|
Greycap Leader by Robert Taylor.
Leading 433 (Canadian) Squadron, top Allied Fighter Ace Johnnie Johnson -Greycap
Leader - has already bagged an Fw190, and is hauling his MKIX Spitfire around
looking for a second in heavy dog-fighting over the Rhine, September 1944. In
the distance more enemy fighters appear, they too will receive the attention of
the Canadians. |
|
|
Greycap Leader by Robert Taylor.
Leading 433 (Canadian) Squadron, top Allied Fighter Ace Johnnie Johnson -Greycap Leader - has already bagged an Fw190, and is hauling his MKIX Spitfire around looking for a second in heavy dog-fighting over the Rhine, September 1944. In the distance more enemy fighters appear, they too will receive the attention of the Canadians.
Signed limited edition of 850 prints. Paper size 33 inches x 24 inches (84cm x 61cm). Price £225.00 Signed by
Squadron Leader Danny Browne,
Wing Commander J F Stocky Edwards,
Squadron Leader Hartland Finlay (deceased),
Wing Commander Hugh Godefroy,
Air Vice Marshal Johnnie Johnson CB, CBE, DSO**, DFC* (deceased),
Lieutenant General Don Laubman,
Wing Commander Andy Mackenzie,
Wing Commander Robert G Middlemiss,
Flight Lieutenant Larry Robillard
and
Wing Commander Roderick Smith (deceased).
Limited edition of 85 artist proofs. Paper size 33 inches x 24 inches (84cm x 61cm). Price £325.00 Signed by
Squadron Leader Danny Browne,
Wing Commander J F Stocky Edwards,
Squadron Leader Hartland Finlay (deceased),
Wing Commander Hugh Godefroy,
Air Vice Marshal Johnnie Johnson CB, CBE, DSO**, DFC* (deceased),
Lieutenant General Don Laubman,
Wing Commander Andy Mackenzie,
Wing Commander Robert G Middlemiss,
Flight Lieutenant Larry Robillard
and
Wing Commander Roderick Smith (deceased).
ITEM CODE DHM2151
|
|
Greycap Leader by Robert Taylor
- The Signatures
|
 | Squadron Leader Danny Browne DFC
An American pilot, Sqdn. Ldr. Danny Browne was from Elm Park, New Jersey. Danny Browne joined Johnnie Johnson at Kenley in 1943 and went on to become a leading figure in the Canadian Wing, fighting in France and later in Holland. He would go on to command the Red Indian Squadron. Post-war he became a distinguished US attorney. Squadron Commander 441 Sqn RCAF, Squadron Commander 421 Sqn RCAF.
More... |
 | Wing Commander J F Stocky Edwards DFC* DFM
Stocky Edwards became a P40 Ace with 260 Sqn. 94 Sqn RAF, Flight Commander 260 Sqn RAF, 417 Sqn RCAF, Flight Commander 92 Sqn RAF, Squadron Commander 274 Sqn RAF, Wing Leader 127 Wing RCAF. His victory total was 15 with 3 shared.
More... |
 | Squadron Leader Hartland Finlay DFC (deceased)
Born in Montreal, 1920 and educated at McGill University. Former COTC and RCA. Hartland Finlay enlisted for the RAF in Montreal, on the 14th of September 1940 and trained at No.1 ITS, graduating on 21st December 1940. He then went to No.4 EFTS followed by further training at No.9 SFTS graduating on the 28th of May 1941. Commissioned from Warrant Officer to Pilot Officer in 1942 and Flight Officer in January 1943, he went to Britian in 1943. Posted to 1 Sqn in June 1943, he moved to 416 later in the month. On August 12th Flt Off. Hartland Finlay bailed out of a malfunctioning Spitfire and was rescued from the English Channel. Transferred to 443 Sqn in September 1944 and promoted to F/L in March 1944. Attended Fighter Leaders course in May-June 1944 and posted to 53 OTU in July as an instructor. In March 1945 he rejoined 403 Sqn and in April was posted to 443 Sq. Successfully bailed out at 200 ft when his Spitfire was set on fire by return fire from a Ju88 he was attacking. Returned to unit 3 days later and was awarded DFC on 24th July and promoted to S/L later that month. Joined RCAF HQ in September 1945 and returned to Canada in November1945. Squadron Leader Hartland Finlay DFC after leaving the air force flew for KLM from 1946 to 1948. Served with the Canadian Department of Transport. Sadly, Squadron Leader Hartland Finlay DFC passed away on January 22nd 2009.
