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Robert Taylor Prints  Royal Air Force  Stirling |
[UP] - Spitfire - Hurricane - Mosquito - Typhoon - Lancaster |
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| Text for the above items : |
Stirlings Outward Bound by Robert Taylor. SOLD OUT (June 2009) |
Stirlings Outward Bound by Robert Taylor. The Short Stirling was the RAFs first four-engined bomber but was handicapped by a low operational ceiling. Thus, Stirling crews spent much of their time flying through the flak rather than above flak. However, the Stirling possessed a strong, highly complex design that gained it a reputation as a pilots aircraft to fly; it was relatively agile for a big bomber. While flying the Stirling, Mahaddie had been attacked by a Ju88 nightfighter. After evading the attack, he managed to bring the aircraft home and subsequent inspection of the aircraft revealed 174 cannon shell holes. Mahaddie appropriately named that particular aircraft C for Colander. These Stirlings were part of No.7 Sqn RAF Pathfinders, based at RAF Oakington in Cambridgeshire throughout the war. |
| Stirling Pilot and aircrew signature details |
  Flight Lieutenant Tom Austin DFC AE Our estimated value of this signature : £40 | Flight Lieutenant Tom Austin DFC AE After joining the RAF in 1941 Tom Austin qualified as a pilot on Harvards, then converted into Halifaxes. During the war years other aircraft he flew included Wellingtons, Stirlings and Lancasters. While flying Wellingtons as part of 199 Squadron during a raid over Dortmund, his aircraft was badly damaged but Tom managed to limp home, crash landing at Mildenhall. |
The Lord Mackie of Benshie CBE DSO DFC Our estimated value of this signature : £45 | The Lord Mackie of Benshie CBE DSO DFC George Mackie joined the RAF in February 1940, training as a Navigator in Bomber Command. He first joined 15 Squadron in 1941 flying Wellingtons, before going to the Middle East to join 148 Squadron. He later served with 149 Squadron on Stirlings, and 115 Squadron on Lancasters. Squadron Leader George Mackie completed three full tours on heavies, the last two as aircraft Captain. |
Flight Lieutenant George Britton Our estimated value of this signature : £30 | Flight Lieutenant George Britton Joining the RAF in 1941, George trained on Wellington and Stirlings as a Wireless Operator and Air Gunner. Converting to Lancasters he was posted to 90 Squadron for his first operational tour, and then to 186 Squadron, still on Lancasters. George then found himself designated to be an Intelligence Officer at Lossiemouth, interrogating Italian POWs Finally, before leaving the service in 1946, he served in Sunderland flying boats, flying to West Africa, Europe and Scandinavia. |
Air Commodore Wilf Burnett DSO OBE DFC AFC Our estimated value of this signature : £50 Died : 2006 | Air Commodore Wilf Burnett DSO OBE DFC AFC Canadian Wilf Burnett joined the RAF before the war and at the outbreak of hostilities was flying Hampdens. He completed his first tour of 30 operations in September 1940, flying with 49 Sqn at Scampton. His crew had bombed invasion barges in the Channel ports, mined enemy waters, operated against the Ruhr, and taken part in the first raids against Berlin. In July 1941 he was posted to 408 (Goose) Sqn RCAF, at Syerston, where one night in January 1942, returning from Hamburg, their Hampden crashed in extreme weather. Wilf was the sole survivor, and he was hospitalised. Recovering he was accepted to command 138 (Special Duties) Sqn at Tempsford who were engaged in dropping agents and supplies to the Resistance in occupied countries flying Halifaxes, later Stirlings. He died 26th November 2006. |
  Group Captain William Farquharson DFC Our estimated value of this signature : £35 Died : 2012 | Group Captain William Farquharson DFC William Farquharson was a pilot with 115 Squadron and flew Lancasters with 195 Squadron. William Farqharson was born om September 28th 1919 in Malacca, Malaya. His father was a police officer in the Colonial Service. His early schooling was in Malaya and Australia, and he completed his education at Harris Academy, Dundee, and later went to the Birmingham Central Technical College. In January 1941 William Farqharson enlisted in the Royal Air Force to become a pilot. William Farqharson joined No 115 Squadron in July 1942 and flew his first bombing operations in the Wellington before the squadron converted to the four-engine Stirling. Farqharsons first sorties were to drop mines in the Kattegat, the Baltic and off the French Biscay coast. Farquharson also bombed targets in Germany and in northern Italy, the latter involving very long flights over the Alps. On April 20 1943 he and his crew attacked Stettin at low level in full moonlight. Dissatisfied with the first attempt, he made a second bombing run despite heavy opposition. His Stirling was badly damaged, but he then made a third run to photograph the results of his attack before turning for the long flight home. He was awarded his first DFC. After a period training bomber crews, Farquharson returned to operational flying in October 1944 when he joined No 195 Squadron. Bomber Command was concentrating on attacks against the German oil industry and he bombed many targets in the Ruhr. Farquharson and his crews also wre involved in Operation Manna these humanitarian operations which saw them dropping food to the starving population in the Netherlands and also took his Lancaster to Belgium and France for Operation Exodus to pick up prisoners of war recently released form German PoW camps. In total William Farqharson completed 63 operations as a pilot in Bomber Command. He recalled on one occasion the engine of his Wellington caught fire and he ordered his crew to bail out. As the last man left, he realised that the aircraft would be too low for him to survive a jump and he was forced to crash land into the tops of some trees before hitting a farm in the Cotswolds. The wings sheared off and he ended up, badly concussed, in the fuselage section. The farmer's son rushed into