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Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art and Artists World War Two Squadrons UK and Commonwealth No.106 Sqn to No.150 Sqn  No.126 Sqn |
[UP] - No.106 Sqn - No.107 Sqn - No.109 Sqn - No.110 Sqn - No.111 Sqn - No.112 Sqn - No.124 Sqn - No.126 Sqn - No.129 Sqn - No.132 Sqn - No.135 Sqn - No.137 Sqn - No.139 Sqn - No.141 Sqn - No.143 Sqn - No.1435 Sqn - No.144 Sqn - No.144 Wing - No.146 Sqn - No.148 Sqn - No.150 Sqn |
Foremost in attack
Flew Mustangs from December 1944.
| No.126 Sqn Aviation Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings Aviation Prints |
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Shell House Raiders by Ivan Berryman. Tucked in tight en route to Copenhagen, a wave of Mosquito FB VIs of 21 Sqn and their Mustang Mk.III escorts of 126 Sqn (including top Ace Agorastos John Plagis - 16 victories, on his last mission of the war) approach the Jutland Peninsula after a bumpy crossing of the North Sea on the morning of 21st March 1945. The Mosquitoes went on to carry out one of the most daring and successful raids of the Second World War on the German Gestapo headquarters in the centre of Copenhagen, inflicting irreparable damage to the Shellhus and killing more than 150 Gestapo personnel. |
Spitfires Over Malta - Flt Lt Ken Evans DFC by Ivan Berryman. Fl. Lt. Ken Evans DFC is depicted flying Spitfire Mk Vc BR471 over Grand Harbour, Malta, during his posting to 126 Sqn in 1942 where he was credited with 5 enemy aircraft destroyed, 3 damaged and a further 3 probables. He was awarded the DFC in December 1942. |
Summer of 44 by Nicolas Trudgian. As the Allied invasion of northern France drew nearer, the entire length of southern England had seemingly become one huge army camp. While the local population went about its daily business as best it could, British and American troops massed at every point near the coast in readiness for the imminent crossing of the Channel. Though the RAF fighters of 10 Group were tasked in the Air Defense role, like all RAF squadrons that could be spared, they became involved with the softening up process, a pre-requisite of any large scale landing on enemy occupied territory. Under the leadership of Wing Commander Peter Brothers, 10 Groups Spitfire Wing based at Culmhead was heavily involved flying shipping patrols over the beachhead and Rhubarbs - low-level strikes of opportunity - disrupting enemy movements and communications.Nicolas Trudgians comprehensive painting Summer of 44 recreates with such realism a scene in southwest England just a few days before the Normandy landings in June 1944. Mark IX Spitfires of No. 126 Squadron, returning from combat over France, sweeps low over the local branch line railway station on their way back to Culmhead. Below, as the GWR Prairie tank engine pulls out of the station, American troops are assembling their equipment in readiness for the impending invasion. Adding great atmosphere to his composition, Nick has painted a classically peaceful English landscape, highlighting the unique contrast between war and peace that pervaded Britain during that summer of 44. Published 2000. Only 8 prints of this edition remain. Signed by two of the most outstanding Spitfire Wing Leaders of World War II. |
Muscateer by Robert Tomlin. Squadron Leader John Plagis, Commanding Officer of 126 Squadron, in his Spitfire LFIX, returns from France on 24th July 1944 after shooting down an Me109. Plagis went on to score 15 aerial victories before the end of World War II. |
Merlins over Malta by Gerald Coulson. If the German and Italian forces were to succeed in their campaign in North Africa something had to be done about Malta. British submarines and torpedo carrying aircraft based on the tiny Mediterranean island were wreaking havoc with Axis shipping, severely hampering their efforts to get supplies and reinforcements through. The German High Command had had enough and the order came to obliterate the island. Malta immediately came under continual day and night aerial bombardment from the combined strengths of the Luftwaffe and Italian Regia Aeronautica. So intense was the onslaught that by the end of 1942 Malta had become the most heavily bombed place on earth. Too far away for fighters to fly from Gibraltar, any reinforcements would have to be brought part way by aircraft carrier. Until Churchills order to send the latest Spitfires came in March 1942, the island had to defend itself as best as it could with what remained serviceable of the few obsolescent Hurricanes flown to the island off HMS Argus in 1940, and from Ark Royal and Victorious in 1941. Gerald Coulsons painting Merlins over Malta shows Hurricanes of 126 Squadron, based at the islands Ta Qali airfield, diving to intercept a force of Junkers JU88 bombers as they make an attack on the port at Valletta. In the foreground of this powerful reconstruction is Hurricane Z3055, which is currently undergoing restoration for the Malta Aviation Museum. A memorable collector print in support of a truly memorable passage of history. Gerald Coulsons painting Merlins over Malta was specially commissioned to help raise funds for the Merlins over Malta Appeal, which aims to bring a Spitfire and Hurricane back to the scene of their epic defence, each print has been signed by famous Malta fighter pilots, and importantly every copy sold will directly benefit the Appeal. |