More... |
 | Wing Commander Hugh Godefroy DSO DFC* Croix de Guerre
Born on the 28th of October 1919 in Java while his Dutch father worked there, Hugh Godefroy returned to Canada to be educated in Ontario. Hugh Godefroy enlisted in Toronto on 22nd June 1940 and trained at No.2 ITS, graduating on 27th July 1940, with further training at No.7 EFTS and No.1 SFTS, graduating on 30th January 1941. Hugh Godefroy was commissioned 21st January 1941 and arrived in the UK on 4th February 1941 going to No.56 Officer Training Unit a month later. He then joined No.401 Squadron,on 15th April 1941. Hugh Godefroy was promoted to Flying Officer on 23rd January 1942 and was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on 4th March 1942. On 12th November 1942 Flt Lt Hugh Godefroy joined No.401 Squadron, and transferred to No.403 Squadron on 4th March 1943. On 13th June 1943 Godefroy was promoted to Squadron Leader and joined No.17 Wing on 16th August 1943. He was promoted to Wing Commander on 16th September 1943. On 1st May 1944 he went to the Royal Canadian Air Force Overseas HQ and returned to Canada on 17th August 1944. Between 10th September 1944 and 2nd January 1945 served on the War Staff in Toronto.
More... |
 | Air Vice Marshal Johnnie Johnson CB, CBE, DSO**, DFC* (deceased)
Johnnie Johnson joined 92 Spitfire squadron in August 1940, but it was with 616 squadron that he scored his first victory on June 26th 1941 while flying with Douglas Baders Tangmere Wing. He was squadron leader of 610 squadron in July 1942, but it was as Wing Commander of the Kenley Wing in 1943 that his scores really started to mount. He was W/C of 144 wing during D-Day and led 127 and 125 wings until the end of the war when we has the topscoring allied fighter pilot with 38 air victories. Inspired by the great British WW 1 aces like Bishop and Ball, Johnnie Johnson dreamed often as a child of becoming an R.A.F. pilot. The young Johnson enthusiastically joined the Volunteer Reserve at the first opportunity. After completing his initial flight training Johnson was posted to 616 Squadron at Kenley. However, this Squadron had been hit hard with the loss of six pilots and five wounded, and the unit was withdrawn to Coltishall prior to Johnson encountering combat. With only 12 hours of flight time in a Spitfire this was no doubt advantageous. In February 1941 Billy Burton moved the Squadron to Tangmere. Douglas Bader then arrived to take over the Tangmere Wing, and fly with the 616 Squadron. Johnnie, Alan Smith and Cocky Dundas were chosen to fly with Bader. During the summer of 1941 the Battle of Britain was at its peak. Bader took the time to instruct Johnson carefully in both the art of flying and the skills necessary to attain success in aerial combat. Bader's idea of an afternoon off duty, according to Johnson, was to take his section over the Channel in hopes of running into Adolph Galland and his Abbeyville Boys. On August 19, 1941 Bader failed to return from a mission when 616 Squadron was hit hard by a group of Messerschmitt 109s. Johnson flew on in Baders absence, and in the summer of 1942 he was promoted to command of the 610 Squadron. In 1943 he was promoted again to Wing Commander of the Canadian Spitfire Wing in Kenley. By that time Johnson had attained eight confirmed victories. During the spring and summer of 1943 Johnnie led the Canadian unit on more than 140 missions over Northwest Europe. Johnsons squadron attained more than 100 victories during this period, and Johnnies own personal score rose to 25. After a short leave, Johnson was posted to lead the 144 Canadian Spitfire Wing. On D-Day Johnson led his Wing on four missions in support of the Allied invasion. On June 8, Johnsons Wing was the first Spitfire group to land in newly liberated France. Johnson continued fighting in France through September 1944 when he achieved his 38th and final victory. Patrolling the Rhine Johnsons unit jumped nine 109s which were flying beneath them in the opposite direction. Five of the 109s were downed. Early in 1945 Johnson was promoted to Group Captain and put in command of the 125 Wing, which was equipped with the Spitfire XIV. Flying from former Luftwaffe airfields the 125 Wing assisted in the final Allied push to Berlin. Johnson attributed much of his aerial combat success to his ability to make tight turning maneuvers. Johnsons tightest call came on August 19, 1942 when he was unable to dislodge an Me-109 from his tail during the raid on Diepppe. Johnson raced his Spitfire flat out at a group of Royal Navy ships. The usual barrage of flak and tracer fire came right at him, and fortunately for the ace, missed his Spitfire but effectively eliminated the brave pilot on his tail. During the Korean War Johnson flew fighter-bombers with the USAF. Following his retirement from the R.A.F. in 1966 Johnson founded the Johnnie Johnson Housing Trust that has provided homes for more than 4000 disabled and elderly persons, and his sixth book Winged Victory was published in 1995. Johnson flew many of the Spitfire models. His favorite was the beautiful Mark IX, the best of them all. Johnnie passed away in 2001 at the age of 85, in Derbyshire, England.