the house shouting, there's an aeroplane in the greenhouse. On another occasion his bomber was damaged by anti-aircraft fire. On landing he discovered a large piece of shrapnel embedded in the parachute he had been sitting on. Farquharson remained in the RAF and much of his early service was involved in training pilots. After attending the Central Flying School he commanded flying training squadrons and in 1953 led a large formation of aircraft in the Coronation Flypast. Later he was the chief instructor at an advanced flying school equipped with the Meteor jet fighter. After appointments in the Far East and as station commander at RAF Episkopi in Cyprus, Farquharson was appointed air attaché in Warsaw at the height of the Cold War. There all his activities were closely monitored by the secret police. Having shown no previous interest, he suddenly became an expert in birdwatching when he 'discovered' that the most interesting sites were close to military airfields. After retiring from the RAF in 1976, Farquharson worked in the sales division of a company manufacturing flight simulators and was for a period of time chairman of the Bomber Command Association. He was later made an honorary vice-president and worked hard seeking recognition for his fellow veterans. With his wife, a former WAAF operations officer on his bomber station, he was able to attend the unveiling of the Bomber Command Memorial by the Queen in July 2012. Sadly Group Captain Bill Farquharson, died on September 20th 2012. |
  Squadron Leader L S Benny Goodman Our estimated value of this signature : £40 Died : 2021 | Squadron Leader L S Benny Goodman Benny Goodman (Pilot) volunteered for aircrew at 18 years of age and was called up in 1940. After basic training he went to RAF Abingdon - a Whitley OTU - for what he was told would be straight through training. This did not materialise and he found himself in the role of a Ground Gunner. In 1941, a posting eventually came through to the Initial Training Wing followed by Elementary Fyling School at Peterborough and an instructors course at Woodley, Reading; then to Clyffe Pyparde, a holding unit. A sea journey to Canada followed and Service Flying Training School on Ansons. On completion he was posted to Kingston, Ontario, to instruct Acting Leading Naval Airmen on the Royal Navy tactics of the time, e.g. jinking after take off, dive bombing, etc. Eventually he returned to the UK and OTU on Wellingtons at Silverstone and Heavy Conversion Bomber Unit at Swinderby on Stirlings, followed by a short course at the Lancaster Conversion Unit. After an interview Benny and his crew were surprised and delighted to find they had been selected for 617 squadron - this was in 1944 and they had stayed together as a crew on 617 squadron until the war in Europe ended. He completed 30 missions - all with Jock Burnett as his flight engineer. Notable raids Jock took part in were on the Tirpitz, 29th October 1944, dropping the Grand Slam 22,000 bomb on the Arnsberg Viaduct, 19th March 1945, and the attack on Berchtesgarten Eagles Nest, 25th May 1945. Benny Goodman died in July 2021. |
Warrant Officer Richard Basher Hearne Our estimated value of this signature : £20 | Warrant Officer Richard Basher Hearne 'Basher' Hearne joined the RAF in 1942 and trained as a Flight Engineer. His first operational posting was to 622 Squadron at Mildenhall in Suffolk, equipped with Stirlings, and then, in November 1943, he transferred to 15 Squadron, also flying from the same base. The squadron re-equipped with Lancasters the following month. |
Squadron Leader Reg Lewis DFC Our estimated value of this signature : £15 | Squadron Leader Reg Lewis DFC Reg Lewis was a navigator in Bomber Command, first with XV Squadron, and then 214 Squadron, both on Stirlings. In August 1943 he was posted to 138 (Special Duties) Squadron based at Tempsford. Here he flew Halifaxes, dropping agents and arms into occupied Europe. In February 1944, after flying agent Francis Cammaerts over France, Reg was shot down but evaded capture and made his way to and over the Pyrenees into Spain, and home. |
  Group Captain Hamish Mahaddie DSO DFC Our estimated value of this signature : £70 Died : 1997 | Group Captain Hamish Mahaddie DSO DFC Group Captain Thomas Gilbert 'Hamish' Mahaddie. DSO, DFC, AFC.. CzMC. Nos 7, 55, and 77 Squadrons. Born In Keith, Edinburgh, on 19 March 1911. He joined the RAF as a part of the 17th Entry at Halton in 1928 and trained as a metal rigger, after which he was posted to Cranwell on ground servicing duties. In 1933 he boarded a troopship bound for the Middle East where he joined No 4 FTS at Abu Suler for pilot training. He gained his wings in 1935 and his first air crew posting was to No 55 Squadron at Hinaldi flying Westland Wapitis. On his return to England in 1937 he joined No 77 Squadron flying Whitleys from Driffield. During World War II he completed a tour of operations with No 77 Squadron before moving to Klnloss to instruct with No 14 OTU. He completed another tour, this time with No 7 Squadron at Oakington on Stirlings, before joining HQ Staff of No 8 (Pathfinder) Group. Group Captain Mahaddie finished the war as Station Commander at RAF Warboys, home of PFF Navigation Training Unit. In June 1945 he was appointed to command No 111 Wing in Germany followed by a spell at the Staff College, Haifa, In 1947. His postwar duties also included two tours of duty at the Air Ministry, as OC Flying Wing at Binbrook, and also as Station Commander at Sylt and Butzwellerhof in Germany. He finally retired from the RAF in 1958 and has since been involved with the film Industry as an aviation consultant specialising in electronics for all three services. Hamish Mahaddie died 16th January 1997. |
 Flt Lt Ken Thomas DFC Our estimated value of this signature : £20 | Flt Lt Ken Thomas DFC Originally joined the RAF as a mechanic, but went on to complete his pilots course. Ken completed 30 Operations flying Stirlings and Lancasters for 622 Sqn at Mildenhall. |
| Stirling Squadron details |
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