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Spitfires
– High Patrol by Philip West
A
gathering section of 124 Squadron Spitfires led by Peter Ayerst
climbs for height above the bomber stream and a lone Mosquito.
This Squadron plus many others was tasked with protecting
the bombers over occupied Europe. For these long range missions
the Spitfires carry 90 Gallon 'Slipper Tanks' to extend the
relatively short endurance of the aircraft. In combat with
enemy fighters they would jettison the tanks. However, following
a shortage, they were encouraged to bring them back if they
possibly could.
The Signatories
Primary Edition signed by
Wing Commander Peter Ayerst DFC
Few
RAF pilots flew operationally from the beginning
to the end of the Second World War. Fewer still
can claim to have experienced action from Dunkirk
and the Battle of Britain, El Alamein and the
D-Day landings, to bomber escort duty in the
closing days of the war in Europe. Peter Ayerst
is one such man.
Peter
joined the RAF in 1938 on a short service commission
and was despatched to France when war broke
out. After serving with legendary fighter ace
Douglas Bader, Peter was posted to North Africa
in 1942 where he was forced to crash-land his
Hurricane in a minefield.
Peter
flew Spitfires on intruder sorties over France
before and during D-Day, on bomber escort duty
against V-weapons sites and in support of mass
daylight raids deep into Germany. Awarded the
DFC in December 1944, he also flew as fighter
escort to King George VI's Dakota. By the war's
end, Peter had flown every mark of Spitfire
and Hurricane in the RAF's inventory! This stood
him in good stead after the war when he worked
with famous test pilot Alex Henshaw: he was
part of the flight-test crew when Alex Henshaw
MBE rolled a Lancaster.
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The Artist Proofs also signed by
Flight Lieutenant R G (Bob) Large, DFC, Legion d’Honneur
Flight
Lieutenant R G (Bob) Large, DFC, Legion d’Honneur,
learned to fly in Scotland in 1940 and in 1941
joined 616 Squadron as part of the Tangmere
Wing, commanded by the famous legless pilot
Wing Commander Douglas Bader. The Squadron flew
Fighter and Bomber sweeps over Northern France.
The remains of Bob’s Spitfire lie at the
bottom of the sea ten miles off Hythe (where
he now lives) after being bounced by eighty
plus ME 109Gs over the English Channel.
Having learned of the activities
of 161 SD Squadron he was interviewed by the
CO, Wing Commander Lewis Hodges, and joined
the Lysander Flight. He then flew many important
missions into occupied France in single, double
and a memorable treble pickup when his excuse
for being late at the rendezvous was that
he had had a haircut “in the firm’s
time” because “it grew in the
firm’s time”! After D-Day he returned
to Fighter Command and later flew Meteors.
(Bob’s dog, Patrick, became the first
dog in the Allied Forces to fly in a jet which
took place in a Meteor 3 on 11th May 1946
and is now recorded in the Guinness Book of
Records!)
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Print size: 24 x 15ins approx
Signed
and Numbered
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Edition
size: 150 |
Price: £125.00 |
| Artist
Proof |
Edition
size: 25 |
Price: £150.00 |
PRINT
TERMINOLOGY
- see below |
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