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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 |
Air Chief Marshal Sir John Barraclough KCB, CBE, DFC, AFC (deceased) *Signature Value : £40 (clipped) | Joined the RAF in 1938 and flew continuously on maritime-air duties before and during the war in Coastal and overseas Commands on flying boats and landplanes with Nos. 209, 240 and 269 squadrons. During the war he operated initially from a Flying Boat depot ship in the Shetlands on reconnaissance over the North Sea and to Norway. He moved later to the West Coast for anti-submarine and onvoy escort duties before going overseas for the Madagascar campaign in the Indian Ocean where his squadron operated from bare island bases to secure the Cape route for our shipping after control of the Mediterranean had been lost. For a while he commanded the captured Italian airfield at Mogadishu before returning to the UK as Chief Instructor at the Flying Boat Operational Training Unit in Northern Ireland. In his career Sir John served in five operational Commands at home and overseas and spent time in Training Command as a wing commander at the world famous Central Flying School. Above squadron level he commanded two jet fighter stations and a maritime patrol group; interspersed with various staff appointments including that of Vice Chief of Defence Staff. Sir John has flown over 70 different aircraft types and in the early fifties made the first single-engined jet flight to South Africa from the UK. He died on 10th May 2008. |
Alex Morrison *Signature Value : £35 | Alex Morrison was a member of the crew of Catalina D for Donald of 270 Squadron. The squadron was based for most of the war at Freetown, West Africa. He was a member of the crew when his aircraft launched a surprise attack on u-boat U-515. |
Flight Lieutenant John Cruickshank VC *Signature Value : £65 (clipped) | Joined the Territorial Army in April 1939 and was mobilized for active service at the outbreak of World War II. He served mostly in south east England. In July 1941 he transferred to the RAF for aircrew duties, undergoing pilot training with the US Navy at Pensacola, Florida and gaining his pilot's wings in June 1942. Following a short period with the RAF Ferry Command in Canada and further operational training in the UK he joined 210 Sqdn based at Pembroke Dock, South Wales and later Poole Bay, Dorset. As captain of a Catalina flying boat, he carried out Anti-U-boat patrols in the Bay of Biscay and the Eastern Atlantic Ocean until December 1943. During this period, he carried out a detachment to Gibraltar for similar duties. In early 1944 elements of his Sqdn were moved to Sullom Voe in the Shetland Islands for Anti U-boat duties and General Maritime Reconnaissance in northern waters. In mid July 1944, while on an Anti U-boat patrol west of the Lofoten Islands, they sighted and attacked a surfaced German U-boat. During the attack, the aircraft received extensive damage from the U-boat's armaments also suffering crew casualties. The aircraft remained airborne and returned to base. For this action three members of the crew were decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Distinguished Flying Medal, and the Victoria Cross. Following this episode, Cruickshank became tour expired and moved to staff duties at Headquarters, Coastal Command, Northwood, near London. He was released from active service in early 1946 and returned to a civilian occupation. |
Flt. Lt. John Tattersall (deceased) *Signature Value : £35 (clipped) | Made his first attempt at becoming a pilot by joining the waiting list for Pilots of Manchester Auxiliary Squadron. He joined the RAF as a clerk in 1940 and remustered Aircrew in May 1941 and by June was on his way to the US Naval Air Service Station, Pensacola, Florida as a member of the first group of students under the TOWER scheme. On his first day solo in October 1941 he crashed and woke up in hospital with a headache and scratched eyebrows. Eleven days later he was flying again and finally gained his wings in May 1942 on Catalinas. Returning to the UK he spent some time flying 'Oxfords' before being posted to 131 OTU, Loch erne, N. Ireland. In January 1943 he passed out as an aircraft Commander and joined 210 Sqdn at Pembroke Dock in February. He spent the next ten months (some 700 flying hours) flying over the Bay of Biscay on Anti-Sub operations including Leigh Leight operations, some convoy and naval co-operation. In January 1944, 210 Sqd. disbanded and he returned for a short spell to 131 OTU before being seconded to BOAC in April 1944. With BOAC he flew on the civil version of the Sunderland and 'c' class flying boats thence landplanes - Arginaut, Comet, Britannias (102 and 312) and VC10s retiring in 1973 to a ground job as Flight Crew Executive until May 1976. He died on 10th November 2006. |
Flt. Lt. Ron Vaughan, DFC *Signature Value : £35 (clipped) | Joined the RAFVR in December 1940 and trained as a pilot-cadet with the US Navy at Pensacola, Florida. After further Coastal Command training in the UK, he joined 10 OTU (detachment) at St Eval, Cornwall. The tour was completed, as a Whitley co-pilot, on U-boat patrols over the Bay of Biscay, between December 1942 and March 1943. After training for command on the Catalina, he joined 210 Sqdn at Sullom Voe, Shetland from June 1943 to October 1944. In October 1943, with all landing areas closed with fog, his Catalina, out of fuel, ditched in the Atlantic, west of the Shetlands. It had remained airborne for 22 hours and then survived, on the water, for a further 18 hours before the crew were rescued. The pigeon which had carried the SOS message to base, later received the 'Dicken Medal' (Animal VC) for flying over 60 miles, in fog, in nine hours! In May 1944, U-boat 394 was attacked in northern waters, without success. On 18th July 1944, U-boat 742 was sunk 180 miles west of the Lofoten Islands, off Norway. The Catalina was badly holed but managed to return to base, 500 miles in six and a quarter hours, on the port engine. F/Lt John Cruickshank had sunk U-361 on the previous day, from the same Arctic U-boat Flotilla. F/Lt Vaughan instructed on Catalinas in Northern Ireland and was then posted to India, yo join Catalina 240 Sqdn in Madras, and then until VJ Day with Liberator Sqdn 357 in Ceylon. He left the RAF in 1946 having flown Halifax 7, at Linton and Cranwell. He joined BOAC and captained many types of aircraft for 29 years before retiring in 1975. |
