Aviation Art of No.50 Sqn

Hampden
Manufacturer : Handley Page
Built : 1500

Hampden
The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was a twin-engine medium bomber built for the Royal Air Force and was used by Bomber Command in the early years of world war two. Along with the other medium bombers the Whitley and Wellington, the Hampden bore the brunt of the early bombing war over Europe, taking part in the first night raid on Berlin and the first 1,000-plane raid on Cologne. The newest of the three medium bombers, the Hampden was known as the Flying Suitcase because of its cramped crew conditions. A total of 226 Hampdens were in service with eight Royal Air Force squadrons by the start of the Second World War. Despite its speed and agility, in operational use the Hampden was no match for the fighters of the Luftwaffe (ME109 and FW 190) and the Hampdens role as a day bomber was brief, but Hampdens continued to operate at night on bombing raids over Germany and in mine laying (code-named gardening) in the North Sea. Almost half of the Hampdens built – 714, were lost on operations, witht he loss of 1,077 crew killed and another 739 missing. German flak accounted for 108; with one Hampden being lost due to German Barrage balloons; 263 Hampdens crashed due to a variety of causes, and 214 others were classed as missing. Luftwaffe pilots claimed 128 Hampdens, shooting down 92 at night. The Hampden soon became obsolete for its roll as a medium modern bomber, after operating mainly at night, it was retired from Bomber Command service in late 1942. but continued with Coastal Command throughout 1943 as a long-range Torpedo Bomber (the Hampden TB Mk I which carried the Mk XII torpedo in an open bomb-bay and a single 500 lb (230 kg) bomb under each wing) The Hampden was also used by the Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Lancaster
Manufacturer : Avro
Built : 7377

Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster arose from the avro Manchester and the first prototype Lancaster was a converted Manchester with four engines. The Lancaster was first flown in January 1941, and started operations in March 1942. By March 1945 The Royal Air Force had 56 squadrons of Lancasters with the first squadron equipped being No.44 Squadron. During World War Two the Avro Lancaster flew 156,000 sorties and dropped 618,378 tonnes of bombs between 1942 and 1945. Lancaster Bomberss took part in the devastating round-the-clock raids on Hamburg during Air Marshall Harris' "Operation Gomorrah" in July 1943. Just 35 Lancasters completed more than 100 successful operations each, and 3,249 were lost in action. The most successful survivor completed 139 operations, and the Lancaster was scrapped after the war in 1947. A few Lancasters were converted into tankers and the two tanker aircraft were joined by another converted Lancaster and were used in the Berlin Airlift, achieving 757 tanker sorties. A famous Lancaster bombing raid was the 1943 mission, codenamed Operation Chastise, to destroy the dams of the Ruhr Valley. The operation was carried out by 617 Squadron in modified Mk IIIs carrying special drum shaped bouncing bombs designed by Barnes Wallis. Also famous was a series of Lancaster attacks using Tallboy bombs against the German battleship Tirpitz, which first disabled and later sank the ship. The Lancaster bomber was the basis of the new Avro Lincoln bomber, initially known as the Lancaster IV and Lancaster V. (Becoming Lincoln B1 and B2 respectively.) Their Lancastrian airliner was also based on the Lancaster but was not very successful. Other developments were the Avro York and the successful Shackleton which continued in airborne early warning service up to 1992.

