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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. | |
Name | Info |
Captain Robert Paris (deceased) *Signature Value : £35 | Joining up in June 1940, Rob Paris qualified with dual rating as pilot and navigator, flying a total of 52 combat missions on B17s. Posted first to the 8th Air Force in England, Rob flew with the 325th Squadron of the 92nd Bomb Group, completing his first mission in October 1942. In November he was posted to join the 12th Air Force in North Africa, again with B17s, joining the 342nd Squadron of the 97th Bomb Group. Amongst others, he participated in raids on the Italian Fleet in Trieste and Gorizia, the battle of Kasserine Pass, at Palermo during the Invasion of Sicily, as well as raids on the Italian mainland. Rob flew a total of 52 combat missions on B17s, and was Lead Navigator of many 100-plane missions. Sadly Rob passed away on the 21st September 2010, he was honored in december during a ceremony at National Cemetery in Phoenix with a fly over by a vintage B-25 aircraft. |
First Lieutenant Don Nielsen *Signature Value : £35 | A pilot with the 457th Bomb Group, Don Nielson had joined up in February 1943, originally training for combat flying on B24 Liberators. In November 1944 he was posted to England, joining the 751st Squadron, 457th Bomb Group at Glatton flying B17 Fortresses - first as co-pilot and then as First Pilot, undertaking the first combat mission of his tour on 12 December 1944. On 3 February 1945 he took part in the big raid on Berlin, which was the heaviest concentration on the German capital so far in the war, encountering some of the most intense and accurate flak ever experienced by the Eighth. During his tour Don took part in a total of 34 raids, all on B17s. |
Lieutenant Colonel William P Kincheloe *Signature Value : £35 | Bill Kincheloe joined the service in April 1942, training as a pilot. He was posted to England to join the 327th Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group (Fames Favoured Few), based at Podington in Bedford, flying B-17s. His first combat mission was on 18 December 1943, when the 92nd went to Kiel, and in the following months other notable targets included the heavily defended factories at Schweinfurt. Bill flew a total of 28 raids to the Reich during his tour, all on B-17s, and six of which he commanded. After World War II Bill flew KC135s during the Vietnam War. He retired from the service in 1972. |
Major Paul H Greer *Signature Value : £25 | After arriving in England, the first of Paul Greers 35 combat missions took place on a freezing cold New Years Day, 1945, as co-pilot on B-17s. Flying out of Thurleigh in Bedfordshire with the 368th Squadron, 306th Bomb Group (The Reich Wreckers), the oldest operational Bomb Group in the 8th Air Force, Paul flew a total of 31 missions on Fortresses as co-pilot, and a further 4 as lead pilot. Amongst other targets in Germany, he went on the big raids to Dresden and Schweinfurt, and led led missions to Berlin, on which he came under heavy attack from the Luftwaffes fast Me262 jet fighters. |
The Aircraft : | |
Name | Info |
Flying_Fortress | In the mid-1930s engineers at Boeing suggested the possibility of designing a modern long-range monoplane bomber to the U.S. Army Air Corps. In 1934 the USAAC issued Circular 35-26 that outlined specifications for a new bomber that was to have a minimum payload of 2000 pounds, a cruising speed in excess of 200-MPH, and a range of at least 2000 miles. Boeing produced a prototype at its own expense, the model 299, which first flew in July of 1935. The 299 was a long-range bomber based largely on the Model 247 airliner. The Model 299 had several advanced features including an all-metal wing, an enclosed cockpit, retractable landing gear, a fully enclosed bomb bay with electrically operated doors, and cowled engines. With gun blisters glistening everywhere, a newsman covering the unveiling coined the term Flying Fortress to describe the new aircraft. After a few initial test flights the 299 flew off to Wright Field setting a speed record with an average speed of 232-mph. At Wright Field the 299 bettered its competition in almost all respects. However, an unfortunate crash of the prototype in October of 1935 resulted in the Army awarding its primary production contract to Douglas Aircraft for its DB-1 (B-18.) The Army did order 13 test models of the 299 in January 1936, and designated the new plane the Y1B-17. Early work on the B-17 was plagued by many difficulties, including the crash of the first Y1B-17 on its third flight, and nearly bankrupted the Company. Minor quantities of the B-17B, B-17C, and B-17D variants were built, and about 100 of these aircraft were in service at the time Pearl Harbor was attacked. In fact a number of unarmed B-17s flew into the War at the time of the Japanese attack. The German Blitzkrieg in Europe resulted in accelerated aircraft production in America. The B-17E was the first truly heavily armed variant and made its initial flight in September of 1941. B-17Es cost $298,000 each and more than 500 were delivered. The B-17F and B-17G were the truly mass-produced wartime versions of the Flying Fortress. More than 3,400 B-17Fs and more than 8,600 B-17Gs would be produced. The American daylight strategic bombing campaign against Germany was a major factor in the Allies winning the War in Europe. This campaign was largely flown by B-17 Flying Fortresses (12,677 built) and B-24 Liberators (18,188 built.) The B-17 bases were closer to London than those of the B-24, so B-17s received a disproportionate share of wartime publicity. The first mission in Europe with the B-17 was an Eighth Air Force flight of 12 B-17Es on August 12, 1942. Thousands more missions, with as many as 1000 aircraft on a single mission would follow over the next 2 ½ years, virtually decimating all German war making facilities and plants. The B-17 could take a lot of damage and keep on flying, and it was loved by the crews for bringing them home despite extensive battle damage. Following WW II, B-17s would see some action in Korea, and in the 1948 Israel War. There are only 14 flyable B-17s in operation today and a total of 43 complete airframes |
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