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Closing the Gap by Robert Taylor. (AP) - Robert Taylor Prints

Closing the Gap by Robert Taylor. (AP)


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Closing the Gap by Robert Taylor. (AP)

As Typhoon Mk1b fighter-bombers of 247 Squadron exit the target area near Falaise at full throttle, the havoc wreaked in their wake bears witness to the devastation of their powerful rockets. Fuel and ammunition from the retreating German column explode with shattering detonations, the savagery of the attack demoralising the enemy into stunned oblivion. The Typhoons will hurtle back to base to re-arm and hastily re-fuel, ready for yet another withering strike on the encircled Wehrmacht columns. This stunning rendition from the the worlds premier aviation artist pays tribute to the brave young RAF fighter pilots of the twenty squadrons of rocket-firing Hawker Typhoons who flew those perilous ground attacks during the Battle of Normandy.
AMAZING VALUE! - The value of the signatures on this item is in excess of the price of the print itself!
Item Code : DHM2711APClosing the Gap by Robert Taylor. (AP) - This Edition
TYPEEDITION DETAILSSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSYOUR PRICEPURCHASING
ARTIST
PROOF
Typhoon edition of 25 artist proofs.

SOLD OUT.
Paper size 35 inches x 25 inches (89cm x 64cm) Image size 28.5 inches x 17 inches (72cm x 43cm) Wheeler, Frank
Stapleton, Basil
Oram, Douglas
Townsend, Rusty
Lewis, C D Kit North
Kneen, Kenneth
Atkinson, John
Beake, Percival H
Hodges, Jack
Lincoln, John Abe
+ Artist : Robert Taylor


Signature(s) value alone : £425
SOLD
OUT
NOT
AVAILABLE
All prices on our website are displayed in British Pounds Sterling



Other editions of this item : Closing the Gap by Robert Taylor.DHM2711
TYPEEDITION DETAILSSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSYOUR PRICEPURCHASING
PRINT Signed limited edition of 350 prints. Paper size 35 inches x 25 inches (89cm x 64cm) Image size 28.5 inches x 17 inches (72cm x 43cm) Beake, Percival H
Hodges, Jack
Lincoln, John Abe
+ Artist : Robert Taylor


Signature(s) value alone : £110
£55 Off!Now : £210.00VIEW EDITION...
PRINT Typhoon edition of 300 prints.

SOLD OUT.
Paper size 35 inches x 25 inches (89cm x 64cm) Image size 28.5 inches x 17 inches (72cm x 43cm) Wheeler, Frank
Stapleton, Basil
Oram, Douglas
Townsend, Rusty
Lewis, C D Kit North
Kneen, Kenneth
Atkinson, John
Beake, Percival H
Hodges, Jack
Lincoln, John Abe
+ Artist : Robert Taylor


Signature(s) value alone : £425
SOLD
OUT
VIEW EDITION...
PRINT Normandy Veterans edition of 95 prints.

SOLD OUT.
Paper size 35 inches x 25 inches (89cm x 64cm) Image size 28.5 inches x 17 inches (72cm x 43cm) Rayner, Titch
Wheeler, Frank
Stapleton, Basil
Oram, Douglas
Boyle, Peter B
Townsend, Rusty
Lewis, C D Kit North
Kneen, Kenneth
Atkinson, John
Brown, John
Coventry, Alex
Dixon, Alex
Grantham, Bill
Williams, Ray
Weedon, Bob
Menday, Wally
Sherbrook, Tom
Beake, Percival H
Hodges, Jack
Lincoln, John Abe
+ Artist : Robert Taylor


Signature(s) value alone : £570
SOLD
OUT
VIEW EDITION...
PRINT Knights Cross edition of 15 prints.

SOLD OUT.
Paper size 35 inches x 25 inches (89cm x 64cm) Image size 28.5 inches x 17 inches (72cm x 43cm) Fischer, Gerhard
Girg, Walther
Kerscher, Albert
Kujacinski, Norbert
Rayner, Titch
Wheeler, Frank
Stapleton, Basil
Carius, Otto
Oram, Douglas
Boyle, Peter B
Townsend, Rusty
Lewis, C D Kit North
Kneen, Kenneth
Atkinson, John
Rudolf, Richard
Brown, John
Coventry, Alex
Dixon, Alex
Grantham, Bill
Williams, Ray
Weedon, Bob
Menday, Wally
Sherbrook, Tom
Beake, Percival H
Hodges, Jack
Lincoln, John Abe
+ Artist : Robert Taylor