Sydney Hillier *Signature Value : £40 | Sydney Hiller was a member of the crew of Catalina D for Donald of 270 Squadron. The squadron was based for most of the war at Freetown, West Africa. He was a member of the crew when his aircraft launched a surprise attack on u-boat U-515. |
The Aircraft : | |
Name | Info |
Catalina | Built by the Consolidated Aircraft Company and designed by Isaax M Ladden. the Catalina first flew on the 28th march 1935. and first flew with the US Navy in October 1936. In 1935 the cost of each Catalina was $90,000 and just over 4,000 were built. The Catalina was used in various maritime roles. but it was designed initially as a maritime patrol bomber. Its long range was intended to seek out enemy transport and supply ships. but was eventually used in many roles including Convoy escort,, anti submarine warfare and search and rescue. In its role as a search and rescue aircraft it probably is best remembered for many thousands of aircrews shot down in the Pacific and less extend in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. The Catalina was the most successful flying boat of the war and even served in a military role until the early 1980's some are still used today in aerial firefighting. |
Artist Details : John Wynne Hopkins | ||||||
Click here for a full list of all artwork by John Wynne Hopkins | ||||||
John Wynne Hopkins John Wynne Hopkins was born in 1954 in Dafen, Llanelli, Wales and his family emmigrated to Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) when he was five weeks old. He was brought up in Africa but returned to Wales to be educated at Llandovery College, Cardiff College of Art and Trinity College Carmarthen, where he trained as an art teacher. Taught in the 'Beacon School', Buckinghamshire before returning to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). He completed a regular army commissioning course at the Rhodesian Army, School of Infantry, Gwelo and served in the 1st Battalion Rhodesian African Rifles. His first military commissions were produced at the height of the Rhodesian bush war and were for the 1st Bn. Rhodesian Light Infantry, and the 1st Battalion Rhodesian African Rifles before he joined the Rhodesian Army. John returned to Wales in 1982 and for many years has painted wildlife, military and aviation scenes and enjoys painting Welsh landscape in plein air. Attained a Bachelor of Education Degree in 1988. For many years John was Head of the Art Department at Pen Y Bryn Senior Special School until taking early retirement to paint professionally. John Wynne Hopkins was commissioned by Cranston Fine Arts over a period of several years to produce a number of paintigns including a series of the British Army in Northern Ireland and has also produced numerous paintings for the Army Air Corps and in many cases numerous paintings for single regiments. These commissions have also meant him travelling to a number of trouble spots in the world including Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Kosovo. His commissions have included, 1 Regiment Army Air Corps., 4 Regt Army Air Corps, 7 Regt Army Air Corps., 9 Regt Army Air Corps, 5 Regt Army Air Corps (Northern Ireland) , R Sqn 22 SAS, A Coy 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Wales, The 1st Battalion the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, The Royal Netherlands Marine Corps, 2nd Battalion The Rifle Regiment, 1 Transport Regiment Royal Logistics Corps and the 4/7th Royal Dragoon Guards. In 2006 he completed a commission for 9 Regiment Army Air Corps of the latest attack helicopter the Apache AH1. 2009 the 4/7th Royal Dragoon Guards commissioned a painting of their latest MC winner Sgt C.P.Richards MC, Charge of the Knights, Basra Iraq, 4th April 2008. In 2010 Col John Waddy of Arnhem fame commissioned a painting of the drop of the 4th Parachute Brigade, Gienkle Heide, 18th September 1944, Arnhem, during Operation Market Garden. John spent a week with Col John Waddy and the Military Academy course looking at the battlefield. At one stage John was mistaken for Directing Staff on the course but the old soldier had plenty to say. John was invited back to Arnhem in 2011. Military Aviation Artist John Wynne Hopkins was invited back to Arnhem for the ceremonies to do with the momentous battles of the 1st Airborne Division, during Operation Market Garden, in 1944. At a presentation and showing of the latest documentary DVD of the drop of the 4th Parachute Brigade at Ginkle Heath, 18th September 1944. The presentation took place at Cinemec, the cinema in Ede. Images of his painting were used on the cover of the DVD and the huge display boards on the cinema. John was asked to present framed copies of his latest Arnhem print to the Burgomaster of Ede, Mr Van der Kemp and the Commanding Officer of the 11th Airmobile Brigade, Bgen van Wiggen. Copies of the print were then presented to a number of Arnhem Veterans of the battle who were present. The prints depict the drop of the 4th Parachute Brigade on Ginkle Heath, on the 18th September 1944 and was commissioned by Col John Waddy who was the Officer Commanding B Company 156th Parachute Battalion during that momentous drop and subsequent battles. John took this opportunity to do more research for his next large painting commission for Brigadier Mike Dauncey DSO, a famous Glider Pilot and Arnhem Veteran, who is going to present the painting to the Glider Pilot Regiment Association. 2012 should see John painting in Helmand province, Afghanistan with the British Army, sketching and painting the daily life of soldiers and their ongoing operations, gathering information for future paintings of this campaign.
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