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Rangers on the Rampage by Robert Taylor.
Flying the high speed low level Day Ranger missions in the Mosquito was one of
the most exhilarating forms of aerial combat experienced by aircrews in WWII.
Given a free hand at squadron level to select targets of opportunity deep inside
enemy held territory, operating the fastest piston engined aircraft of the war,
the Ranger Mosquito crews wreaked havoc in the air and on the ground literally
all over occupied Europe. Approaching their targets at tree top height, often
completely undetected, the element of surprise was usually total; one pair of
Mosquitoes arriving over an airfield near Kronigsburg found a ceremonial parade
in progress, broke up the party, and departed within seconds leaving five
aircraft burning and a bunch of German generals diving for cover beneath thei
staff cars! Typical of the Day Ranger squadrons was No.418 City of Edmonton
Squadron RCAF. Flying the Mosquito Fighter-Bomber MkVI, they completed over 3000
effective missions, destroyed 172 enemy aircraft - 73 on the ground - damaged a
further 103, and in addition brought down 83 buzz-bombs and destroyed countless
vehicles. In company with other Mosquito Ranger squadrons, they rampaged across
Europe with outstanding courage in the best traditions of the RAF and
Commonwealth Air Forces. Robert Taylors painting dramatically brings to life a
Mosquito attack on a German fighter station deep inside Germany. Arriving over
the target at little above hangar height, the two-ship mission announce their
arrival by raking the field with cannon and machine gun fire. Within seconds
both aircraft have scored direct hits with their 50lb bombs, and before the
defensive flak guns can get the range, the pair have departed for home. |
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Rangers on the Rampage by Robert Taylor.
Flying the high speed low level Day Ranger missions in the Mosquito was one of the most exhilarating forms of aerial combat experienced by aircrews in WWII. Given a free hand at squadron level to select targets of opportunity deep inside enemy held territory, operating the fastest piston engined aircraft of the war, the Ranger Mosquito crews wreaked havoc in the air and on the ground literally all over occupied Europe. Approaching their targets at tree top height, often completely undetected, the element of surprise was usually total; one pair of Mosquitoes arriving over an airfield near Kronigsburg found a ceremonial parade in progress, broke up the party, and departed within seconds leaving five aircraft burning and a bunch of German generals diving for cover beneath thei staff cars! Typical of the Day Ranger squadrons was No.418 City of Edmonton Squadron RCAF. Flying the Mosquito Fighter-Bomber MkVI, they completed over 3000 effective missions, destroyed 172 enemy aircraft - 73 on the ground - damaged a further 103, and in addition brought down 83 buzz-bombs and destroyed countless vehicles. In company with other Mosquito Ranger squadrons, they rampaged across Europe with outstanding courage in the best traditions of the RAF and Commonwealth Air Forces. Robert Taylors painting dramatically brings to life a Mosquito attack on a German fighter station deep inside Germany. Arriving over the target at little above hangar height, the two-ship mission announce their arrival by raking the field with cannon and machine gun fire. Within seconds both aircraft have scored direct hits with their 50lb bombs, and before the defensive flak guns can get the range, the pair have departed for home.
Signed limited edition of 850 prints. Paper size 32 inches x 23 inches (81cm x 58cm). Price £200.00 Signed by Air Marshal Sir Ivor Broom KCB CBE DSO DFC AFC (deceased), Squadron Leader TJ Tommy Broom DFC, Squadron Leader T Kearns, Squadron Leader Charles Patterson and Air Commodore E. B. Ted Sismore DSO DFC AFC
Group Captain John Cunningham CBE DSO DFC AE DL FRAeS (deceased) - Companion Print.
Limited edition of artist proofs. Paper size 32 inches x 23 inches (81cm x 58cm). Price £325.00 Signed by Air Marshal Sir Ivor Broom KCB CBE DSO DFC AFC (deceased), Squadron Leader TJ Tommy Broom DFC, Squadron Leader T Kearns, Squadron Leader Charles Patterson and Air Commodore E. B. Ted Sismore DSO DFC AFC.
Group Captain John Cunningham CBE DSO DFC AE DL FRAeS (deceased) - Companion Print.
ITEM CODE DHM2161
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Rangers on the Rampage by Robert Taylor
- The Signatures
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 | Air Marshal Sir Ivor Broom KCB CBE DSO DFC AFC (deceased)
Entering the RAF in 1940 he joined No 114 Squadron as a sergeant pilot flying Blenheims. After 12 operations he and his crew were allocated to No 105 Squadron and then No 107 Squadron, the last remaining Blenheim Squadron in Malta. The Squadron remained there without relief for five months carrying out low level attacks on the shipping. Very few of the original crews survived the detachment, in fact he was commissioned during this period, when 107 Squadron had lost all their officers and for a short time was the only officer, other than the CO, in the Squadron. At the end of this tour he was awarded the DFC. In early 1943 he became one of the first Mosquito instructors in the Pathfinder Force and later moved to No 571 Squadron with the Light Night Strike Force. He then formed No 163 Squadron as acting Wing Commander. He was awarded a bar to his DFC for a low level moonlight mining attack on the Dormund - Ems Canal from 50ft and then a second bar for getting a 4000lb bomb into the mouth of a railway tunnel during the final German Ardennes offensive. During his time on Mosquitoes his navigator was Tommy Broom, together they formed an inseparable combination. Remaining with the RAF after WWII and in accordance with peacetime rules for a much smaller Air Force he was reduced in rank first to Squadron Leader and then to Flight Lieutenant in 1948. Promoted to Air Marshal in 1974 he became the Head of the UK National Air Traffic Services and was the first serving officer to be appointed to the Board of the Civil Aviation Authority. Retiring from the RAF in 1979 he has been actively engaged in civil aviation since then. He died 24th January 2003.