Gallant Ohio by Robert Taylor Spitfires of 126 and 185 Squadrons successfully fend off a last desperate attempt by enemy aircraft to sink the crippled American tanker Ohio, still some 80 miles short of the beleaguered island of Malta. Badly damaged and barely afloat the Ohio, assisted by Royal Navy destroyers Penn, (foreground), Bramham (lashed to Ohios port side) and Ledbury, limped into port to a tumultuous welcome, on August 15, 1942. Her vital cargo of fuel kept the islands air defences alive, and ultimately made the island secure. |
Malta - George Cross by Robert Taylor. Pilot Officer John Bisley of 126 Squadron in combat with Me 109s from JG-53 during one of the intense aerial air battles over Valetta in April 1942. Between the summer of 1940 and the end of 1942, Malta became one of the most bombed places on earth. The RAFs desperate fight to retain control of the diminutive Mediterranean island, and the defiant courage of the people of Malta, is one of the epic stories of World War Two. |
Back from Normandy by Nicolas Trudgian. Like the Messerschmitt 109, its great adversary throughout almost six years of aerial combat, the Spitfire was a fighter par excellence. Good as many other types may have been, these two aircraft became symbols of the two opposing air forces they represented. Their confrontation, which began in 1940 during the Battle of Britain, continued without interruption until the last days of World War Two. From an air force teetering on extinction in the dark days of 1940, by the summer of 1944 the pilots of RAF Fighter Command had fought their way back to become top dogs. And when the invasion of northern France came, they swept over the beaches in force, cutting deep into enemy occupied territory, hammering the enemy in the air and on the ground. Key to this air superiority was the supreme performance of the Spitfire, its ability to out-fly the Luftwaffes best, and the wily leadership of the pilots who had survived the early air battles of the war. Among the best was 26 year old Pete Brothers, by 1944 a highly successful and experienced fighter pilot commanding his own Wing. Having fought through the battles of France and Britain, now with a clutch of air victories to his credit, in 1944 he took command of first the Exeter Wing, and then the Culmhead Wing, ideally placed to support the coming invasion of Normandy. Nick Trudgians striking painting recreates a typical scene as Mk IX Spitfires of 126 Squadron, led by Wing Commander Pete Brothers flying his Mk V11 Spitfire wearing high altitude paint scheme, race back to base at RAF Culmhead after a low-level attack on enemy transport in Normandy. The Culmhead Spitfire Wing flew constant armed Rhubarb attacks in support of the invasion from D-Day - June 6 1944 - till the first improvised strips were established in France a few weeks following the invasion. This beautiful aviation print, contrasting the frenetic pace of war with a restful English coastal landscape, evokes the memory of a legendary fighter aircraft that, flown by gallant pilots, helped change the course of history. Prints are signed by Pete Brothers and two other pilots who flew Spitfires in combat during World War II. |
| No.126 Sqn RAF Aircraft details |
 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. | |
 Mustang Manufacturer : North American | Mustang The ubiquitous North American P-51 Mustang, which many consider to be the best all-around fighter of WW II, owes its origins to the British Air Ministry. Following Britains entry into WW II in 1939, the RAF was interested in purchasing additional fighter aircraft from American sources, particularly the Curtiss P-40. Curtiss, which was busy, was unable to guarantee timely delivery so the British approached North American Aviation as a possible second source for the P-40. North American chose to propose its own fighter design which would use the same Allison engine as the P-40. Utilizing new laminar flow wings, the North American fighter was expected to have performance better than the P-40. Developed in record time the new aircraft was designated as a Mustang I by the Brits, whereas the USAAF ordered two for evaluation which were designated XP-51 Apaches. Intrigued with the possibility of using this aircraft also as a dive bomber, North American proposed this to the USAAF which decided to order 500 of the P-51 aircraft to be modified for dive bombing use. Designated as the A-36 Invader, this version of the Mustang utilized dive flaps, and bomb racks under each wing. Some reinforcing of the structural members was also required because of the G-forces to be encountered in dive bombing. A-36s entered combat service with the USAAF prior to any P-51s. In early 1943 the 86th and 27th Fighter Bomber Groups of the 12th Air Force began flying A-36s out of Northern Africa. Despite some early problems with instability caused by the dive flaps, the A-36 was effective in light bombing and strafing roles. It was not, however, capable of dog fighting with German fighters, especially at higher altitudes. Despite these drawbacks one USAAF pilot, Captain Michael T. Russo, who served with the 16th Bomb Squadron of the 27th Fighter Bomber Group, was credited with five confirmed aerial victories in the A-36, thereby becoming the first mustang ace. | |
