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Cranston Fine Arts Aviation Art and Artists World War Two Veteran Signatures UK and Commonwealth D Davies, Leonard

Flt Lt Leonard Davies

Joined 151 Squadron in July 1940 and was wounded in combat over the Thames estuary on August 18th of that year. He later flew Sunderlands in the Middle East.

Flt Lt Leonard Davies - Signed Aviation Art

Channel Sweep by Richard Taylor. 5 editions. All 5 editions feature up to 20 additional signature(s). £80.00 - £625.00

Tribute to Flying Officer Count Manfred Beckett Czernin by Ivan Berryman. 7 editions. 2 of the 7 editions feature up to 3 additional signatures. £2.90 - £1100.00

Where Thoroughbreds Play by Ivan Berryman. 8 of 9 editions available. All 3 editions featuring an additional signature are available. £2.90 - £400.00

Tribute to Flt Lt Ian R Gleed by Ivan Berryman. 8 editions. 3 of the 8 editions feature up to 5 additional signatures. £2.90 - £1100.00

The Struggle for Malta by Ivan Berryman. 12 of 13 editions available. All 5 editions featuring up to 8 additional signatures are available. £2.90 - £500.00

Quartet by Gerald Coulson. 6 editions. 4 of the 6 editions feature up to 2 additional signatures. £65.00 - £130.00

Hurricane Mk.IIC by Ivan Berryman. 9 of 10 editions available. All 7 editions featuring up to 5 additional signatures are available. £2.90 - £350.00

Bitter Engagement by Robert Taylor. All 3 editions sold out. All editions feature up to 26 additional signatures.

Text for the above items :

Channel Sweep by Richard Taylor. On 14th June 1940, the first German jackboots were heard on the streets of Paris. Within days France signed an armistice and Hitler could now turn his avaricious eyes north and across the grey waters of the Channel. The island of Britain stood alone and, faced with the threat of imminent invasion, few gave her much chance of survival. Before the all-conquering Panzers could invade, Germany needed to gain air superiority and Goering boasted that his Luftwaffe 'would quickly sweep the RAF from the skies' - how wrong he would be. The Battle of Britain began on 10th July 1940 and for the next eight weeks most front-line squadrons were often flying four missions a day. Totally outnumbered by the Luftwaffe the RAF was close to breaking point by early September, with some units reduced to a handful of pilots and aircraft. Then on 7th September, an over-confident Goering made a fatal error. Believing the RAF destroyed, he changed tactics and the Luftwaffe began bombing civilian targets in London. It was the respite that Fighter Command needed and the tide of battle was turned. Against overwhelming and seemingly impossible odds, a replenished RAF repelled the Luftwaffe and by the end of October it was over. Richard Taylor's stunning painting depicts Mk1 Spitfires from 92 Squadron undertaking a defensive sweep along the Kent coastline against a dramatic backdrop of the white cliffs of Dover, at the height of the battle in September 1940.

Tribute to Flying Officer Count Manfred Beckett Czernin by Ivan Berryman. Serving with distinction throughout the Battle of Britain, Count Manfred Beckett Czernin's score included 13 confirmed, 2 unconfirmed, 3 probables and 5 damaged. He is depicted here on 25th July 1940, claiming the last of three Messerschmitt Bf.110s that he shot down that day, flying Hurricane V7408 (YB-F) whilst with 17 Sqn. Despite being shot down by Adolf Galland in November, he survived the war and passed away in 1962 having been awarded a DFC, an MC and DSO.

Where Thoroughbreds Play by Ivan Berryman. A pair of Spitfire Mk 1s of 92 Sqn, based at Pembrey, practising dogfight tactics in a rare moment of relative peace in August 1940. Nearest aircraft, N3249, (QJ-P) is that of Sgt Ralph Titch Havercroft who was to score 3 confirmed victories, 2 unconfirmed, one shared and three probables during his combat career.

Tribute to Flt Lt Ian R Gleed by Ivan Berryman. Flight Lieutenant Ian Widge Gleed is depicted in his personal Hurricane 1 P2798 (LK-A) of 87 Sqn shooting down a Messerschmitt Bf.110 on 15th August 1940. Just visible beneath the cockpit of the Hurricane is his mascot, Figaro, shown kicking a swastika. His aircraft was also easily identifiable by the red flash on its nose, a feature that was retained even when P2798 was painted all black for its night fighter role. Gleed scored many victories before being shot down and killed whilst flying a Spitfire Vc in the Western Desert in April 1943.