Lincoln
Manufacturer : Avro
Built : 624

Lincoln
he first RAF Lincolns joined No. 57 Squadron at East Kirby in 1945. No. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron RAF began re-equipping with Lincolns at RAF Spilsby during August 1945. However, 75 (NZ) Sqn received just three aircraft before VJ Day. In the postwar Royal Air Force, the Lincoln equipped many bomber squadrons. Nearly 600 Lincolns were built to equip 29 RAF squadrons, mainly based in the United Kingdom. They were partially replaced by 88 Boeing Washingtons, on loan from the USAF, which had longer range and could reach targets inside the Iron Curtain. Small numbers remained in use with Nos 7, 83 and 97 Squadrons until the end of 1955, when they were replaced by the first of the V bombers. RAF Lincolns were used in combat during the 1950s, in Kenya against the Mau-Mau, operating from Eastleigh, and also served in Malaya during the Malayan Emergency, against insurgents aligned to the Malayan Communist Party. In Malaya, Lincolns operated from Changi and Tengah, More than 3,000 sorties were flown during their 7 1⁄2-year deployment, with half a million pounds of bombs dropped. This equated to 85% of the bomb tonnage dropped during the Malayan emergency. On 12 March 1953, a RAF Lincoln (RF531 "C") of Central Gunnery School was shot down 20 mi (32 km) NE of Lüneburg, Germany by several Soviet MiG-15s as it flew to Berlin on a radar reconnaissance flight, resulting in the deaths of the seven crew members. In November 1955, four Lincolns of No. 7 Squadron RAF were detached for duties in British territories in the Middle East. In Bahrain, they carried out border patrols of the then Trucial States. When 7 Sqn was disbanded in December 1955, the four detached crews and aircraft became No. 1426 Flight RAF, officially a photographic reconnaissance unit. It was later sent to Aden, carrying out patrols in the lead up to the Aden Emergency. As the RAF Lincolns became unserviceable due to wear and tear, they were replaced by jet aircraft. The Lincolns of Bomber Command were phased out from the mid-1950s and were completely replaced by jet bombers by 1963. The last Lincolns in RAF service were five operated by No. 151 Squadron, Signals Command, at RAF Watton, Norfolk, which were retired on 12 March 1963. From late 1946, Australian-built Lincolns were phased into No. 82 Wing RAAF at RAAF Amberley, replacing the Consolidated Liberators operated by 12, 21 and 23 Squadrons. In February 1948, these units were renumbered 1, 2 and 6 Squadrons respectively; a fourth RAAF Lincoln squadron, No. 10 was formed on 17 March 1949 at RAAF Townsville as a reconnaissance unit. RAAF Lincolns took part in operations in Malaya in the 1950s, operating alongside RAF examples. The RAAF based the B.Mk 30s of No.1 Squadron at Tengah, for the duration of operations in Malaya. The RAAF Lincolns were retired in 1961, with the MR.Mk 31s of No. 10 Squadron being the final variant to see service in Australia.

Manchester
Manufacturer : Avro

Manchester
No profile available

Vulcan
Manufacturer : Avro

Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan was the worlds first delta winged heavy bomber. the first prototype flew on the 30th August 1952 and the first production Vulcan flew in February 1955. The first Avro Vulcan's arrived for service with the Royal Air Force with 230 operational Conversion Unit (OCU) at RAF Finningley in May 1956. with the first squadron to receive the Vulcan in July 1957 was 83 squadron. In April 1968 Bomber Command merged into the Newly created Strike Command with eight Squadrons being equipped with Vulcan's. A terrain Hugging variant was introduced (the Vulcan SR2) in 1973, to all squadrons except no. 27 squadron (Flying Elephants) which was a Maritime reconnaissance Sqd. The Last Major role for the Avro Bomber was the bombing of Argentinean Airfields in the Falkland Islands During The Falklands Conflict The Avro Vulcan high Altitude Bomber with a crew of five. Top Speed 650 mph with a ceiling of 60,000 feet. maximum range of 5750 miles (with in flight refuelling). with a conventional bomb load of 21 x 1000 lb bombs

