Bomber Harris book signed WW2 21 Bomber Command veterans of WW2

Description: Bomber Harris book signed WW2 21 Bomber Command veterans of WW2 Fred Sutherland Dambuster AJ-N George L. Johnson DFM – DambusterRay Grayston – DambusterGrant McDonald – DambusterKen Lucas – Dambuster ground crew Tom Bennett DFM Ted Dunford DFCRussell 'Rusty' Waughman DFC AFC Ron Clark DFC Ralph Wild Eric VarneyJames 'Jim' Copus Rex Statham Ron Brown Frank L Tilley -Jack Watson DFMJeff (Geoff) Hildreth Tom Sayer DFM John 'Duff' Cooper Denis Evans MBE William 'Bill' Parry Robert Denwood As photos. Postage will be combined for multiple sales at actual cost i.e. two books likely same price, 3 or more gets heavier and puts it up a little but I will not use that to realise extra profit. I have spent the last 30 years collecting WW2 memorabilia and particularly art prints by Robert Taylor, Nicolas Trudgian and others, with an eye to the print but also the signatures. It has been such a privilege to have travelled the length of the country to meet so many veterans of WW2 who have kindly signed my prints and books and these memories remain but now that I have retired I must make adjustments to my collection and - whilst still seeking out 'missing' signatures - I am gradually selling off parts of my collection. Ted Dunford DFC - joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve in January 1939 at the age of 19. He was mobilised September 1, 1939. Ted spent the next year training in the UK culminating in receiving his wings in September 1940. he was sent to Southern Rhodesia as a flying instructor, then returned to the UK to join the Mosquitoes of 608 Sqdn. in the Light Night Striking Force (based at Downham Market, Norfolk) , flying fast high level raids, navigated by Flt/Sgt. Bill Read (RCAF) and carrying 4 500lb bombs, and later re-equipped to deliver the 4000lb “cookie”. On one raid, flak over Berlin caused serious damage, including total loss of aileron control. The subsequent return flight and successful landing (at the third attempt) was recognised by the award of a DFC. On completion of the tour of 55 raids (including 27 to Berlin), navigator Flt/Sgt. Bill Read was awarded the DFM. After the war Ted flew for another 28 years as an airline captain.Russell 'Rusty' Waughman DFC AFC - In November 1943 he was posted to No 101(Special Duties) Squadron at Ludford Magna. Whilst undertaking its highly secretive and dangerous ops. 101 squadron lost more aircraft and crews than any other. He completed a tour of operations, which began during the ‘Battle of Berlin’, where they did several operations. Surviving a mid-air collision, only to write the aircraft off on landing, ‘Rusty’ and his crew on a subsequent flight had a miraculous escape when their aircraft was blown upside down, over the target, at Mailly-le-Camp; they also survived the Nuremberg raid on 30th March 1944, when 97 aircraft were lost – including about one quarter of 101 sqn strength that night. Ron Clark DFC – Ron volunteered for flying duties in 1941 and after interviews completed initial training in Paignton. A flying grading course followed at Kingstown near Carlisle surprisingly near my family, before being sent as “Ambassadors” for Britain across the Atlantic to be trained by the USAAF. After more initial training to learn the American way, not a bad way, we embarked on the flying training and after receiving the silver wings, the next port of call was Bournemouth in a hotel which shortly afterwards was demolished by the Luftwaffe. Several courses preceded our arrival at Landholder heavy conversion unit before joining the “Battle of the Ruhr” with No 100 Squadron based at Waltham near Grimsby. My crew and I were assigned a brand new Lancaster III EE139 which we almost did for on our twenty-fourth trip with her to Manheim, but she went on to complete 120 operations before being unceremoniously scrapped. Little did we think that over 60 years later she would be “recalled to life” by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. After a period of instructing I was then posted to No 7 Sqdn for deployment to the Far East, which was stymied by the dropping of the atomic bomb, I did a lot more instructing before applying for a secondment to BOAC.Fred Sutherland - 'Doc' Sutherland was the front gunner on Les Knight's Lancaster AJ-N that went first to the Mohne Dam, and then successfully attacked and breached the Eder Dam. Shot down four months later, he managed to evade capture and escape back to England. with the help of the Resistance movements, returning through Holland, France and Spain.Tom Bennett DFM - completing a full tour with 49 Sqn