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Captain J Richard Butler

'Dick' Butler joined the service in January 1942 and was posted to the 44th Bomb Group, with whom he flew B-24s throughout the war. His first combat mission was in April 1943 and he saw action in Europe, North Africa and the Mediterranean. On the Ploesti Raid, Dick was co-pilot of 'Earthquake McGoon'. Badly damaged and flying at tree-top height it was only the skill of Dick and pilot Walter Burke that kept 'Earthquake' in the air and brought the crew home.

Captain J Richard Butler - Signed Aviation Art

Operation Tidal Wave by Nicolas Trudgian. 5 editions. 4 of the 5 editions feature up to 4 additional signatures. £2.00 - £220.00

Clipped Signature - Everett Jones. One edition. £120.00

The Defence of Napoli by Ivan Berryman. 8 of 9 editions available. The one edition featuring 4 additional signatures is available. £2.90 - £500.00

B-24 Liberator by Nicolas Trudgian. 4 editions. All 4 editions feature up to 4 additional signature(s). £50.00 - £230.00

Clipped Signature - Richard Butler. 3 editions. £35.00 - £120.00

Clipped Signature - Vernon Swain. One edition. £120.00

End Game by Nicolas Trudgian. 5 of 7 editions available. 4 of 6 editions featuring up to 10 additional signatures are available. £2.00 - £250.00

Text for the above items :

Operation Tidal Wave by Nicolas Trudgian. At first light on August 1st, 1943 a force of 178 B-24 Liberator bombers lifted off dusty airstrips in the Libyan desert. They were to fly a 2000 mile round-trip deep into enemy territory, bomb a heavily defended target, and return to their North African base - without fighter escort. So began one of the bloodiest and heroic missions in the annals of aerial warfare. The target - the oil refineries at Ploesti. One third of Germany's petroleum products were supplied from Ploesti, situated deep in Rumania and well beyond the range of Allied bombers based in England. Deprived of this vital supply of fuel, Germany's mighty war machine would grind to a halt. The high command were aware of this and the installations at Ploesti were defended accordingly. To attack such a heavily defended target with the required degree of accuracy it was necessary to bomb from a perilously low level, a task for which the B-24 was notoriously unsuited. The mission called for inspired leadership, cool determination and courage beyond the call of duty - and all of these were given in plenty. As the first wave of bombers roared into the target, some as low as 50 feet, the German defenses opened up with a barrage of fire. Within moments the entire area erupted with exploding bombs, bursting shells, gushing flames and billowing palls of smoke. One by one the gallant crews took their aircraft through the intense wall of Ack-Ack and 88mm ground fire, and into the burning inferno to deliver their deadly cargo. Of the 178 B-24s dispatched, 52 were lost and all but 35 aircraft suffered damage, one limping home after 14 hours and holed in 365 places. Ploesti witnessed countless acts of heroism, for which the crews received more decorations for bravery than any other mission of the war.

Clipped Signature - Everett Jones. Clipped with the signatures of Vernon Swain and Richard Butler. Everett Jones : A pilot of B-24 Liberators, he completed a tour of 21 missions with the 466th Bomb Group. He also later piloted the P-47 Thunderbolt, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Vernon Swain : Flew in B-24 Liberators with the 328th Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Squadron. Enlisted in 1942, he was part of the Eighth Air Force flying from Norfolk England. Richard Butler : Joined the 44th Bomb Group and flew B-24 Liberators. Seeing action in Europe, North Africa and the Mediterranean, he was co-pilot of Earthquake McGoon on the Ploesti raid. Despite suffering heavy damage, he and his pilot managed to get the aircraft and crew safely home.

The Defence of Napoli by Ivan Berryman. The Spring of 1943 saw intense bombing raids on the Italian port city of Naples by American B.24s and the Italian pilots responded with spirited attacks on the Liberators, flying from their nearby base of Capodichino. Just entering service with 22° Gruppo was the new Reggiane Re.2005 fighter, one of which can be seen here rolling away after a head-on attack on the bomber formation. A 22° Gruppo Macchi 202 has just damaged a B.24 in the distance.

B-24 Liberator by Nicolas Trudgian. Part of a small print series of six American WW2 aircraft, signed by some of the great American pilots, some no longer with us. Cranston Fine Arts have purchased the last remaining stocks of this aviation series.

Clipped Signature - Richard Butler. Richard Butler joined the 44th Bomb Group in 1942 and flew B-24 Liberators throughout the war. Along with pilot Walter Burke, he successfully brought home his badly damaged B-24 Earthquake McGoon from a raid on Ploesti at treetop height.

Clipped Signature - Vernon Swain. Clipped with the signatures of Richard Butler and Everett Jones. Vernon Swain : Flew in B-24 Liberators with the 328th Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Squadron. Enlisted in 1942, he was part of the Eighth Air Force flying from Norfolk England. Richard Butler : Joined the 44th Bomb Group and flew B-24 Liberators. Seeing action in Europe, North Africa and the Mediterranean, he was co-pilot of Earthquake McGoon on the Ploesti raid. Despite suffering heavy damage, he and his pilot managed to get the aircraft and crew safely home. Everett Jones : A pilot of B-24 Liberators, he completed a tour of 21 missions with the 466th Bomb Group. He also later piloted the P-47 Thunderbolt, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

End Game by Nicolas Trudgian. For bomber crews, any daylight-bombing mission almost certainly meant combat. If it werent the attentions of determined Luftwaffe fighter pilots, it would be an aerial carpet of flak that welcomed the bombers en route to the target - and again on the journey home. On most missions the Eighth Air Force aircrews had to contend with both. Enduring up to ten hours of concentrated flying under cramped conditions, extreme cold, with the constant noise and vibration produced by four powerful engines, made every mission uncomfortable enough without being shot at. But the USAAF aircrews confronted the odds - a one in three chance of completing a 25-mission tour of operations - cheerfully and with gallant resolve. Playing a major role in the great raids on Germany and other targets in occupied Europe from early in 1944, equipped with the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, the USAAF Second Air Division flew no fewer than 95,048 sorties. Based in Norfolk, England, the crews also attacked targets far distant in Norway, Poland and Rumania, unloading almost 100,000 tons of bombs and claiming over 1000 enemy fighters shot down. Published 2001.