Urban 'Ben' Drew - Original Aviation Pencil Drawings

Major Urban 'Ben' Drew - Six new original pencil drawings by artist Brian Bateman depicting victories of this American fighter Ace.

Six drawings depicting aerial and ground victories of Urban 'Ben' Drew, a P-51 Mustang pilot who flew with the 375th Fighter Squadron in 1944. Each original pencil drawing is personally signed by Urban Drew.

Major Urban 'Ben' Drew

Maj Urban L Drew USAF

Urban "Ben" Drew was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1924. Three months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, at the age of eighteen, Drew joined the USAAF and commenced pilot training. He earned his wings and a commission at Mariana, Florida in October 1943. He remained in the States honing his flying skills as an instructor pilot for the North American P-51 Mustang at Bartow, Florida. In May of 1944 he received his first overseas combat assignment, sailing to England on the Queen Elizabeth. He was assigned to the 375th Fighter Squadron "Yellowjackets" of the 361st Fighter Group based in at Bottisham in Cambridgeshire. Later his squadron would be relocated to Little Walden in Essex. During his combat tour Drew would fly a total of seventy-five combat missions, rising to command of "X' Flight and later to command of the 375th squadron. Drew would be officially credited with six aerial victories during his combat tour. Notable was his downing of two Me-262 jets on October 7, 1944. He was the first fighter pilot to down two of the German jets, and he received the Air Force Cross for this achievement. Also of note was the ace's destruction of the largest aircraft to fly in WW 11, the BV-238, which he destroyed in a strafing pass with two wingman on Lake Schaal on September 18, 1944. Initially he was credited with the destruction of a BV-222, and it was not until many years later during the research for a British Broadcasting Company documentary that it became clear that it was a BV-238 which Drew and his wingmen strafed and destroyed on September 18, 1944. Following his successful combat tour, Drew returned to the States where he again served as a flight instructor. In 1945 he was assigned to the 412 th Fighter Squadron of the 414 th Fighter Group based at lwo Jima flying the P-47 Jug. Drew's final victory tally included 6 confirmed aerial victories, 1 damaged, and 1 additional aircraft destroyed on the ground. In addition to the Air Force Cross, Drew was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses and 14 Air Medals. Following the War Drew helped organize the 127 th Fighter Group of the Michigan National Guard. He became Deputy Group Commander and later was appointed the first Air Adjutant General of the State of Michigan. After his retirement from the Air Force with the rank of Major, he established an aviation business in Britain and South Africa. He currently resides in Southern California, and remains active in matters involving the American Fighter Aces Association.

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Major Urban 'Ben' Drew - First Victory

Urban Ben Drew claims his first victory in his Mustang as he makes a strafing run of a Luftwaffe JU-52 transport at Toussus-Le-Noble in France in mid 1944.

Take Him, Blue Two

Urban Ben Drew scores his second victory, and his first aerial victory, as he claims a Bf109G over Lisieux, France in 1944. His wing leader, Martin Johnson, had his guns jammed as the twisting turning low level dogfight took place, so the frustrated leader quipped to Ben - take him Blue Two. With all four guns in working order Ben took over and shot him down as they passed over a French farmhouse.

Urban 'Ben' Drew - Good Hunting

On August 25th 1944, Ben Drew found himself locked in a stalemate with the Bf109 of an experienced Luftwaffe pilot. Circling each other to try and force an advantage, the two pilots spiraled towards the ground until the German finally broke away from the Lufberry circle to escape the guns of the Mustang. With 5 of his 6 guns jammed from the extreme forces encountered while circling, Ben Drew chased his opponent, raking the fuselage with the one remaining gun. The enemy aircraft started to smoke then nosed into the ground at full throttle. As he flew over the resulting fireball, Ben remembered how his mother always ended her letters - good hunting, son.

Urban 'Ben' Drew - Aerial Hat-Trick

On 11th September 1944, Urban Ben Drew claimed his third aerial victory claiming another Me109 in his P-51 Mustang.

Detroit Miss

Urban Ben Drew in his P-51 Mustang Detroit Miss claiming his fifth victory to become an Ace. The German Heinkel He111 was over the Baltic Sea on 18th September 1944 when it was spotted by Ben. Attempting to escape Ben and the two other Mustangs with him, the German aircraft made for the coast, but was shot down and plunged into the sea before making landfall.

Historic Victory

Urban Ben Drew in his P-51 Mustang makes his strafing run on the monster German BV-238 flying boat. A one of a kind prototype, the BV-238 was strafed and sunk on Lake Schaal by the three Mustangs led by Drew on 18th September 1944. When it first flew earlier in 1944, the BV-238 was the heaviest aircraft ever to have flown, and was the largest axis aircraft of the war. After being destroyed by the Mustangs, it was the single largest aircraft to have been destroyed in the war.