Signature(s) value alone : £995
SOLD
OUT
VIEW EDITION...
General descriptions of types of editions :


Signatures on this item
*The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare.
NameInfo


The signature of Air Commodore C D Kit North Lewis DSO DFC (deceased)

Air Commodore C D Kit North Lewis DSO DFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £60

After joining the Army in 1939, Kit North Lewis transferred to the RAF in 1940. In Aug 1941, after pilot training, he was posted to 13 Squadron, flying Blenheims, where he took part in the first 1000 bomber raids. After a spell with 26 Squadron, flying P-51 Mustangs, in Feb 1944 he joined 182 Squadron on Typhoons, as a Flight Commander. A few months later he was posted to command 181 Squadron. He led this squadron into France where it became part of 124 Typhoon Wing. In Aug 1944 he was promoted Wing Leader 124 Wing, where he remained until the end of the war. He died on 25th March 2008. 'Unfortunately my active participation in the Falaise operations was limited as I had a mild form of dysentery from 8th to 14th and I was sent home for a weeks recuperation from 16th to 24th August. However, I was very much involved on the 7th in the German attack at Mortain. I was leading 181 Squadron on an armed reconnaissance when Charles Green who was then the Wing Leader of 121 Wing reported large German tank concentrations at Mortain. Although this was inside the bomb line I accepted his verification and I immediately diverted to Mortain. There we found German tanks strung out along the road. We claimed 10 flamers. I followed this up with two more sorties in which we claimed another 7. There was very little flak, the main danger being the number of allied aircraft around the honey pot. During the period 6th to 21st August the Wing lost 9 pilots killed including Group Captain Charles Appleton and 4 taken POW.'
Flight Lieutenant Sir John Atkinson KCB DFC
*Signature Value : £35

John Atkinson joined the RAF from Oxford University in 1938 and completed his pilot training in England. His first operational posting was in 1940 to 234 Squadron at St Eval, Cornwall, flying Spitfires, before moving on to 609 Squadron at Warwell, Dorchester. In 1942 he converted to Typhoons with 609 Squadron at Duxford, and from there to Biggin Hill and Manston, launching fighter operations over France. When his tour of operations ended in 1943 he was awarded the DFC and went on to become a Flying Instructor until the war was over. Released from the RAF in 1945, he went on to have a successful career in the civil service, and was knighted in 1979.
The signature of Flying Officer Frank Wheeler DFC (deceased)

Flying Officer Frank Wheeler DFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £40

Frank Wheeler joined the RAF in 1941, training in England as a pilot after which he completed a period of instructing. In January 1944 he was posted to join 174 Typhoon Fighter Squadron at Westhampnett, his first operation being as an escort to the Mosquitos taking part in Operation Jericho, the Amiens Jailbreak. He stayed with 174 Squadron for the remainder of the War, serving throughout occupied Europe, and in 1945, at the end of his tour of operations, he was awarded the DFC. We have learned that Frank Wheeler sadly passed away in early 2013.
The signature of Flying Officer Kenneth Junior Kneen

Flying Officer Kenneth Junior Kneen
*Signature Value : £35

Training overseas, on arriving back in the UK Ken was posted to Holland joining 175 Squadron flying Typhoons. The squadron at the time being heavily engaged in low level bombing strikes against rail and armoured targets along the Dutch German border region. He remained with the squadron until the end of the war, then joined the RAFVR.
Pilot Officer Rusty Townsend
*Signature Value : £40

Australian Rusty Townsend joined the RAF in 1941, trained in the USA, before returning to join 175 Squadron on rocket firing Typhoons at Warmwell. Being in the thick of the action over France against retreating German Forces, he was shot down and taken prisoner of war.


The signature of Squadron Leader Basil Stapleton DFC (deceased)

Squadron Leader Basil Stapleton DFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £60

Born in South Africa, Basil Gerald Stapleton joined the RAF in Jan 1939, being posted to 603 Sqn flying Spitfires. He first saw action off Scotland, sharing in the destruction of two bombers, before the Squadron was posted south to Hornchurch during the height of the Battle of Britain. By Nov 1940 his tally had risen to 6 and 2 shared victories and 8 probables. In March 1942 he was posted to 257 Sqn as flight commander. In August 1944 he commanded 247 Sqn flying Typhoons, taking part in the Arnhem operations. In December 1944, whilst attacking a train, debris hit his aircraft forcing him to land behind enemy lines where he was taken prisoner of war. Stapme Stapleton had scored 6 victories, plus 2 shared, 5 probable and 2 damaged. Sadly, we have learned that Basil Stapleton passed away on 13th April 2010.