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Squadron Leader TJ Tommy Broom DFC
As an observer with 105 Squadron he spent the early months of the WWII on Fairey Battles in France and then on Blenheims back in England. After spending a period as an instructor at 13 OTU he rejoined 105 Squadron on Mosquitoes, they were in fact the first squadron in the RAF to receive them. Through early 1942 he was navigator on many of the daylight raids carried out by 105 Squadron. In 1943 he became navigator to Ivor Broom (no relation) in 163 Squadron as part of the Light Night Strike Force and together they formed an inseparable and very successful combination. Known as 'The Flying Brooms' they were together throughout their time on Mosquitoes including the low level attack on the Dortmund - Ems Canal and 22 attacks on Berlin.
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Squadron Leader T Kearns
New Zealander Terry Kearns joined the RNZAF in December 1940, transferring to England in 1941 to join 75 (NZ) Squadron, flying Wellingtons. In 1942 he took part in the first 1000 bomber raids before joining 156 Squadron Pathfinders. After a period as an instructor, he joined 617 Squadron at Warboys on operations. He flew the Mosquito FBVI on precision low-level target marking throughout 1944. He took part in most of 617's major operations, including raids on the Samur rail tunnel, and the V1 rocket sites.
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Squadron Leader Charles Patterson
Charles Patterson joined the RAF on the outbreak of WWII and flew Whitneys. He switched to Blenheims in 1940 with 114 Squadron on anti-shipping operations over Norway. After a period instructing he briefly flew Bostons before converting to Mosquitoes with 105 Squadron flying mostly Daylight raids, but also the first night raid to Berlin. In January 1943 he was selected as pilot for the Mosquito Film Unit and flew Mosquito DZ414 (now restored) on over 20,000 operational hours both day and night. In September 1943 he converted 3 Ventura Squadrons to Mosquitoes under Group Captain Pickard. In total he completed an unprecedented 3 tours on Mosquitoes, his final tour being with 487 Squadron (New Zealand) mainly on strikes against V1 sites. On D-Day he flew the film unit Mosquito over the beach head during the invasion.
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Air Commodore E. B. Ted Sismore DSO DFC AFC
On 31st January 1943, Mosquitos bombed Berlin for the first time. Timed to coincide with a speech by Hermann Goering, three Mosquitos from 105 Squadron, led by Squadron Leader R W Reynolds and Ted Sismore, attacked at exactly 11.00 hrs to disrupt the Reichmarshall's speech for over an hour. Ted later navigated the final large daylight raid by 105 Squadron in May 1943, when both men led the attack on the Zeiss Optical factory and the glassworks in Jena. Ted Sismore planned the route for the famous Amiens prison raid, and 'master-navigated' all three Gestapo raids in Denmark - Aarhaus, Shelhaus and Odensa.
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Group Captain John Cunningham CBE DSO DFC AE DL FRAeS (deceased)
John Cunningham joined the RAF in 1935 with 604 Squadron. At the outbreak of World War Two he was based at North Weald flying Blenheims on day escort and night fighter operations. In September 1940 he converted onto Beaufighters equipped with radar, the first aircraft that made night fighting really possible. In November he had the Squadron's first successful night combat. He took command of 604 Squadron in August 1941. After a period at HQ81 Group, he was posted on his second tour to command 85 Squadron equipped with Mosquitoes. In March 1944 with 19 night and 1 day victory he was posted to HQ11 Group to look after night operations. The most famous Allied night fighter Ace of WWII - 20 victories. He died 21st July 2002.
Born in 1917, Group Captain John Cunningham was the top-scoring night fighter ace of the Royal Air Force. Cunningham joined the RAF in 1935 as a Pilot Officer. He learned to fly in the Avro 504N and was awarded his wings in 1936. While assigned to the Middlesex Squadron Auxiliary based at Hendon, Cunningham received instruction in the Hawker Hart prior to moving on the Hawker Demon. The Demon was a two-seat day and night fighter. Cunningharn's squadron was mobilized in 1938 following the Czechoslovak crisis. His No. 604 unit was moved to North Weald. Later in 1938 his unit returned to Hendon and was reequipped with the more modern Blenheim 1 fighter. In August of 1939 the unit was again mobilized and returned to North Weald. The Squadron was primarily utilized to provide daylight air cover for convoys. Lacking radar the Blenheim was relatively useless as a night fighter. In September of 1940 the unit was moved to Middle Wallop and the first Bristol Beaufighters arrived. The Beatifighter had a modestly effective, although often unreliable radar. It was an excellent aircraft with reliable air-cooled engines and four 20mm cannons. Cunningham attained the units first night victory in the Beaufighter, and his tally rose steadily. He was promoted to Wing Commander of 604 Squadron in August of 1941. Cunningham completed his first combat tour of duty in mid-1942 with a total of 15 victories. He was then posted to H.Q. 81 Group, which was an operational training group under the Fighter Command. In January of 1943 Cunningham was transferred to command of No. 85 Squadron which was equipped with the Mosquito. With the higher speed of the Mosquito, Cunningham was successful at downing Fw-190s, something impossible in the slower Beaufighter. Cunningham completed his second tour in 1944 with a total of nineteen victories at night and one by day. He was promoted to Group Captain at that time, and was assigned to H.Q. 11 Group. Cunningham's radar operator Sqd. Ldr. Jimmy Rawnsley participated in most of Cunningham's victories. The 604 Squadron was disbanded in 1945, but in 1946 Cunningham was given the honor of reforming the Squadron at Hendon - flying the Spitfire. Cunningham left the RAF in 1946 and joined the De Havilland Aircraft Co. at Hatfield as its Chief Test Pilot. Cunningham had a long and distinguished career in the British aviation industry, retiring from British Aerospace in 1980.
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