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Group Captain Byron Duckenfield AFC (deceased) - Art prints and originals signed by Group Captain Byron Duckenfield AFC (deceased)

Byron Duckenfield

Byron Duckenfield
The signature of Group Captain Byron Duckenfield AFC (deceased)

19 / 11 / 2010Died : 19 / 11 / 2010

Group Captain Byron Duckenfield AFC (deceased)

Byron Duckenfield started at Flying Training School on 25th November 1935 in a Blackburn B2 at Brough. As a Sergeant, he joined No.32 Sqn at Biggin Hill on 8th August 1936 and flew Gauntlets and Hurricanes. He joined 74 Squadron at Hornchurch on 11th April 1940, flying Spitfires, and on 5th May was posted to 501 Squadron flying Hurricanes at Tangmere. On the 11th of May at Betheniville, he survived a crash in a passenger transport Bombay aircraft in an aircraft in which he was a passenger, While comin ginto land the aircraft at 200 feet the aircraft stalled and the aircrfat fell backwards just levelly out as it histhe ground. 5 of th epassengers were killed when the centre section collapsed and crushed them. Duckenfield was fortunate as he had moved position during the flight. as the two passengers sitting each side of where he was sitting had died in the crash. (it was found later that the Bombay had beeb loaded with to much weight in the aft sectiion. ) recovering in hospital in Roehampton. On 23rd July 1940, he rejoined No.501 Sqn at Middle Wallop, then moved to to Gravesend two days later, scoring his first victory, a Ju87, on the 29th of July 1940. During August and September he scored three more victories. After a spell as a test pilot from 14th September 1940, he was posted to command 66 Squadron on 20th December 1941, flying Spitfires. On 26th February 1942 he took command of 615 Squadron flying Hurricanes from Fairwood Common, taking the squadron to the Far East. In late December 1942 he was shot down in Burma and captured by the Japanese. He remained a POW until release in May 1945. After a refresher course at the Flying Training School in November 1949, he took command of No.19 Squadron flying Hornets and Meteors from Chruch Fenton. After a series of staff positions, he retired from the RAF as a Group Captain on 28th May 1969. Duckenfield would write later his details :

Burma

At first light, 12 Hurricanes IIC aircraft of 615 Squadron, myself in the lead, took off from Chittagong for central Burma to attack the Japanese air base at Magwe, 300 miles away on the banks of the River Irrawaddy. Arriving at Yenangyaung, we turned downstream at minimum height for Magwe, 30 miles to the South and jettisoned drop tanks. Just before sighting the enemy base, the squadron climbed to 1200 feet and positioned to attack from up sun. On the ramp at the base, in front of the hangers, were 10 or 12 Nakajima KI - 43 Oscars in a rough line up (not dispersed) perhaps readying for take. These aircraft and the hangars behind them were attacked in a single pass, before withdrawing westward at low level and maximum speed. A few minutes later perhaps 20 miles away form Magwe, I was following the line of a cheung (small creek), height about 250 feet, speed aboput 280 mph, when the aircraft gave a violent shudder, accompanied by a very lound, unusual noise. The cause was instantly apparent: the airscrew has disappeared completely, leaving only the spinning hub. My immediate reaction was to throttle back fully and switch off to stop the violently overspeeding engine. Further action was obvious: I was committed to staying with the aircraft because, with a high initial speed, not enough height to eject could be gained without the help of an airscrew. So I jettisoned the canopy and acknowledged gratefully the fact that I was following a creek; the banks of either side were hillocky ground, hostile to a forced landing aircraft. Flying the course of the creek, I soon found the aircraft to be near the stall (luckily, a lower than normal figure without an airscrew) extended the flaps and touched down wheels-up with minimum impact ( I have done worse landings on a smooth runway!) My luck was holding, if one can talk of luck in such a situation. December is the height of the dry season in that area and the creek had little water, it was shallow and narrow at the point where I came down: shallow enough to support the fusalage and narrow enough to support wing tips. So I released the harness, pushed the IFF Destruct switch, climed out and walked the wing ashore, dryshod. The question may occur -Why did not others in the squadron see their leader go down? - the answer is simple, the usual tatctic of withdrawal from an enemy target was to fly single at high speed and low level on parallel courses until a safe distance from target was attained. Then, the formation would climb to re-assemble. Having left the aircraft, I now faced a formidable escape problem? I was 300 miles from friendly territory: my desired route would be westward but 80% of that 300 miles was covered by steep north-south ridges impenetrably clothed in virgin jungle; these were natural impediments, there was also the enemy to consider. Having thought over my predicament, I decided the best I could do - having heard reports of mean herted plainspeope - was to get as far into the hills as possible and then find a (hopefully sympathetic) village. I suppose I may have covered about 15 miles by nightfall when I came upon this small hill village and walked into the village square. Nobody seemed surprised to see me (I suspect I had been followed for some time) I wa given a quiet welcome, seated at a table in the open and given food. Then exhaustion took over, I fell asleep in the chair and woke later to find myself tied up in it. Next day I was handed over to a Japanese sergeant and escort who took me back to Magwe and, soon after that, 2.5 years captivity in Rangoon jail.