Wellington
Manufacturer : Vickers

Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a Bomber aircraft and also used for maritime reconnaissance. and had a normal crew of six except in the MKV and VI where a crew of three was used. Maximum speed was 235 mph (MK1c) 255 mph (MK III, X) and 299 mph (MK IIII), normal operating range of 1805 miles (except MK III which was 1470miles) The Wellington or Wimpy as it was known, was the major bomber of the Royal Air Force between 1939 and 1943. The Royal Air Force received its first Wellingtons in October 1938 to 99 squadron. and by the outbreak of World war two there were 6 squadrons equipped with the Vickers Wellington. Due to heavy losses on daylight raids, the Wellington became a night bomber and from 1940 was also used as a long range bomber in North Africa. and in 1942 also became a long range bomber for the royal Air Force in India. It was well used by Coastal Command as a U-Boat Hunter. The Wellington remained in service with the Royal Air Force until 1953. Probably due to its versatile use, The aircraft was also used for experimental work including the fitting of a pressure cabin for High altitude tests. The Vickers Wellington could sustain major damage and still fly, probably due to its construction of its geodesic structure and practical application of geodesic lines. Designed by Sir Barnes Wallis

No.50 Sqn RAF
Pilot and aircrew signature details

Air Vice-Marshal N B Baldwin CB CBE FRAeS
Our estimated value of this signature : £10

Air Vice-Marshal N B Baldwin CB CBE FRAeS

Air Vice-Marshal N B Baldwin CB CBE FRAcS was a Vulcan Mk 2 pilot for most of his flying career. A Cranwell flight cadet, he joined IX Sqn at RAF Coningsby as a co-pilot in 1963, became a captain on 35 Sqn at Cottesmore 2 years later, was a flight commander on the same squadron at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus in 1970 and commanded 50 Sqn at Waddington towards the end of the aircraft's operational life in the late '70s. He has over 3000 hours on the aircraft. He was then station commander of RAF Wyton when it was a Canberra, Nimrod R, and Bloodhound base; he retired in 1996 having been the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Overseas) in the Ministry of Defence. Since 1996, he has been the Chairman of the RAF Historical Society and the Chairman of 'Combat Stress' - the Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society.

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham GCB CBE DFC AFC FRAeS
Our estimated value of this signature : £40
Died : 2015