The Struggle for Malta by Ivan Berryman. Having been initially intercepted by just three ageing Gloster Gladiators, who gallantly gave both the Germans and Italians the impression of a much bigger resistance in the skies above Malta, the Italian Air Force was suddenly confronted by the more capable Hawker Hurricanes of 261 (F) Sqn, commanded by Sqn Ldr D W Balden. The previously unescorted bombers of the Regia Aeronautica suddenly required the presence of fighters to protect the marauding bombers, as depicted here, where Macchi 200s of 6° Gruppo 1° Stormo, reel around the sky to chase off the Hurricanes from the attacking Savoia Marchetti SM.79s above Grand Harbour in the summer of 1940.

Quartet by Gerald Coulson. The inspiration for this subject was principally the setting. A low sun turning the tops of towering cumulus to a soft ochre against a backdrop of azure. Through breaks in these massive clouds can be seen a landscape beginning to fade, greens and yellows changing to liquid blues and mauves. All that is now required to complete the picture are the lines of a beautiful aeroplane, provided here by four Spitfires on No.66 Sqn. The aircraft shown are LZ-M, LZ-N, LZ-K and LZ-X. LZ-X was flown by H R Dizzy Allen throughout the Battle of Britain.

Hurricane Mk.IIC by Ivan Berryman. Hurricane Mk.IIC Z3971 of 253 Sqn, closing on a Heinkel 111.

Bitter Engagement by Robert Taylor. Just after midday on 27 September 1940 one of the bitterest engagements of the Battle of Britain took place in the skies over Kent when the Spitfires of 19 Squadron took on the Bf109s of JG54. In the huge dogfight that ensued, 19 Squadron claimed 8 enemy aircraft destroyed.

Hurricane Manufacturer : Hawker Built : 14533

Hurricane Royal Air Force Fighter, the Hawker Hurricane had a top speed of 320mph, at 18,200 feet and 340mph at 17,500, ceiling of 34,200 and a range of 935 miles. The Hurricane was armed with eight fixed wing mounted .303 browning machine guns in the Mark I and twelve .303 browning's in the MKIIB in the Hurricane MKIIC it had four 20mm cannon. All time classic fighter the Hurricane was designed in 1933-1934, the first prototype flew in June 1936 and a contract for 600 for the Royal Air Force was placed. The first production model flew ion the 12th October 1937 and 111 squadron of the Royal Air Force received the first Hurricanes in January 1938. By the outbreak of World war two the Royal Air Force had 18 operational squadrons of Hurricanes. During the Battle of Britain a total of 1715 Hurricanes took part, (which was more than the rest of the aircraft of the Royal air force put together) and almost 75% of the Victories during the Battle of Britain went to hurricane pilots. The Hawker Hurricane was used in all theatres during World war two, and in many roles. in total 14,533 Hurricanes were built.

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Sunderland Manufacturer : Short Built : 749

Sunderland The Short Sunderland, Patrol and Reconnaissance Flying Boat. normal crew level 10. maximum speed of 210mph for Mark I, 205mph Mark II and Mark III, and 213mph Mark V. ceiling 17,900 feet and range of 2110 miles (mk I) 2880 miles for Mark V. endurance in the air 13.5 hours. The Sunderland carries 1 .303 machine gun in the nose, (mark I) and four .303 browning machine guns in the Tail Turret. Also in the Mark II four Vickers .303 inch machine guns were used in the body positions. and four browning machineguns in the nose flanks in the Mark III. Maximum bomb load of 4960 lbs. Based on the design of the Civil Empire class flying boat. The Short Sunderland entered service with the Royal Air Force in June 1938 with 230 squadron. and by the end of the war, 20 squadrons of the Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force were equipped with Sunderland's. By the end of the production in 1946 a total of 749 were built, The roles the Short Sunderland played, mainly were in Maritime and anti Submarine duties, especially in the battle of the Atlantic, The Sunderland accounted for 58 U-Boats sunk or badly damaged. The Sunderland was also used in other theatres of the war and in the Mediterranean helped in the evacuation of troops from Crete and Greece, as well as helping in the evacuation of troops in Burma. The Short Sunderland remained in service with the Royal Air Force until 1959. used during the Korean War, The Berlin Air Lift, and during Operation Firedog, , The Malayan Emergency.

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Flt Lt Leonard Davies Squadron details

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