|
Artist Graeme Lothian with Johnnie Johnson. |
More... |
 | Lieutenant General Don Laubman DFC*
Born in Provost, Alberta, 16th October 1921. Home in Edmonton. Enlisted there, 13th September 1941. Trained at No.2 ITS (graduated 27th November 1940), No.5 EFTS (graduated 16th January 1942) and
No.3 SFTS (graduated 4th May 1941), Awarded wings 4th May 1941 as a Sergeant. Promoted successively to Flight Sergeant and Warrant Officer. Commissioned 1st July 1942. Promoted to Flying Officer, 1st January 1943, Flight Lieutenant, 1st July 1944, Squadron Leader, 6th April 1945. Retained in Canada for home defence duties with No.133 Squadron from 7th September 1942 to 8th May 1943. Arrived in UK, June 1943. With No.412 Squadron, 16th August 1943 to 5th November 1944, and No.402 Squadron 6th-14th April 1945. Briefly POW, 14th April 1945. Released 25th September 1945. Re-enrolled 17th January 1946. Initially with No.6 Communications Flight, NWAC. Command of No.416 Squadron (January 1951 to March 1952). Command of No.3 Wing at Zweibrucken (July 1963 to August 1966). Command of No.1 Air Division (July 1969 to April 1970). Command of Canadian Forces in Europe (April 1970 to Aug. 1971), &. Chief of Personnel, CFHQ (May 1972 to retirement)
More... |
 | Wing Commander Andy Mackenzie DFC CD
421 Sqn RCAF, Flight Commander 403 Sqn RCAF
More... |
 | Wing Commander Robert G Middlemiss DFC CD
145 Sqn RAF, 41 Sqn RAF, 249 Sqn RAF, Flight Commander 403 Sqn RCAF
More... |
 | Flight Lieutenant Larry Robillard DFM CD
Born in Ottawa, 17 November 1920, Canadian ace with 8 victories. Sgt. Joseph Guillame Laurent Robillard, During a sweep over the Lille area, less than a month after his first operational flight, Sergeant Robillard, a former member of the Ottawa Flying club, saw a fellow pilot parachuting. Believing it was his commanding officer who had been shot down, Robillard started to protect the descending pilot by escorting him down, but was himself attacked by nine enemy fighters. In the fierce fight which followed the daring Ottawan destroyed at least two of his attackers. Flight Leutnant Larry Robillard was one of Johnnie Johnsons keen and skillful Canadian pilots. He was shot down over France in 1943. However, with his fluent French and the help of the Resistance, he managed to get back to England, and received a heros welcome when he returned to France to continue the fight, leading a section of 443 Squadron of Johnnies 144 Wing following the Liberation. He flew with 145 Sqn RAF, 72 Sqn RAF, 402 Sqn RCAF, 443 Sqn RCAF
|
Larry Robillard meeting artist Graeme Lothian to sign his prints of Returning from Caen. |
More... |
 | Wing Commander Roderick Smith DFC* (deceased)
Flight Commander 412 Sqn RCAF, Flight Commander 126 Sqn RAF, Squadron Commander 401 Sqn RCAF. One of Canada's most skillful Spitfire pilots, his victory total included a shared victory over an Me262 jet fighter.Born in 1922, he joined the RCAF and was sent to Scotland for training on the Spitfire Mk.I. He was posted to Malta with No.126 Sqn, where his older brother was already serving. His brother was killed in action during theit time in Malta, and Roderick himself was forced to bail out of his burning aircraft. On D-Day, he flew over the Normandy beaches as Flight Commander of No.412 Sqn RCAF. He returned to Canada in December 1944 and retired the next year. Sadly, Roderick Smith died on 16th April 2002.
More... |
|