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham GCB CBE DFC AFC FRAeS

Marshal of the RAF Sir Michael Beetham, who has died aged 92, was, with the exception of the RAFs founder, MRAF the Lord Trenchard, the longest serving Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). In a career that took him from flying bombing raids to Berlin during the Second World War to overseeing the RAF's successful role in the Falklands War he was never less than personally courageous and a tenacious champion of the Force. Beetham became CAS on August 1 1977 after Sir Neil Cameron had been promoted to be Chief of the Defence Staff following the untimely death of Marshal of the RAF Sir Andrew Humphrey. He inherited the appointment at a difficult time and at a relatively young age. Recognising the seriously impaired morale of the service following the heavy cuts his predecessors had been compelled to accept, he set about restoring some stability and improving the terms of service of RAF personnel. Along with his fellow Chiefs, he had to address the severe problems of service pay, which were seriously hindering recruitment and causing an exodus of skilled people. The need for the military to meet the demands of the fireman's strike at the end of 1977 brought the issue into the public domain. By the middle of April 1978, the Labour Government had not addressed the matter, so the four Chiefs released details to the national press. The story was covered in considerable detail and it attracted much public support but it earned the Chiefs a very sharp public reprimand from the Prime Minister. Within a few weeks the Armed Forces Pay Review Board recommended a significant pay increase. On his first visit to an RAF station after this result, Beetham earned a spontaneous round of applause. Soon after the election of Margaret Thatcher's government in 1979 he faced further serious challenges when it was decided to carry out a major defence review. Beetham had ensured that the senior appointments on the Air Staff were filled by the brightest men of that RAF generation. Thus he was well-equipped to fight the RAF's corner, which he did with considerable skill, tenacity and resolve, during the Nott Review. While major issues such as the purchase of Trident and the deployment of cruise missiles were being debated at Chiefs of Staff level, there were many RAF matters also engaging his attention. The Tornado had just entered service and he had to defend it against much unjustified criticism in the early days. The RAF's air defence posture was also far from satisfactory and the purchase of helicopters and development of the transport force were other important issues. He was also determined to build up the RAF Regiment and the revived Royal Auxiliary Air Force which had been cut in the 1957 Defence White Paper. He was nearing retirement when the Argentine forces invaded the Falkland Islands on April 2 1982. As Admiral Sir Terence Lewin was in Australia for defence talks, Beetham was acting Chief of Defence Staff. He was undoubtedly vexed by the direct approach made by Admiral Leach, the First Sea Lord, to the Prime Minister, without any prior consultation with his fellow Chiefs, during which he convinced her that the islands could be retaken by an amphibious-led assault. He put this episode aside, however, and set about energetically drawing up plans on how the RAF could be involved most effectively. At the heart of this was Beetham's concern that the RAF should make a direct operational contribution and not be confined solely to the re-supply of men and materials. He put the whole of the RAF's transport fleet on standby, despatched Nimrods to Ascension Island and pressed successfully for the employment of RAF Harriers from the Navy's aircraft carriers. With his knowledge of strategic bombing and his expertise on air-to-air refuelling, he instructed his staffs to assess if a bombing attack against Port Stanley Airfield was feasible. He appreciated that there was little prospect of inflicting lasting, or major, damage but he believed such an attack, mounted at extreme range – the longest bombing operation from base to target at the time – would send a clear message to the Argentines that air power based on Ascension Island could pose a major threat to mainland Argentina, in addition to boosting the morale of the islanders. He realised that such an attack was an especially demanding undertaking for his Vulcan bomber and Victor tanker crews but he pushed for it in the face of some scepticism in Whitehall. For Beetham, the operation was a potent illustration of the case for the strategic impact and flexibility of air power which he had argued for during the previous year's defence review, and a confirmation that the qualities of daring and courage which he had experienced in Bomber Command during his time as a Lancaster pilot in the Second World War were still present in the service which he led. His personal staffs later recalled that at the moment he learned of the success of the operation, his eyes filled with tears and he beat his hand with his fist, a rare display of emotion. A few months after the end of the Falklands conflict, Beetham handed over the reins to his successor and retired from the service. The son of Major G C Beetham MC, Michael James Beetham was born on May 17 1923 in London and educated at St Marylebone Grammar School. He volunteered for the RAF in 1941 and trained as a pilot in the USA under the US/UK bi-lateral Arnold Scheme. On his return to England, Beetham trained on Lancasters, an aircraft he would describe later in his life as the one for which he had the greatest affection. He joined Bomber Command's No 50 Squadron in November 1943 just as the Battle of Berlin had got under way and flew his Lancaster to the city no fewer than ten times. He also flew on the disastrous raid to Nuremberg on the night of March 30/31 1944 when 96 of the bomber force failed to return. Such losses had a profound affect on the 20-year-old Beetham. Although his bomber was damaged by anti-aircraft fire on a number of occasions, he faced his greatest danger on a training flight when he and his crew were forced to bale out of their burning Lancaster. He went on to survive 30 operations over Germany when the losses were at their highest. Assessed as an outstanding pilot, he was awarded the DFC for his gallantry and leadership. After a period training bomber crews, he returned to operations as the war ended and dropped food supplies to the starving Dutch population during April and May 1945. Offered a permanent commission in the peacetime RAF, Beetham served at HQ Bomber Command. In August 1949 he assumed command of No 82 Squadron flying Lancasters on photographic survey and aerial mapping for the Colonial Office in East and West Africa. In 1953 he moved to the operational requirements branch in the Air Ministry where the issues of bringing the three V-bombers into service took up much of his time. He was closely involved in drafting the specification for the TSR 2 aircraft, and its subsequent cancellation was, in his view, a grave mistake. During this period he attended the 1956 atomic