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Dambusters Aviation Art Print Pack.
DPK0496. Dambusters Aviation Art Print Pack. Aviation Print Pack.
Items in this pack :
Item #1 - Click to view individual item
DHM6400. Final Briefing by Anthony Saunders. RAF Scampton: 16 May 1943 20.55 hrs. Everyone at Scampton suspected that something big was about to happen. The crews of the recently formed 617 Squadron, hand-picked by their CO Wing Commander Guy Gibson, had been training hard for weeks and the rumour on the grapevine suggested it might be the Tirpitz they were after. But then, late in the afternoon of 16 May 1943 came the call over the station tannoy that they had all been waiting for: 'All crews of 617 Squadron to report to the briefing room - immediately.' The buzz of excited conversation dropped into silence as Gibson addressed them, and the secret was shared: their small force was about to attack the major dams of western Germany. It was what they had been waiting for and they would go that night. Final Briefing is the first in Anthony Saunders' pair of prints to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Dambuster Raid and depicts the moment at dispersal as Guy Gibson readies his crew to climb inside their waiting Lancaster - AJ-G 'George'. A red flare will soon curl skywards, burning brightly against the sun's fast-fading rays; it is the signal to start engines and at 21.39 G-George will get airborne, leading the first wave of three aircraft. For the crews of 617 Squadron the weeks of intensive training were now over - Operation Chastise was underway. Signed by :
Corporal Maureen Stevens. Signed limited edition of 350 prints. Paper size 26.5 inches x 19.5 inches (67cm x 50cm) Image size 21.5 inches x 14 inches (54cm x 36cm)
Item #2 - Click to view individual item
B0315. 'O' Safe Home by Ivan Berryman. Bill Townsend's Lancaster O for Orange, returns safely on the morning of 17th May 1943 after the success of the daring raids on the dams of the Ruhr Valley. Signed limited edition of 1150 prints. Image size 12 inches x 9 inches (31cm x 23cm)
Item #3 - Click to view individual item
B0417. No Way Back by Ivan Berryman. Despite crippling damage to their Lancaster ED925 (G), the crew of AJ-M continued to press home their attack on the Mohne Dam on the night of 16th/17th May 1943. With both port engines ablaze, Flt Lt J V Hopgood forced his blazing aircraft on, releasing the Upkeep bomb just precious seconds too late to strike the dam, the mine instead bouncing over the wall and onto the power station below with devastating results. ED925 attempted to recover from the maelstrom, but the fuel fire was too intense and the aircraft was tragically lost, just two of her crew managing to escape the impact to spend the rest of the war as PoWs. Signed limited edition of 1150 prints. Size 11.5 inches x 9 inches (30cm x 23cm)
Item #4 - Click to view individual item
GC1. A Lincolnshire Sunset 1944 by Gerald Coulson. The Avro Lancaster was possibly the most versatile and successful bomber aircraft ever and certainly became the backbone of RAF Bomber Command during WWII. Being able to deliver a greater payload than any other aircraft of The War, the Lancaster was involved in nearly every night bombing raid on Europe and undertook some of the most famous bombing missions in History. Of all the crews of RAF Bomber Command 617 Squadron are perhaps the best known. Famed for their expertise in precision bombing they took part in some of the most daring raids of the War. Many of the crews such as Guy Gibson, Leonard Cheshire and Bill Reid became household names and their exploits are well documented. This superb painting by Gerald Coulson is a tribute to all those crews who flew with Bomber Command. Each print is personally signed by prominent crew who flew with 617 Squadron during WWII. Coulsons painting captures the moment perfectly. As the sun is setting in the early part of 1944 over their Lincolnshire airfield , groundcrews make final preparations to the Lancasters of 617 Squadron. Beneath the mighty aircraft crews ready themselves for a long , gruelling night operation over occupied Europe. Signed by Flight Lieutenant J Castagnola DSO DFC,
Squadron Leader Malcolm Mac Hamilton DFC*,
Flt Lieutenant Bob Knights DSO, DFC (deceased),
Flight Lieutenant Fred Watts DFC (deceased)
and
Squadron Leader Tony Iveson DFC (deceased). Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Image size 24 inches x 17 inches (61cm x 43cm)
Website Price: £ 290.00
To purchase these prints individually at their normal retail price would cost £455.00 . By buying them together in this special pack, you save £165
All prices are displayed in British Pounds Sterling
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| 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. | | Name | Info | 
Corporal Maureen Stevens (deceased)
*Signature Value : £15 (matted)
| Was an R/T Operator in the control tower at Scampton during 1943 and was on duty on the night of the 16/17 May when she talked home the survivors of the Dambuster Raids. She died on 3rd December 2017.
