Strike and Return by Robert Taylor.

Winter in Northern Europe brings short days, long nights and, for the most part, appalling weather making navigation difficult and flying hazardous, even by todays electronically sophisticated standards. Throughout RAF Bomber Commands arduous six year World War II campaign, as if atrocious weather were not enough to contend with, day and night bomber crews faced interceptions by enemy fighters, constant flak over occupied territory, and the real and ever-present danger of mid-air collision. Add snowstorms, gale force winds, freezing temperatures and the comparatively rudimentary navigational aids available at the time, it seems a miracle they were able to continue at all. But continue they did, and whenever there was the slimmest chance of hitting an enemy target, unhesitatingly, the aircrews of Bomber Command took up the challenge. 460 Squadron, RAAF was typical of the bomber squadrons under overall command of Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris, squadrons manned by volunteer aircrews from Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Rhodesia, South Africa, and many other nations opposed to Hitlers Nazi Germany. To a man they knew the frightening odds against completing a tour of duty, yet many faked their ages just to join this elite band of wartime flyers. True to their squadron motto Strike and Return, the artist shows Lancasters of 460 Squadron RAAF, returning to RAF Binbrook in Lincolnshire following a daylight raid over Germany in the late winter of 1944. With the sun almost set, chill evening shadows lengthen on a magnificent winter landscape dusted with snow, Lancaster J-Squared leads the mighty bombers as they descend in the fading light.

Aircrew Edition. Signed limited edition of 400 prints, with four signatures. Paper size 31 inches x 24 inches (79cm x 61cm). Price £200.00

Signed bySquadron Leader Pat Carden DFC AE (deceased), Flt Lieutenant Bob Knights DSO, DFC (deceased), Squadron Leader Tony Iveson DFC and Flying Officer Bill North.

Aircrew Edition. Limited edition of 25 artist proofs, with four signatures. Paper size 31 inches x 24 inches (79cm x 61cm). Price £325.00

Signed bySquadron Leader Pat Carden DFC AE (deceased), Flt Lieutenant Bob Knights DSO, DFC (deceased), Squadron Leader Tony Iveson DFC and Flying Officer Bill North.

RAAF Edition. Signed limited edition of 250 prints, with six signatures. Paper size 31cm x 24 inches (79cm x 61cm). Price £250.00

Signed byFlight Lieutenant W E Jerry Bateman DFC, Flying Officer Hilary M Bayliss DFC, Flight Lieutenant Phillip J Coffey DFC DFM, Flight Lieutenant John R Gardner DFC, Flight Lieutenant R Gordon Goodwin DSO DFM and Flying Officer Lawrence W Woods DFC.

Collectors Edition. Signed limited edition of 250 prints, with nine signatures. Paper size 31 inches x 24 inches (79cm x 61cm). Price £275.00

Signed bySquadron Leader Pat Carden DFC AE (deceased), Flt Lieutenant Bob Knights DSO, DFC (deceased), Squadron Leader Tony Iveson DFC, Flying Officer Bill North, Group Captain Dudley Burnside DSO OBE DFC* (deceased), Squadron Leader Lawrence Curtis DFC* (deceased), Flight Lieutenant Bill Reid VC (deceased), Wing Commander Ernest Rodley DSO DFC AFC AE and Flight Lieutenant Fred Watts DFC (deceased) .

Victoria Cross Edition. Signed limited edition of 50 prints, with seventeen signatures. Paper size 31 inches x 24 inches (79cm x 61cm) Sold out edition. Only one secondary market print available.. Price £820.00

Signed bySquadron Leader Pat Carden DFC AE (deceased), Flt Lieutenant Bob Knights DSO, DFC (deceased), Squadron Leader Tony Iveson DFC, Flying Officer Bill North, Group Captain Dudley Burnside DSO OBE DFC* (deceased), Squadron Leader Lawrence Curtis DFC* (deceased), Flight Lieutenant Bill Reid VC (deceased), Wing Commander Ernest Rodley DSO DFC AFC AE, Flight Lieutenant Fred Watts DFC (deceased), Warrant Officer M Ben Brennan DFM AFM, Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC OM DSO** DFC* (deceased), Flight Lieutenant James Castgnola DSO DFC, Wing Commander Roderick Learoyd VC (deceased), Warrant Officer Norman Jackson VC (deceased), Group Captain J B Tait DSO*** DFC* ADC (deceased), Group Captain Leonard Trent VC DFC ADC and Warrant Officer Bill Wilcox DFM.

ITEM CODE DHM2221