weapons trials at Maralinga, Australia, where he witnessed the four tests. This experience had a major influence on his later strategic thinking and the employment of nuclear weapons. Beetham joined the V-Force in 1958 when he was given command of No 214 Squadron operating the Valiant. The squadron was about to embark on air-to-air refuelling trials. He recognised the strategic significance this capability afforded for projecting air power at extreme range and he strove to perfect the flying techniques and procedures. A year later he felt ready to demonstrate the value of this additional capability with a number of special long-distance flights. On July 9 1959 he and his crew took off from Marham in Norfolk and headed for South Africa. Refuelling in flight twice, they arrived over Cape Town after a flight of 11 hours 28 minutes. A few days later they returned in just over 12 hours. These two non-stop flights broke the speed record for the distance and provided a convincing demonstration of the feasibility and potential of air-to-air refuelling. For his work, Beetham was awarded the AFC. Then almost totally a Bomber Command man, Beetham spent the next four years in senior staff appointments working for some of the Command's most dedicated and forthright commanders. These challenging times included the Cuban missile crisis and the shooting down of Gary Powers over the Soviet Union, an incident which exposed the vulnerability of the Valiants and other V-force aircraft to a new generation of Soviet Missiles. The cancellation of Skybolt and the acquisition of Polaris, which led to the transfer of the UK's strategic nuclear deterrent capability to the Royal Navy, had major implications for Bomber Command and he was deeply involved in the staff work. Identified as heading for the top of his service, there was a need to broaden his experience. So, in 1964, he was sent to Aden to command Khormaksar, then the RAF's largest operational base, operating a wide variety of tactical and transport aircraft, but no bombers. His arrival coincided with the start of a major terrorist campaign against British forces and his squadrons were in action over Radfan and in support of ground forces throughout the troubled colony. After two years as the Director of Strike Operations in MOD, Beetham took command of the RAF's Staff College at Bracknell. In August 1972, he became Assistant Chief of Staff (Plans and Policy) at SHAPE, an appointment that over a number of years attracted the RAF's most capable senior officers. He worked under the charismatic and bullish American General Al Haig and his work was at the heart of Nato policy making, in particular the nuclear planning aspects. This unique opportunity to work in the international arena was to prove a great asset in his future appointments. After a period as the Deputy C-in-C at Strike Command, he left in January 1976 to be the C-in-C of RAF Germany and Commander Second Allied Tactical Air Force. His RAF squadrons were in the midst of a major aircraft re-equipment programme and there was great emphasis on the ability of his airbases to survive any pre-emptive attack. This exposure to tactical operations and integrating his squadrons' capabilities with those of other Allied air and land forces was invaluable when he took up his appointment as CAS. Beetham always maintained that his time in Germany was one of his most challenging and satisfying. Throughout his career, Beetham was determined to keep flying and remain abreast of current capabilities and tactics. He was a very determined man who dominated his service during his time as CAS giving it strong leadership. He fought tenaciously for the RAF's cause and was unafraid of taking a combative stance if he felt it necessary. No detail escaped his attention, and he was always the master of his brief. At heart, and more privately, he was an intensely loyal and compassionate man. He was, however, a product of his generation in not overtly displaying that latter quality. Indeed, he was seen by some as an authoritarian figure, not a natural communicator, and he never sought popularity but he was considered by many to be one of the RAF's strongest and most influential Cold War chiefs. After retiring from the RAF, Beetham's services and experience were much in demand. For four years he was chairman of GEC Avionics but the RAF remained his greatest love. For many years he continued to have an influence on numerous service issues, all with a view to improving its capabilities and public image. He joined the Board of the RAF Museum at Hendon in 1984 at a time when it was emerging from the growing pains of early expansion. The addition of the Battle of Britain and the Bomber Command Halls had over-extended its finances. Beetham was determined to ensure the debts were covered but the fund-raising strategy he inherited was fatally flawed. In characteristically vigorous style, and with the help of key trustees, he negotiated for the debt to be paid through a loan agreement with HM Treasury. With the survival of the museum in question, Beetham's consistent support of the organisational changes introduced by a new director secured its future. With the foundations laid, he retired in 2000 after 15 years as chairman. In recognition of his significant service the Trustees named their new conservation centre at RAF Cosford after him in 2002. Determined to put the RAF's history on a formal footing, he was a leading instigator in the formation of the RAF Historical Society in 1986 and remained the society's president until his death. He also gave great support to the RAF Club in Piccadilly and was a long-serving president who took a close interest in the club's affairs. For many years he was president of the Bomber Command Association. He was instrumental in the erection of a statue to his wartime chief, Sir Arthur Harris, at the RAF Church of St Clement Danes in London. After it became apparent that successive governments would not sanction a Bomber Command Medal, he poured his energy and influence, into the creation of a major memorial to all the lost aircrew of the Command. Despite failing health, he was determined to see the culmination of his efforts and he was able to attend the dedication of the memorial by the Queen in Green Park in July 2012. Beetham never forgot his lost comrades. In 1981 he unveiled a memorial on the site of his old airfield at Skellingthorpe near Lincoln, which commemorates the 1,984 men killed flying from the airfield. He was assiduous at attending annual reunions, on one occasion meeting up with four men of his old crew who had not seen each other since the end of the war. A keen golfer and tennis player in his younger days, and in retirement a captain of the Royal Norfolk Golf Club, Beetham was appointed CBE (1967), KCB (1976) and GCB (1978). He was a Deputy Lieutenant of Norfolk, was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (1982), and was an Honorary Liveryman of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators. He was awarded the Polish Order of Merit in 1998. Michael Beetham married Patricia Lane in 1956 and she survives him with their son and daughter.