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| Signatures on item 4 | | *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. | | Name | Info | 
Flight Lieutenant Fred Watts DFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £35 (matted)
| Fred Watts joined the RAF in 1940, and qualifying as a pilot was posted to 630 Squadron in 1943 flying 15 operations on Lancasters out of East Kirby. He joined 617 Squadron in April 1944 and took part in many of the precision operations that the Squadron was renowned for, including raids on V1 sites, V2 rocket bases, and all three attacks on the Tirpitz. He left 617 Squadron in March 1945 to join 83 Pathfinder Squadron for Far East deployment with Tiger Force but VJ-day brought disbandment of the Force before it could be despatched. He stayed on in the RAF after the end of the war, retiring in 1964. He died 6th August 2007.
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Flight Lieutenant J Castagnola DSO DFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £45 (matted)
| Joining the RAF in 1941 he graduated as a pilot after completing his training in America. Returning to England he joined 51 Squadron in early 1943 flying from RAF Snaith. Born in 1922 in Islington, Cass as he was known to all, enlisted in 1941 and trained in North America. Returning to England he crewed up at OTU and after completing their HCU course the crew, captained by a newly commissioned Cass, joined 57 Squadron in December 1943 for their first tour of operations. They were to be blooded with a series of attacks against Berlin, completing three operations against this target in four nights during January 1944. In all Cass was to visit the Big City eight times during his tour. During the Nuremberg operation of 30/31 March 1944 his Lancaster's rear turret guns froze up but a burst from the mid-upper caused an approaching Me 210 to break away. On return his gunners also claimed one Ju 88 destroyed and another damaged. On 5 April 1944 the crew were one of six attached along with their aircraft to the Squadron at Woodhall Spa, to provide an H2S capability. After an initial trip as passenger with Fg Off Fearn for the attack against the Luftwaffe Depot at St Cyr on 10 April to observe the Squadron's methods, Cass found himself non-operational for a month as the Squadron trained intensively for Operation Taxable. Teamed up with Nick Knilans he completed the D-Day deception operation and three nights later he was operating against the Saumur railway tunnel. Unable to carry Tallboy, his H2S equipped aircraft was loaded with thousand pounders to be aimed at the adjacent railway bridge across the Loire. His next three trips were as an additional member of Knilans'crew. By July Cass had been posted back to 57 Sqn at East Kirkby and would complete his first tour with them.He was not away from Woodhall for long, arriving back on the Squadron on 15 August to start his second tour. This was to be much more satisfying. With his trademark 'operationally battered' cap, Cass and his crew soon proved themselves a popular and valuable asset to the Squadron. Starting with a trip to Brest on 27 August and now carrying Tallboy they were part of the high level force for the attack on the Kembs Dam, and took part in all three operations against Tirpitz, claiming a direct hit in the middle of the superstructure during the final attack. During the attack on Bergen on 12 January 1945 his aircraft came under fighter attack and Cass dived to within the range of the flak batteries; the fighter deigned to follow. Heading out to sea he spotted Ian Ross' aircraft at low level, on fire and under fighter attack. With his bomb aimer manning the front turret and without thinking of his own safety Cass dived to offer whatever assistance he could. He was successful in driving the fighter away, but Ross was forced to ditch, while Cass circled overhead dropping an emergency radio wrapped in Mae Wests when it was seen that Ross' dinghy had not deployed. Climbing to 500 feet they signalled the ditched Lancaster's position and remained in the area, seeking cloud cover when a German fighter came too close. With fuel running low he was eventually forced to leave the stricken crew to their fate. The remaining months saw a new routine develop, railway viaducts replacing U-boat pens as targets during February and March, before returning to April's target list, along with other naval targets during the last month of hostilities. After a total of 62 operations Cass' war came to an end on 19 April 1945 with an attack on the island fortress of Heligoland. The latter part of 1945 saw him as the Squadron's Inspector Pilot as they worked up for 'Tiger Force' – the RAF's projected contribution to the Pacific War but, with the squadron prepared to go overseas to India, in January 1946 he was posted to RAF Snaith, to conduct aircrew training. Having been awarded the DFC for his time on 57 Sqn, Cass was to receive a bar in March 1945 for his service with 617 and a further award of the DSO in October 1945.Awarded a permanent commission in 1947, he was posted to the Central Flying Establishment, RAF West Raynham, flying Mosquitos, Vampires and Meteors, before transferring to the Empire Test Pilots School, RAE Farnborough, in March 1950. After qualifying as a test pilot his experience was put to good use for four years at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down. Cass transferred to fighters in April 1954 and served in the Middle East and Germany before becoming Officer Commanding No. 41 Sqn, Biggin Hill, flying the Hunter F 5. In keeping with a number of pilots following their fighter tour, at the beginning of 1958 he was sent on a radar control course prior to being posted to Neatishead radar station, Norfolk, as Control Executive. After a final tour as a Staff Officer with HQ No. 13 Group, at Ouston, he left the RAF in November 1961 as a Squadron Leader, joining British Airways as a captain on Comets and Tridents until his retirement in 1980. We have learned that James Castagnola has died, but have no information as to when.