Sadly we have learned that Byron Duckenfield passed away on 19th November 2010.

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No.615 Sqn Hurricane over Burma by Brian Bateman. (P)


No.615 Sqn Hurricane over Burma by Brian Bateman. (P)
One edition.
The edition features an additional signature.
£250.00

A Pickle for Pickering by Brian Bateman. (P)


A Pickle for Pickering by Brian Bateman. (P)
One edition.
The edition features an additional signature.
£300.00

High Pursuit by Ivan Berryman.


High Pursuit by Ivan Berryman.
17 of 18 editions available.
All 10 editions featuring up to 3 additional signatures are available.
£2.70 - £500.00


Valiant Response by Robert Taylor.


Valiant Response by Robert Taylor.
2 of 4 editions available.
All 4 editions feature up to 20 additional signatures.
£215.00 - £295.00

The Longest July by Ivan Berryman.


The Longest July by Ivan Berryman.
10 of 11 editions available.
All 4 editions featuring up to 4 additional signatures are available.
£2.70 - £500.00

Burma - Arrival of 615 Squadron by Brian Bateman. (P)


Burma - Arrival of 615 Squadron by Brian Bateman. (P)
One edition.
The edition features an additional signature.
£300.00


Spitfire Over Buckingham Palace by John Young. (AP)


Spitfire Over Buckingham Palace by John Young. (AP)
2 editions.
Both editions feature up to 2 additional signatures.
£83.00 - £90.00

Air Taxi by David Pentland.


Air Taxi by David Pentland.
3 editions.
All 3 editions feature up to 3 additional signature(s).
£55.00 - £320.00

Ace of Burma - Tribute to Wing Commander Frank Carey by Ivan Berryman.


Ace of Burma - Tribute to Wing Commander Frank Carey by Ivan Berryman.
8 of 9 editions available.
All 2 editions featuring up to 5 additional signatures are available.
£2.70 - £430.00


Total Commitment by Ivan Berryman.


Total Commitment by Ivan Berryman.
9 editions.
4 of the 9 editions feature up to 3 additional signatures.
£2.70 - £3200.00

Quartet by Gerald Coulson.


Quartet by Gerald Coulson.
6 editions.
4 of the 6 editions feature up to 2 additional signatures.
£65.00 - £130.00

Open Assault by Robert Taylor.


Open Assault by Robert Taylor.
4 of 5 editions available.
All 5 editions feature up to 14 additional signatures.
£210.00 - £375.00


Desperate Measures by Ivan Berryman.


Desperate Measures by Ivan Berryman.
5 editions.
All 5 editions feature up to 4 additional signature(s).
£45.00 - £490.00

Guardian Angels by Ivan Berryman.


Guardian Angels by Ivan Berryman.
5 of 6 editions available.
All 3 editions featuring up to 4 additional signatures are available.
£2.70 - £340.00

Spitfire! by David Pentland.


Spitfire! by David Pentland.
4 editions.
All 4 editions feature up to 6 additional signature(s).
£70.00 - £460.00


Hurricane Patrol by Graeme Lothian.


Hurricane Patrol by Graeme Lothian.
15 editions.
13 of the 15 editions feature up to 3 additional signatures.
£70.00 - £3000.00

Flt Lt Walter Lawson by Ivan Berryman.


Flt Lt Walter Lawson by Ivan Berryman.
8 of 9 editions available.
All 4 editions featuring up to 3 additional signatures are available.
£2.70 - £500.00

Straggler's End by Ivan Berryman.


Straggler's End by Ivan Berryman.
5 editions.
All 5 editions feature up to 8 additional signature(s).
£60.00 - £730.00


Night Reaper, 4th May 1942 by David Pentland.


Night Reaper, 4th May 1942 by David Pentland.
12 editions.
7 of the 12 editions feature up to 3 additional signatures.
£2.70 - £4000.00

Spitfire Alley by Ivan Berryman.


Spitfire Alley by Ivan Berryman.
14 of 15 editions available.
All 6 editions featuring up to 4 additional signatures are available.
£2.70 - £500.00

Summer 1940 by Ivan Berryman.