Squadron Leader Percival H. Beake DFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £25

Joining the RAFVR in April 1939, Percival Beake was mobilised at the outbreak of war. Posted to 64 Squadron on Spitfires in the summer of 1940 at the height of the Battle of Britain, he flew with them until June 1941 when he was posted first to 92 Squadron at Biggin Hill, and then 601 Squadron at Duxford. After a spell instructing he returned for his second tour in December 1942, joining 193 Squadron as a Flight Commander. In May 1944 he took command of 164 Squadron at Thorney Island flying Typhoons, moving to France shortly after the Normandy Invasion. With two victories to his credit he was awarded the DFC in September 1944.

Starting with 6th August 1944 my log book records that a successful attack was carried out on an enemy strong point in a quarry and that on the following morning I flew home on a very rare 48 hour leave. For a few days after my return we had only one specific target - an enemy dump which we effectively bombarded with rockets on 11th August - so we were deployed on armed reconnaissances. After landing from one of these on 13th August my Wing Commander, Walter Dring, called me to his caravan and said - Beaky, you have just done your last op. You are not to fly again and that is an order, until returning to the UK. I am arranging for your relief as soon as possible. - I was absolutely stunned and my lasting memory of that period is not of carnage but of acute embarrassment at having been grounded. I just hated sending the squadron up without myself leading and remember making frequent calls to the met office hoping to get forecasts of filthy weather that would make operational flying impossible. In the event, my relief, Squadron Leader Ian Waddy, was shot down by flak within two or three days of taking over command, so maybe Wally Dring had some sort of premonition that prompted my grounding.
Percival Beake died on 25th June 2016.
The signature of Warrant Officer Douglas Oram

Warrant Officer Douglas Oram
*Signature Value : £45

Doug Oram joined the RAF in 1942 and went out to America to train as a pilot. In 1944 he joined 174 Typhoon Fighter Squadron at Westhampnett, and spent a year on operations serving throughout occupied Europe. In 1945 he became a Flying Instructor and left the RAF in 1946. However he rejoined in 1947 and stayed in the service until retirement in 1967.
The signature of Warrant Officer Jack Hodges DFC

Warrant Officer Jack Hodges DFC
*Signature Value : £40

Jack Hodges joined the RAF in late 1940, and after completing his pilot training in Canada he returned to England and was then briefly sent to a Photo Reconnaissance Unit flying Spitfires. He moved to a OTU in Annan, Scotland on Hurricanes before finally moving to a holding unit in Redhill, flying Typhoons. In 1944 he was posted to join 175 Squadron. Shortly after this he moved to 174 Squadron at Westhampnett. He served on operations throughout occupied Europe until the end of the war, being awarded the DFC in 1945 for successfully leading a group of Typhoons against a German Armoured Division.
Warrant Officer John Abe Lincoln
*Signature Value : £45

Born in 1923, Abe Lincoln joined the RAF in August 1942, spending two years training in India and Rhodesia. After training he was posted back to the UK, flying first Spitfires and then on Typhoons with 175 Squadron. The squadron was by then heavily involved with softening up targets with rockets ahead of the armies advance and close support duties at the front as the allies advanced through France into Germany. He remained with the squadron until the end of the war.
The Aircraft :
NameInfo
TyphoonSingle engine fighter with a maximum speed of 412 mph at 19,000 feet and a ceiling of 35,200 feet. range 510 miles. The Typhoon was armed with twelve browning .303inch machine guns in the wings (MK1A) Four 20mm Hispano cannon in wings (MK!B) Two 1000ilb bombs or eight 3-inch rockets under wings. The first proto type flew in February 1940, but due to production problems the first production model flew in May 1941. with The Royal Air Force receiving their first aircraft in September 1941. Due to accidents due to engine problems (Sabre engine) The Hawker Typhoon started front line service in December 1941.The Hawker Typhoon started life in the role of interceptor around the cost of England but soon found its real role as a ground attack aircraft. especially with its 20mm cannon and rockets. This role was proved during the Normandy landings and the period after. The total number of Hawker typhoons built was 3,330.

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