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Kiwi Strike by Nicolas Trudgian.
A dramatic low-level attack on a Japanese base near Rabaul is in progress by
F-4U Corsairs of 16 Squadron, RNZAF. Taking the lead is Bryan Cox, as the
Corsairs leave a trail of smoke and debris in their wake. Water vapor is
squeezed out of the humid atmosphere as Coxs wingman banks sharply to avoid
groundfire. The Kiwi Corsairs buccaneered their way through the intensly fought
campaigns in the Solomons and Guadalcanal. |
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Kiwi Strike by Nicolas Trudgian.
A dramatic low-level attack on a Japanese base near Rabaul is in progress by F-4U Corsairs of 16 Squadron, RNZAF. Taking the lead is Bryan Cox, as the Corsairs leave a trail of smoke and debris in their wake. Water vapor is squeezed out of the humid atmosphere as Coxs wingman banks sharply to avoid groundfire. The Kiwi Corsairs buccaneered their way through the intensly fought campaigns in the Solomons and Guadalcanal.
Signed limited edition of 800 prints. Paper size 16 inches x 14 inches (41cm x 36cm). Price £70.00 Signed by Warrant Officer Bryan Cox, in addition to the artist.
Limited edition of 80 artist proofs. Paper size 16 inches x 14 inches (41cm x 36cm). Price £95.00 Signed by Warrant Officer Bryan Cox, in addition to the artist.
ITEM CODE DHM2443
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Kiwi Strike by Nicolas Trudgian
- The Signatures
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Warrant Officer Bryan Cox
Born in 1925, this New Zealand fighter pilot Bryan Cox flew Corsairs in the Pacific. On January 14th, 1945, 36 Kiwi Corsairs based on Green Island were sent to attack the Japanese base at Rabaul. Flight Lieutenant Francis George Keefe in one of the Corsairs was shot down by flak and his parachute was seen opening and landing in the water. The following day Bryan Cox along with fifteen other Corsair pilots of 14 sqd and 16 Sqd were sent on the rescue mission for Keefe, escorting a flying boat. A raft was dropped and the mission may have been a success, except Francis Keefe was picked up by a Japanese patrol boat, and died of gangrene from his many wounds 10 days later in a prison camp. Returning to base, the 16 Corsair pilots encountered a bad storm, but due to lack of fuel could not fly around the strom and instead had to go throug it. Bryan Cox was separated from the rest of the Corsairs when his radio and light went out due to a cockpit failure and Bryan veered away in fear of a mid air collision, not managing to regain contact whith the others. Seven pilots were lost at sea, from 14 Sqd. Flight Lieutenant BS Hay, Flying Officer AN Saward, , Flight Sergeant IJ Munro, Flight Sergeant JS McArthur, and from 16 Sqd, Flight Sergeant RW Albrecht, Flight Lieutenant TRF Johnson, and Flying Officer G. Randell. Bryan Cox with only minutes of fuel left and contemplating ditching finally saw the outline of Green Island and managed with not more than seconds of fuel remaining to land. After the war Bryan was to become one of New Zealands best known flying instructors, and he spent many years as Chief Instructor at Ardmore, now a popular civil aerodrome which was the same airfield that Cox had been based at flying the Corsairs. Following the end of the war, Bryan had served in J Force, with No.14 Squadron RNZAF flying duties in Japan. He was an early observer to the horrors of Hiroshima. He served there untill 1947, and is secretary of the New Zealand fighter pilots association.
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