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Cranston Fine Arts Aviation Art and Artists World War Two Veteran Signatures United States I Ilfrey, Jack

Colonel Jack M Ilfrey

Posted to North Africa with the 94th Fighter Group, Jack Ilfrey lost a belly tank transiting from England and force-landed at Lisbon. He avoided internment by conning some fuel and making an unauthorised take-off. He became one of the early P-38 Aces, and historians now say the very first P-38 Ace. Back in England in 1944 he commanded the 79th P-38 Squadron, 20th Fighter Group, at Kingscliffe, and ended his tow-tour war with 8 victories. Sadly, Jack Ilfrey died on 15th October 2004.

Colonel Jack M Ilfrey - Signed Aviation Art

Dawn Chorus by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) One edition. The edition features 4 additional signature(s). £460.00

Opening Sky by Robert Taylor. 2 editions. Both editions feature up to 32 additional signatures. £190.00 - £650.00

Richard Bong by Ivan Berryman. 10 editions. One edition features 2 additional signatures. £2.90 - £3500.00

Clipped Signature - Jack Ilfrey. One edition. £60.00

Coming In Over the Estuary by Robert Taylor. 3 editions. All 3 editions feature up to 5 additional signature(s). £210.00 - £395.00

Text for the above items :

Dawn Chorus by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) June 1944, dawn is breaking over a sleepy English village, and P-38 Lightnings shatter the silence as they climb out from a nearby air base, en route to the Normandy beach heads.

Opening Sky by Robert Taylor. With the morning sun glinting on their fuselages, P-51 Mustangs of the 78th Fighter Group cross the Dutch coastline far below, as they head back towards their base at Duxford, England at the end of a long sweep east of the Rhine crossing, Spring 1945. The final months of the war in Europe lie ahead, and for the P-51 pilots victory is within sight. Finally, after years of toil, the sky was theirs.

Richard Bong by Ivan Berryman. The highest scoring US pilot of the Second World War, Richard Bong, is depicted in his personal P.38J Marge, claiming just one of his 40 confirmed victories. Insisting that he was not the greatest of marksmen, it was Bongs habit to manoeuvre to impossibly close distances before opening fire on his opponents. His eventual total may well have been greater than 40, as a further 8 probables could be attributed to him, together with 7 damaged. He was killed whilst testing a P.80 jet for the USAF in August 1945.

Clipped Signature - Jack Ilfrey. Posted to North Africa with the 94th Fighter Group, Jack Ilfrey lost a belly tank transiting from England and force-landed at Lisbon but avoided internment by conning some fuel and making an unauthorised take-off. He became one of the early P-38 Aces, and historians now say the very first P-38 Ace. He commanded the 79th P-38 Squadron, 20th Fighter Group and ended the war with 8 victories. He died in 2004.

Coming In Over the Estuary by Robert Taylor. In Robert Taylors panoramic painting, P-38J Lightnings of the 364th Fighter Group return from a strafing mission over France in the summer of 1944. Making their land-fall at just 100 feet, they skim across an estuary on Englands south coast, near the old village of Bosham. With his unmistakable skill and vivid imagination Robert cleverly contrasts the exhilaration of the low-level combat flying, with the peaceful atmosphere of a quiet coastal setting, emphasising that curious blend of war and peace that was the daily lifestyle of the World War II flyer. This classic aviation painting provides collectors with a wonderful study of a memorable warbird.

Lightning Manufacturer : Lockheed

Lightning Designed by Kelly Johnson the P38 made its maiden flight on the 27th January 1939 and introduced into service in 1941. they cost $134,284 at the time each and a total of 10,037 were built. The Lockheed P-38 was introduced as a inceptor fighter but soon proved a valuable long range bomber escort for the 8thUS Air Force's B-17 and-24 bombers as they bombed targets further into Germany.

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Colonel Jack M Ilfrey Squadron details

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