th Fighter Bomber Group, was credited with five confirmed aerial victories in the A-36, thereby becoming the first mustang ace.

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