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Home at Dawn by Nicolas Trudgian.
When No 49 Squadron Lancasters bombed the S.S. barracks at Berchtesgaden on 25th
April 1945, its aircrews completed a campaign that had begun 5 and a half years
earlier in September, 1939. From the very beginning, 49 Squadron were in the
thick of the action with one of their pilots, Roderick Learoyd, winning Bomber
Commands first Victoria Cross. In 1942 it was Lancasters of 49 Squadron that led
the epic raid on Schneider armament and locomotive works at Le Creusot. In 1943
they flew the shuttle-bombing raids to Friedrichshafen and Spezia, attacked the
heavily defended rocket sites at Peenemunde, and in preparation for D-Day,
bombarded the coastal batteries in Normandy and the V-1 sites in the caves by
the river Loire, north of Paris. Later in 1944 the squadron notably took part in
the raid on German Baltic Fleet, continuing to fly important bombing missions
against the Nazi war machine until the final collapse of the Third Reich. So it
was fitting that an RAF squadron whose history went right back to 1916, should
make the coupe de grace at Berchtesgarden. Northern Europes short summer nights,
with darkness lasting but a few hours, often saw the RAF bomber crews returning
to England at dawn, and it is one such scene which is caught up over the river
Orwell at Pin Mill, Lancasters of No. 49 Squadron descend low over Suffolk,
heading towards their base at Fiskerton. The night raid on Hamburg is almost
completed. Spitfires from No. 129 Squadron, based at Hornchurch, having made an
early morning attack on German installations in Holland, have picked up the
bombers and escorted them home. |
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Home at Dawn by Nicolas Trudgian.
When No 49 Squadron Lancasters bombed the S.S. barracks at Berchtesgaden on 25th April 1945, its aircrews completed a campaign that had begun 5 and a half years earlier in September, 1939. From the very beginning, 49 Squadron were in the thick of the action with one of their pilots, Roderick Learoyd, winning Bomber Commands first Victoria Cross. In 1942 it was Lancasters of 49 Squadron that led the epic raid on Schneider armament and locomotive works at Le Creusot. In 1943 they flew the shuttle-bombing raids to Friedrichshafen and Spezia, attacked the heavily defended rocket sites at Peenemunde, and in preparation for D-Day, bombarded the coastal batteries in Normandy and the V-1 sites in the caves by the river Loire, north of Paris. Later in 1944 the squadron notably took part in the raid on German Baltic Fleet, continuing to fly important bombing missions against the Nazi war machine until the final collapse of the Third Reich. So it was fitting that an RAF squadron whose history went right back to 1916, should make the coupe de grace at Berchtesgarden. Northern Europes short summer nights, with darkness lasting but a few hours, often saw the RAF bomber crews returning to England at dawn, and it is one such scene which is caught up over the river Orwell at Pin Mill, Lancasters of No. 49 Squadron descend low over Suffolk, heading towards their base at Fiskerton. The night raid on Hamburg is almost completed. Spitfires from No. 129 Squadron, based at Hornchurch, having made an early morning attack on German installations in Holland, have picked up the bombers and escorted them home.
Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Paper size 31 inches x 24 inches (79cm x 61cm). Price £200.00 Signed by Flight Lieutenant Eric Jones, Flight Lieutenant Leslie Hay, Flight Lieutenant Robert Souter and Flight Lieutenant Ernest Webb , in addition to the artist.
Limited edition of 25 artist proofs. Paper size 31 inches x 24 inches (79cm x 61cm). Price £265.00 Signed by Flight Lieutenant Eric Jones, Flight Lieutenant Leslie Hay, Flight Lieutenant Robert Souter and Flight Lieutenant Ernest Webb , in addition to the artist.
Limited edition of publishers proofs. Paper size 31 inches x 24 inches (79cm x 61cm). Price £255.00 Signed by Flight Lieutenant Eric Jones, Flight Lieutenant Leslie Hay, Flight Lieutenant Robert Souter and Flight Lieutenant Ernest Webb , in addition to the artist.
ITEM CODE NT0318
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Home at Dawn by Nicolas Trudgian
- The Signatures
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 | Flight Lieutenant Eric Jones DFC
Eric Jones joined the RAF in April 1941 and trained as a pilot in Canada. Back in England he was posted to No.49 Squadron flying Lancasters, and flew his first operation on the night of 22nd August 1943. The target that night was Leverkusen. On the night of 14th January 1944 on a raid against Brunswick his aircraft shot down an Me110 nightfighter south of Hannover. He flew 12 trips to Berlin, the most heavily defended target in the Reich. Eric Jones completed a tour of 29 combat operations in the Lancaster. He was awarded the DFC.
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 | Flight Lieutenant Leslie Hay
Joining the Royal Air Force in May 1941, Leslie Hay was trained as a pilot in Canada. On qualifying he returned to England and eventually was posted to join No.49 Squadron, then based at Fiskerton in Lincolnshire, flying Lancasters. From there he flew his first operation on 1st August 1944, following the Normandy invasion. Leslie Hay completed a total of 36 combat operations in the Lancaster, all with No.49 Squadron, at the height of Bomber Commands offensive against Germany
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 | Flight Lieutenant Robert Souter
Robert Souter joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in February 1941, and after training was posted in 1942 to the Middle East, joining No.108 Squadron then flying Wellingtons. He first flew operationally in June of that year, in the Western Desert campaign, and the last operation of his first tour was in Nov 1942 with the battle of El Alamein. After a period with No.26 OTUWing, Robert undertook a second tour - this time flying Lancasters with No.49 Squadron, up to the end of the war. He had completed a total of 47 operations by that time. After the war he flew Dakotas and Liberators with RAF Transport Command.
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 | Flight Lieutenant Ernest Webb DFC
After joining the Royal Air Force in June 1941, Ernie Webb was chosen for training as a pilot. After qualifying he was posted in 1943 to join No.49 Squadron, based at Fiskerton in Lincolnshire. The squadron were by that time flying Lancasters, and heavily involved in the RAF Bomber Command offensive against the major targets in Germany. He flew a total of 30 combat operations in the Lancaster during his tour with No.49 Squadron, and later went on to serve with No.242 Squadron, RAF Transport Command. Ernest Webb was awarded the DFC.
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