Flight Lieutenant Edward Johnson
Our estimated value of this signature : £65
Died : 2002

Flight Lieutenant Edward Johnson

He joined the RAFVR early in the war, serving with 50 and 106 Squadrons. When he joined 617 Squadron in 1943 he was the bomb aimer on Lancaster AJ-N piloted by Les Knight on the Dambusters raid. During that raid they first attacked the Mohne Dam and then went on to attack and actually breach the Eder Dam, for which he was awarded the DFC. Later in 1943 he was shot down but evaded capture and during a two month journey returned to England via Holland, France, Spain and Gibraltar. Sadly, Edward Johnson died 1st October 2002.

Flight Lieutenant William J Kelbrick
Our estimated value of this signature : £10

Flight Lieutenant William J Kelbrick

Gunner, No.50 and No.9 Squadrons.

Air Marshal Sir Harold (Mick) Martin KCB CB DSO* AFC RAAF
Our estimated value of this signature : £80
Died : 1988

Air Marshal Sir Harold (Mick) Martin KCB CB DSO* AFC RAAF

Born 27th February 1918, Australian Mick Martin joined the RAF in 1940 and had flown tours with 455 Squadron RAAF and 50 Squadron RAF before joining Guy Gibson at 617 Squadron. Pilot of AJ-P, Mick Martin was Deputy Leader of the Dams Raid and flew in Gibsons lead group. Third aircraft to attack the Mohne Dam, he was awarded the DSO for his part in the raid. Mick Martin later served with Leonard Cheshire, and went on to a distinguished career after the war. ADC to the Queen in 1963, he eventually retired from the RAF as an Air Marshal in 1974. Mick Martin died 3rd November 1988.

Warrant Officer Reg Payne
Our estimated value of this signature : £15

Warrant Officer Reg Payne

Having completed his training as a WOP/Air Gunner he joined 50 Sqn on Lancasters in the same crew as Marshal of the RAF Sir Michael Beetham. With this crew he completed over 30 ops including 10 to Berlin.

Squadron Leader John Reeve
Our estimated value of this signature : £25

Squadron Leader John Reeve

Commanded the lead aircraft of Operation Black Buck 1, but was forced to return to base before reaching his objective when his aircraft suffered a pressurisation failure. Several days later he flew a near identical mission as Operation Black Buck 2 successfully targeted an Argentine airstrip at Port Stanley. He served with 9, 10 and 50 Squadrons.