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Flt Lieutenant Bob Knights DSO, DFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £40 (matted)
| 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.
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Squadron Leader Malcolm Mac Hamilton DFC* (deceased)
*Signature Value : £55 (matted)
| After joining Coastal Command in 1943, Mac converted to Lancasters, and was posted to Bomber Command, joining 619 Squadron at Woodall Spa for his first tour. Here he flew sorties mainly to Berlin andthe Ruhr. For his second tour he joined Cheshires 617 Squadron, again at Woodall Spa, where he flew precision operations, including the raids on the Saumur rail tunnel, the U-boat pens, V1 sites and V2 rocket bases, and the raids against the German battleship Tirpitz. He died in April 2008.
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Squadron Leader Tony Iveson DFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £40 (matted)
| Tony Iveson fought in the Battle of Britain with RAF Fighter Command, as a Sergeant pilot, joining 616 Squadron at Kenley flying Spitfires on 2 September 1940. On the 16th of September, he was forced to ditch into the sea after running out of fuel following a pursuit of a Ju88 bomber. His Spitfire L1036 ditched 20 miles off Cromer in Norfolk, and he was picked up by an MTB. He joined No.92 Sqn the following month. Commissioned in 1942, Tony undertook his second tour transferring to RAF Bomber Command, where he was selected to join the famous 617 Squadron, flying Lancasters. He took part in most of 617 Squadrons high precision operations, including all three sorties against the German battleship Tirpitz, and went on to become one of the most respected pilots in the squadron. He died on 5th November 2013.
Some of Tony Iveson's operational sorties with No.617 Squadron:
5-8-44 Submarine pens-Brest 12,000LB Tallboy
6-8-44 Submarine pens-Keroman 12,000LB Tallboy
7-8-44 Submarine pens-Lorient-Sqaudron scrubbed the operation
8-8-44 Submarine pens-La pallice-12,000LB Tallboy
24-8-44 E-boat pens -Ijmuiden-12,000LB Tallboy
27-8-44 Shipping-Brest- 12 x 1000LB
11-9-44 Tirpitz-Alten Fiord 12,000LB Tallboy plus Johnny Walker Mines
23-9-44 Aqueduct, Dortmund Ems Canal-12,000LB Tallboy
3-10-44 Westkapelle Sea Wall- Squadron abandoned sortie
7-10-44 Rhine Barrage, North of Basle-12,000LB Tallboy
28-10-44 Tirpitz-12,000LB Tallboy
12-11-44 Tirpitz-12,000LB Tallboy
8-12-44 Urft Dam-12,000LB Tallboy
11-12-44 Urft dam - 12,000LB Tallboy
15-12-44 Submarine pens- Ijmuiden-12,000LB Tallboy
21-12-44 Politz-12,000LB Tallboy
12-1-45 Submarine pens-Bergen-12,000LB Tallboy
Citation for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross, gazetted 16th March 1945.
This officer has completed numerous sorties on his second tour of operational duty, including three attacks against the battleship Tirpitz. In January, 1945, he was detailed to attack the U-boat pens at Bergen. Whilst over the target his aircraft was attacked by two fighters. The first burst of machine-gun fire from the enemy aircraft struck the tailplane, rudder and elevator. The port inner engine was set on fire and the rear turret was put out of action. After the fighters broke off their attack Squadron Leader Ivesons aircraft came under heavy fire from the antiaircraft batteries. It was almost impossible to maintain level flight. Squadron Leader Iveson instructed another member of the crew to lash the control column in such a way as to ease the strain. Under these most trying conditions, Squadron Leader Iveson flew clear of the fire zone and afterwards reached a home based airfield where he landed his seriously damaged aircraft safely. By his great skill, courage and determination, this officer was undoubtedly responsible for the safe return of the aircraft.
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