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Pilot Signed (Billy Drake) Spitfire Prints by Philip West and Anthony Saunders. - Anthony Saunders Art
DHM1837AP. Spitfires Over the Needles by Philip West. <p> Battle of Britain, July 1940.  Spitfires of 609 Squadron returning to their satellite station airfield at Warmwell to re-arm and re-fuel, following an intercept mission against enemy aircraft trying to disrupt shipping along the South Coast of England.  Like many other RAF Squadrons, No 609 the (West Riding) Auxiliary Squadron distinguished itself in many great air battles with honour and courage. <p><b>Just 1 print left of this sold out edition.</b><b><p>Signed by : <br>Squadron Leader Percival H. Beake DFC <br>Group Captain Billy Drake DSO DFC* (deceased)<br>and<br>Flt Lt Frank Newman. <p>Limited edition of 40 artist proofs.<p> Paper size 27 inches x 18 inches (69cm x 46cm)
DHM0437C. Maltese Falcons by Anthony Saunders. <p> Depicting Spitfires of No.229 squadron as they pass over Malta in 1942, a tribute to the young pilots, regarded as the saviour of an Island. <b><p>Signed by Group Captain Billy Drake DSO DFC* (deceased). <p>Billy Drake Signature Edition of 150 prints from the signed limited edition of 850 prints. <p> Image size 19 inches x 12.5 inches (48cm x 32cm)

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  Website Price: £ 230.00  

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Pilot Signed (Billy Drake) Spitfire Prints by Philip West and Anthony Saunders.

PCK1274. Pilot Signed (Billy Drake) Spitfire Prints by Philip West and Anthony Saunders.

Aviation Print Pack.

Items in this pack :

Item #1 - Click to view individual item

DHM1837AP. Spitfires Over the Needles by Philip West.

Battle of Britain, July 1940. Spitfires of 609 Squadron returning to their satellite station airfield at Warmwell to re-arm and re-fuel, following an intercept mission against enemy aircraft trying to disrupt shipping along the South Coast of England. Like many other RAF Squadrons, No 609 the (West Riding) Auxiliary Squadron distinguished itself in many great air battles with honour and courage.

Just 1 print left of this sold out edition.

Signed by :
Squadron Leader Percival H. Beake DFC
Group Captain Billy Drake DSO DFC* (deceased)
and
Flt Lt Frank Newman.

Limited edition of 40 artist proofs.

Paper size 27 inches x 18 inches (69cm x 46cm)


Item #2 - Click to view individual item

DHM0437C. Maltese Falcons by Anthony Saunders.

Depicting Spitfires of No.229 squadron as they pass over Malta in 1942, a tribute to the young pilots, regarded as the saviour of an Island.

Signed by Group Captain Billy Drake DSO DFC* (deceased).

Billy Drake Signature Edition of 150 prints from the signed limited edition of 850 prints.

Image size 19 inches x 12.5 inches (48cm x 32cm)


Website Price: £ 230.00  

To purchase these prints individually at their normal retail price would cost £430.00 . By buying them together in this special pack, you save £200




All prices are displayed in British Pounds Sterling

 

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 Flt Lt Frank Newman

Flt Lt Frank Newman
*Signature Value : £15 (matted)

Flight Lieutenant Newman left O.T.U. to join 131 Squadron at Tangmere in time to participate in the closing months of the Battle of Britain. As the enemy activity diminished so the policy of Fighter Command turned to offensive sweeps over western France. By the end of 1942 the A.O.C decided to give the squadrons of 11 Group a rest from their intensive operations, so 131 Squadron was posted to northern Scotland to defend Scapa Flow naval base. This routine series of operations came to an end when Frank was chosen, together with a number of other experienced pilots, to form a fighter wing for the invasion of North Africa. My mid-1943 Rommel and the African Corps had been swept out of Algeria and Tunisia by General Montgomery and the Eighth Army. After a short rest the Desert Air Force was heavily engaged in the invasion of Sicily and Italy. By this time Frank was transferred to join the already famous 92 Squadron where he was pleased to come under the command of such experienced pilots as Group Captain Brian Kingcome and Squadron Leader Neville Duke. For the next few months 92 Squadron was heavily involved in a twice-weekly patrol over the Anzio Bridgehead where they occasionally met small units of the Luftwaffe. It was at this point that the squadron was hoping to score its 300th enemy aircraft destroyed. This happened on the 17th February 1944 and it was time for a squadron celebration! The enemy continued to appear in small numbers and later in the year whilst leading a dusk patrol Frank Newman and his fellow pilots were able to add to this score so that by the end of the campaign the total score reached 317½ definitely destroyed and over 200 probably destroyed. Any further increase in this number of victories was made impossible when the squadron was switched to fighter/bombers in late 1944; for this, tactics were so different. Each Spitfire carried a 500lb bomb and was given a map reference for his target by the army ground force. After the war Fl. Lt. Newman was sent on a training course to be become a Test Pilot. Upon completion of the course he was appointed Test Pilot at the R.A.F.'s biggest maintenance units (132 M.U.) where he enjoyed the privilege of flying thirty-one different types of aircraft.


The signature of Group Captain Billy Drake DSO DFC* (deceased)

Group Captain Billy Drake DSO DFC* (deceased)
*Signature Value : £45 (matted)

Joined the R.A.F. in 1936. His first posting was to 1 squadron flying Furies then Hurricanes and first saw action over France in the Spring of 1940 and was awarded his first DFC by the end of the year. As a Squadron Leader he was sent to West Africa to command 128 Squadron. 1942 saw his commanding 112 squadron in North Africa, in July saw an immediate BAR to his DFC and in December an immediate DSO. Posted to Malta as Wing Commander he won a US DFC in 1943. Back in the UK he now was flying Typhoons in the lead up to D-Day. With Pete Brothers he was sent to the States to attend the US Staff School at Fort Leavenworth. After the war he continued in the R.A.F. serving in Japan, Malaya, Singapore, Switzerland and his final posting as Group Captain RAF Chivenor, Devon. Retired in July 1963. Going to Portugal where he ran a Bar and Restaurant and dealing in Real Estate. In his flying career he accounted for more than 24 enemy aircraft. Sadly, Billy Drake passed away on 28th August 2011.


Squadron Leader Percival H. Beake DFC (deceased)
*Signature Value : £20 (matted)

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.
Signatures on item 2
*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 Group Captain Billy Drake DSO DFC* (deceased)

Group Captain Billy Drake DSO DFC* (deceased)
*Signature Value : £45 (matted)

Joined the R.A.F. in 1936. His first posting was to 1 squadron flying Furies then Hurricanes and first saw action over France in the Spring of 1940 and was awarded his first DFC by the end of the year. As a Squadron Leader he was sent to West Africa to command 128 Squadron. 1942 saw his commanding 112 squadron in North Africa, in July saw an immediate BAR to his DFC and in December an immediate DSO. Posted to Malta as Wing Commander he won a US DFC in 1943. Back in the UK he now was flying Typhoons in the lead up to D-Day. With Pete Brothers he was sent to the States to attend the US Staff School at Fort Leavenworth. After the war he continued in the R.A.F. serving in Japan, Malaya, Singapore, Switzerland and his final posting as Group Captain RAF Chivenor, Devon. Retired in July 1963. Going to Portugal where he ran a Bar and Restaurant and dealing in Real Estate. In his flying career he accounted for more than 24 enemy aircraft. Sadly, Billy Drake passed away on 28th August 2011.

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