 Spitfire Manufacturer : Supermarine Built : 20351 | Spitfire Royal Air Force fighter aircraft, maximum speed for mark I Supermarine Spitfire, 362mph up to The Seafire 47 with a top speed of 452mph. maximum ceiling for Mk I 34,000feet up to 44,500 for the mark XIV. Maximum range for MK I 575 miles . up to 1475 miles for the Seafire 47. Armament for the various Marks of Spitfire. for MK I, and II . eight fixed .303 browning Machine guns, for MKs V-IX and XVI two 20mm Hispano cannons and four .303 browning machine guns. and on later Marks, six to eight Rockets under the wings or a maximum bomb load of 1,000 lbs. Designed by R J Mitchell, The proto type Spitfire first flew on the 5th March 1936. and entered service with the Royal Air Force in August 1938, with 19 squadron based and RAF Duxford. by the outbreak of World war two, there were twelve squadrons with a total of 187 spitfires, with another 83 in store. Between 1939 and 1945, a large variety of modifications and developments produced a variety of MK,s from I to XVI. The mark II came into service in late 1940, and in March 1941, the Mk,V came into service. To counter the Improvements in fighters of the Luftwaffe especially the FW190, the MK,XII was introduced with its Griffin engine. The Fleet Air Arm used the Mk,I and II and were named Seafires. By the end of production in 1948 a total of 20,351 spitfires had been made and 2408 Seafires. The most produced variant was the Spitfire Mark V, with a total of 6479 spitfires produced. The Royal Air Force kept Spitfires in front line use until April 1954. | |
| No.126 Sqn RAF Pilot and aircrew signature details |
 Flight Lieutenant John Bisley Our estimated value of this signature : £50 | Flight Lieutenant John Bisley Fl Lt John Bisley DFC Royal Australian Air Force, fighter pilot joined the RAAF in 1940 and was posted to England where he joined 122 Sqn RAF. On 29 March 1942 he flew a Spitfire off HMS Eagle and landed at Malta as part of operation Picket II. On 5 April 1942 Plt Off John Bisley was flying one of three Mk VB Spitfires of 126 Sqn RAF who intercepted 100 German aircraft attacking Malta. He was then attacked by 12 Me109s from JG-53 who took it in turns to attack two at a time to try and shoot him down and he was hit by 55 cannon shells. Fl Lt John Bisley DFC said I would flick the aircraft over, standing it on its wingtip just 5 or 10 feet above the water and pulll into a tight turn go part way then flick back the other way. He then made a wheels up landing at Ta Kali and watched from a slit trench as two of the 109s then strafed what was left of his Spitfire. This was the intense aerial air battles over Valetta in April 1942. Between the summer of 1940 and the end of 1942, Malta became one of the most bombed places on earth. The RAFs desperate fight to retain control of the diminutive Mediterranean island, and the defiant courage of the people of Malta, is one of the epic stories of World War Two. Bisley was awareded the DFC on the 7th July 1942. From April to early July, Bisley shot down a Junkers Ju88, a Ju87, two Me109s a Macchi MC202 and a half share in a Savoia-Marchetti SM.84. He returned back the England and then to Australia in August 1942 joinming 452 Sqn in Darwin flying Spitfire MKVs. On 20 June 1943, Flight Lieutenant John Henry Eric Bisley (402720) shot down a Nakajima KI-49 (Helen) (Squadron Leader R. S. MacDonald, and Flight Lieutenant D. Evans also each shot down a Japanese Helen or Sally.) John Bisley became a test and ferry pilot from 1944 and then a instructor at the Central Flying School. He left the Ryal Australian Air Force in August 1945 and after the war established an import export business. | |