Wing Commander Adrian Sumner
Our estimated value of this signature : £10

Wing Commander Adrian Sumner

Wing Commander Adrian Sumner joined the RAF in 1966. He first flew the Vulcan as a Co-pilot in Cyprus on IX Squadron in 1970; this was followed by a Captain's tour on 44 Sqn at RAF Waddington. After a brief sojourn at Central Flying School where he became a Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) on the Bulldog, Adrian returned to RAF Waddington as a Vulcan Squadron Flight Commander and Q171 on 50 Squadron, where he displayed the aircraft during the 1980 Season. Adrian's final association with the Vulcan was as Officer Commanding the RAF Detachment at Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha, Nebraska, USA, where Vulcan's frequently detached for low level training. The rest of Adrian's Service career was mainly associated with Flying Training, both at Support Command Headquarters and as Officer Commanding Operations and Pilot Training Wing at RAF Finningley, where he flew the Dominie, and was Chief Instructor on the Jetstream. His final tour in the RAF was with NATO at SHAPE Headquarters, Mons, Belgium. After leaving the RAF in 1997, Adrian flew the BAe146 for 2 airlines, and he now works as a contract pilot and QFI flying Royal Navy Jetstreams at RNAS Culdrose. He is also a qualified Balloon Pilot. During his flying career Adrian has currently amassed 8500 flying hours, of which 2300 were on the Vulcan.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Augustus Walker GCB CBE DSO DFC AFC
Our estimated value of this signature : £35
Died : 1986

Air Chief Marshal Sir Augustus Walker GCB CBE DSO DFC AFC

Born in 1912, Augustus Walker joined the RAF on a university commission in 1931. Serving with Bomber Command, he became a squadron leader and wing commander and was awarded both the DSO and DFC for his fine leadership, particularly on low level bombing raids, and for his invariable cheerfulness and his inspiring example. He lost his right arm when he and the crew of a fire tender approached a Lancaster which had caught fire on the runway and the 4000lb bomb suspended under the aircraft exploded. Despite this, he returned to active service with an artificial arm, and went on to take several key posts in the post-war RAF, including ADC to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. He died on 11th December 1986.

Squadron Leader E Gray Ward DFC
Our estimated value of this signature : £40

Squadron Leader E Gray Ward DFC

After joining the RAF in November 1940, Gray Ward trained as a pilot. His first operational squadron was 50 Squadron flying Lancasters, before he joined 57 Squadron as a Flight Commander. In late 1944 he was selected to join 617 Squadron, and took part in the 22,000lb 'Grand Slam' raids on the Bielefeld and Arnsberg viaducts.

Squadron Leader Martin Withers, DFC
Our estimated value of this signature : £35

Squadron Leader Martin Withers, DFC

Joined the RAF in 1968. In 1971, he was posted to 44 Sqn at RAF Waddington as a Vulcan co-pilot, remaining there on 50 Sqn as a captain until 1976. After 3 years as a Jet Provost QFI at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, he returned to RAF Scampton as a QFI on the Vulcan Operational Conversion Unit. When the OCU closed, he moved again to RAF Waddington as Pilot Leader and Squadron QFI on 101 Sqn. The following year, during the Falklands War, he and his crew were selected to fly 2 of the 5 Black Buck missions. Martin Withers was the captain on XM607, the first Vulcan to bomb in anger during the Falklands War. On 1 May 1982, just one month after the Argentine invasion, Withers and his crew completed Black Buck One, the longest distance bombing mission in history until that time, and one of the most significant, attacking Port Stanley airfield during an 8,000 mile, 16 hour flight from their base at Ascension Island. for which he was awarded the DFC, with the other crewmembers being Mentioned in Dispatches. With the final demise of the Vulcan squadrons, he returned to No1 FTS at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, where he served as squadron commander and Deputy Chief Instructor, until leaving the RAF in 1991, having flown over 5500 hours (2000 on Vulcans). Since then he has accumulated a further 9500 hours on a variety of airliners, and is now flying the Boeing 767.

Contact Details
Shipping Info
Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy
Privacy Policy

Sign Up To Our Newsletter!

Stay up to date with all our latest offers, deals and events as well as new releases and exclusive subscriber content!

This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE

Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com

Return to Home Page