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Cranston Fine Arts Aviation Art and Artists World War Two Veteran Signatures UK and Commonwealth O Owen, Les

Les Owen

Les Owen joined the Navy on 12th August 1941 as a seaman and his first weeks were spent at HMS Collingwood on a seamanship course. In December 1941 he was drafted to HMS Eagle and in January 1942 sailed to Gibraltar and took on 16 Spitfires which were sent there in crates to be assembled on the jetty and hoisted on the flight deck. After two days out the Spitfires flew off to Malta. This they did about ten times and on 9th August they sailed to meet 16 merchant ships and the largest Naval fleet to be assembled since the First World War. From the second day they were attacked relentlessly by the German and Italian airforce and on 11th August were struck by four torpedoes and the Eagle sank in six minutes. Les jumped about 14 feet into the water, unable to swim, he joined other shipmates who were clinging on to a mess deck table and after a while they were picked up by a rowing boat from the tug Jaunty and transferred to the destroyer HMS Malcombe. After 14 days leave, Les was drafted to Whale Island gunnery school and in January 1943 was drafted to HMS Wren, a sloop of the bird class attached to the second Escort Group under the command of Capt Jonny Walter. Their duties were to protect convoys through the gap in the Atlantic, which could not be covered by aircraft. After a while they joined the North Sea fleet, helping to protect the convoys to Russia, which was a very arduous and frightening task with a great loss of ships and men. During D Day the group was detailed to protect the fleet from u-boats in the English Channel. On leaving the Navy in May 1946 Les went back to his old employment.

Les Owen - Signed Aviation Art

Spitfires - Malta Bound by Philip West. 4 editions. 3 of the 4 editions feature up to 8 additional signatures. £180.00 - £250.00

Text for the above items :

Spitfires - Malta Bound by Philip West. On the 11th August 1942, Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey Wellum DFC, having just taken off from the deck of HMS Furious, leads his section of gathering Spitfires on the long journey to Malta. They are much-needed reinforcements for the beleaguered island, now in the twenty-sixth month of its siege. To enable each of the 38 Spitfires dispatched from Furious to reach Malta, over three hours flying time away, they carry maximum fuel together with a centre-line over-load tank. Even their ammunition is removed to save weight. Escorting Furious to her aft is the Cruiser HMS Manchester together with Destroyers Brave and Lithe. To their port side is the Ohio tanker laden with fuel during what became an epic voyage. In the distance HMS Eagle succumbs to an Axis torpedo attack. The success of Operation Pedestal was absolutely critical for the survival of Malta, bringing desperately needed fuel, food and ammunition to the Island. Losses were heavy but the courage and determination by all involved prevailed: five of the fourteen merchant ships, including the Ohio, made it through and the island was saved.