Flt. Lt. John (Chips) Carpenter DFC Our estimated value of this signature : £25 Died : 2005 | Flt. Lt. John (Chips) Carpenter DFC Flt. Lt. John Chips Carpenter DFC was born on 9 April 1921. He began elementary flying instruction at Redhill and later on Harvards at Turnhill with the RAF in February 1939 and on completion of his training he joined 263 Squadron at Filton in November. On 21 April 1940 the squadron embarked on HMS Glorious for Norway, flying off three days later to land on a frozen lake. By the 26th all the Gladiators were either destroyed or unserviceable, so 263 Squadron re-embarked for the UK. In May another attempt was made. From the 21st until it re-embarked on HMS Glorious on 6 June the squadron gave a good account of itself, covering the evacuation of the Army and flying offensive patrols. The carrier was sunk by enemy action soon after sailing and nearly all 263's pilots were lost. Carpenter had not flown on to the carrier and returned to the UK by another ship. He joined 222 Squadron on Spitfires at Hornchurch in late June 1940 in time for the evacuation of Dunkirk. On 31 August he claimed a probable Bf109, on 1 September he destroyed another Bf109, on the 3rd a Bf110 and on the 4th a further Bf109. Soon afterwards he was shot down and wounded and returned to the squadron in October. Carpenter stayed with 222 Sqn. until April 1941, when he was posted to 46 Squadron, just as it prepared to go to the Middle East. The squadron embarked on HMS Argus, before transferring to the Ark Royal, from which they flew off to Hal Far, Malta on 6 June. 46 Squadron was kept in Malta and re-numbered 126 Squadron. On 30 June Carpenter shot down a Mc200, on 4 September he claimed another, on 8 November a Mc202, on the 12th another Mc202 and on 27 December he shot a Ju88 down into the sea. Carpenter, who had been a Flight Commander since early October, was awarded the DFC (2.1.42) and posted to 92 Squadron in the Western Desert. In May 1942 he covered the invasion of Sicily and Italy and was given command of 72 Squadron at Anzio. After a rest Carpenter was given command of 72 Squadron at Lago, Italy in January 1944. On 11 April he was posted away, received a Bar to the DFC (7.7.44) and returned to the UK. He went to Hawker's as a production test pilot. Carpenter was granted a Permanent Commission in September 1945 and he retired on 31 December 1959, as a Flight Lieutenant, retaining the rank of Squadron Leader. Post war he served as CO in Kai Tek, Hong Kong. He died 11th February 2005. | |
Flight Lieutenant Ken Evans DFC Our estimated value of this signature : £45 | Flight Lieutenant Ken Evans DFC Joining the RAF in 1939, Ken Evans was posted to 600 Squadron, where he flew night operations. In September 1941 he was posted to 130 Squadron to fly Spitfires, and in early 1942 was ordered to Malta. Arriving in Gibraltar he joined the carrier HMS Eagle. On 18 May he flew his Spitfire to Malta from the Eagle, to join 126 Squadron. Seeing much action over the island in June and July, in August he returned to Gibraltar to lead a new flight back to Malta, this time embarking on the carrier HMS Furious. One of 126 Squadrons most successful pilots on Malta, Ken was awarded the DFC on 1st December 1942, and credited with 5 destroyed, 3 probables and 3 damaged. Commissioned on Malta, he returned to the UK, and in September 1943 was posted to 165 Squadron as a flight commander. | |
  Squadron Leader Harry Moon Our estimated value of this signature : £50 Died : 2014 | Squadron Leader Harry Moon Flying his Hurricane off the carrier Ark Royal for Malta on June 30th 1941, Harry Moon was fortunate to arrive on the island to join 249 Squadron in a period when the opposition was provided by the Italians. The Hurricane were equal to this task and Moon took part in many combats. However, in December the Lufttwaffe appeared again and losses rose sharply. In February 1942, he was transferred to 126 Squadron when 249 was temporarily disbanded as a result of losses and pending the arrival of Spitfires. In April 1942, he was posted to the Middle East. He died on 29th April 2014. | |
 Wing Commander Roderick Smith DFC* Our estimated value of this signature : £40 Died : 2002 | Wing Commander Roderick Smith DFC* Flight Commander 412 Sqn RCAF, Flight Commander 126 Sqn RAF, Squadron Commander 401 Sqn RCAF. One of Canada's most skillful Spitfire pilots, his victory total included a shared victory over an Me262 jet fighter.Born in 1922, he joined the RCAF and was sent to Scotland for training on the Spitfire Mk.I. He was posted to Malta with No.126 Sqn, where his older brother was already serving. His brother was killed in action during theit time in Malta, and Roderick himself was forced to bail out of his burning aircraft. On D-Day, he flew over the Normandy beaches as Flight Commander of No.412 Sqn RCAF. He returned to Canada in December 1944 and retired the next year. Sadly, Roderick Smith died on 16th April 2002. | |
Flying Officer Harry Thomas Our estimated value of this signature : £35 | Flying Officer Harry Thomas No.126 Sqn, RAF Bentwaters. | |
| Aces for : No.126 Sqn RAF | ||
| A list of all Aces from our database who are known to have flown with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking the pilots name. | ||
| Name | Victories | Info |
| Agorastos John Plagis | 16.00 | |
| Roderick Illingworth Alpine Smith | 13.20 | The signature of Roderick Illingworth Alpine Smith features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
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