as Navigator on Lancasters he was then transferred to 617 Sqn with the Marker Force Mosquitoes as one of only three that did precision marking on the Saumur Tunnel. Also flew on Operation Taxable and others.George L. Johnson DFM – Dambuster, Joining the RAF in 1940, George Johnson served with 97 Squadron before joining 617 Squadron. Bomb aimer on American Joe McCarthys Lancaster AJ-T, they attacked the Sorpe Dam, for which he was awarded the DFM. Commissioned a few months later, George retired from the RAF in 1962.Ray Grayston – Dambuster, had been serving in 50 Squadron when he was posted to join 617 Squadron in March 1943. He became Flight Engineer on Les Knight's Lancaster, which was involved in the attack on the Mohne dam before they attacked and successfully breached the Eder dam.Grant McDonald - Canadian Grant McDonald was the rear gunner on Lancaster AJ-F flown by Ken Brown. On the way to the Ruhr, the gunners shot up and damaged three trains in an eventful trip before reaching, and attacking the mist-hidden Sorpe Dam at 3.14am.Ken Lucas – joined the RAF in June 1940, and trained as ground crew for bomber Command. He was sent first to 49 Squadron at RAF Scampton, before transferring to 617 Squadron upon its formation, Involved in all the major servicing of the aircraft before the raid including fitting the motors that drove the belt that spun the bomb, and attaching the critical lamps to the underside of the aircraft.Ralph Wild - joining the RAF in 1938 he served as a Fitter during the Battle of Britain at RAF North Weald which was home to Hurricanes of 56 and 151 Sqns. He then joined aircrew and qualified as a Navigator, completing a full tour of 30 Ops with 10 Sqn on Halifax bombers.Eric Varney - Joining 207 Sqn he served as a Mid-Upper Gunner on over 20 Ops on Lancasters including the joint RAF and USAAF raids on Dresden in February 1945.James 'Jim' Copus - as a Mid-Upper Gunner on Lancasters he joined 97 Sqn Pathfinder Force in 1943. On a mission to Frankfurt in March 1944 his aircraft was attacked by German Night Fighters and after being captured he spent time in Stalag Luft I and took part in the ‘long march’. 18-03-2016, died 6th March 2017.Rex Statham - served as a Flight Engineer on Halifaxes with 158 Sqn based at RAF Lissett before transferring to 10 Sqn, again on Halifaxes. He completed a full tour of 30 Ops’ before the end of the war. 08-01-2017. Died 3rd November 2020.Ron Brown – Initially served as a Fitter on Hurricanes and Harvards, then joined Aircrew in 1942 and served as a Flight Engineer on Stirlings with 218 Squadron where he towed gliders on D-Day. He went on to complete another Tour with 75 Squadron on Lancasters, completing 64 Operations by the end of the War.Frank L Tilley - Flight Engineer he volunteered for 617 Sqn taking part in all the raids against the Tirpitz, but at the end of 1944 was forced to crash land in East Germany after being badly shot up and injured on a mission, Died 14th March 2017.Jack Watson DFM - Upon completing his training as a Flight Engineer he joined the same Lancaster crew as Flt Lt William Cleland completing over 76 Ops with this crew in 12 Sqn and later 156 Pathfinder Squadron.Jeff (Geoff) Hildreth - Wireless Operator/Air Gunner he joined the recently reformed 170 Sqn at Hemswell in October 1944 and went on to complete 28 Ops on Lancasters over North West Europe, died 5th Mar2017. Possibly also 50 Squadron.Tom Sayer DFM - was originally part of the RAFVR and was first posted to 10 Squadron as a pilot on Whitleys. He then transferred to fly Halifaxes with 102 Squadron at RAF Driffield and flew operationally from May to October 1943. He completed 35 operations in total. After a rest period he went to train new aircrew flying Stirlings who were involved in the towing of gliders for airborne operations during 1944 - 45. Died 4th August 2021.John 'Duff' Cooper – joining the RAF in 1943 he completed his training in America and on returning to the UK flew with 101 Squadron as a Pilot on Wellingtons and Lancasters.Denis Evans MBE - Pilot, 170 Squadron, died 20th July 2021, aged 101.William 'Bill' Parry - 428 Squadron Halifax Flight Engineer, possibly served with IX Squadron too.Robert Denwood – after training as a WOP/AG, Bob was posted to 547 Squadron and later 224 Squadron, with Coastal Command, flying on B-24 Liberators. He spent 1944 and 1945 flying on U-Boat hunting operations. After the War, as a French speaker, Bob was involved in the negotiations to bring B-17 'Sally B' to Duxford, and has flown this aircraft on many occasions.

Price: 20 GBP

Location: Newcastle

End Time: 2024-11-11T18:17:01.000Z

Shipping Cost: 19.31 GBP