Summer 1940 by Ivan Berryman.
7 editions.
5 of the 7 editions feature up to 3 additional signatures.
£2.70 - £400.00



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Text for the above items :

No.615 Sqn Hurricane over Burma by Brian Bateman. (P)

Hurricane Mk.IIc of 615 Squadron during late 1942 on a sortie over the Burmese jungle.


A Pickle for Pickering by Brian Bateman. (P)

September 11th 1940. The 501 Squadron Hurricane of Tony Pickering dives through a formation of 300 German bombers as they head for London. Smoke begins to pour from his Hurricane as a German gunner hits his oil sump, forcing Tony to make a hasty escape from the doomed aircraft.


High Pursuit by Ivan Berryman.

Squadron Leader H C Sawyer is depicted here flying his 65 Sqn Spitfire Mk.1a R6799 (YT-D) in the skies above Kent on 31st July 1940 at the height of the Battle of Britain. Chasing him is Major Hans Trubenbach of 1 Gruppe, Lehrgeschwader 2 in his Messerschmitt Vf109E-3 (Red 12) . The encounter lasted eight minutes with both pilots surviving.


Valiant Response by Robert Taylor.

The Spitfires of 54 Squadron, quickly scrambled from nearby Hornchurch, clash with the Me109s from 1./JG51 over Kent. Below, Me110s from KPRG210 are about to receive unwelcome attention as the rest of the Spitfires hurtle down upon them and in the distance, a group of Hurricanes rip through a dense formation of Do17s from KG76 as they struggle back to France. What clouds there are will be unlikely to give much sanctuary and, for the onlookers on the ground far below, the skies will soon be filled with weaving trails of smoke and debris. For nearly a week the Luftwaffe had thrown everything they had into the attack on southern England in order to annihilate RAF Fighter Command, in preparation for Operation Sealion, the invasion of Britain. And, heavily outnumbered, the young RAF Spitfire and Hurricane pilots of Fighter Command had so far repelled them, at a cost. But on Sunday 18 August 1940, the Germans launched the heaviest formations of aircraft seen in the battle so far. This was to be a grinding day of relentless assaults on the airfields of southern England, the hardest day of the Battle of Britain.


The Longest July by Ivan Berryman.

Posted to 64 Squadron on 1st July 1940, the tragically short relationship of Sub Lt F Dawson Paul with the Spitfire was crammed with victories. He immediately shared a Dornier Do17 off Beachy Head and, just four days later claimed a Messerschmitt Bf.109. Further kills were confirmed over the next two weeks, among them five Bf.110s and another Do.17. His final victory was a Bf.109 on 25th, but on this day he fell to the guns of the German ace Adolf Galland. Dawson Paul was rescued from the English Channel by a German E-boat, but died of his wounds five days later as a prisoner of war.


Burma - Arrival of 615 Squadron by Brian Bateman. (P)

A Mk.II Hurricane of No.615 Sqn passes over a downed Japanese Zero fighter in the jungles of Burma.


Spitfire Over Buckingham Palace by John Young. (AP)

Spitfire from No. 71 (eagle) squadron flys over Buckingham Palace.


Air Taxi by David Pentland.

Southern England, 19th August 1942. Alex Thom arrives safely at the airfield of No.87 Squadron in a Miles Master. He would immediately take off to return to Dieppe in Hurricane LK-A, seen in the background.


Ace of Burma - Tribute to Wing Commander Frank Carey by Ivan Berryman.

Having been posted to help relieve the pressure on the Allied forces in Burma, Frank Carey's 135 Sqn found themselves immediately in action against the Japanese. On 29th January 1942, Carey's first victim was the Nakajima Ki.27 'Nate' of Sgt-Maj Nagashima of the 77th Sentai, his aircraft falling close to the RAF airfield at Mingaladon Township, Rangoon. The following month, Carey scored again, claiming three more confirmed Ki.27s, a reconnaissance aircraft, a transport aircraft and another Ki.27.


Total Commitment by Ivan Berryman.

On the afternoon of 5th September 1940, Spitfires of 41 Sqn intercepted a large formation of Heinkel 111 bombers and their escorts over the Thames estuary, en route for London. Flying N3162 as Red 2, Flight Lieutenant Eric Lock attacked the bombers head on as they began to turn north. In a fraught combat, Lock was to destroy two He.111s and a Bf.109 on that single mission, setting him on course to become the highest scoring ace in the RAF during the Battle of Britain with sixteen confirmed victories and one shared. His final total at the end of the war was twenty six kills confirmed and eight probables.


Quartet by Gerald Coulson.

The inspiration for this subject was principally the setting. A low sun turning the tops of towering cumulus to a soft ochre against a backdrop of azure. Through breaks in these massive clouds can be seen a landscape beginning to fade, greens and yellows changing to liquid blues and mauves. All that is now required to complete the picture are the lines of a beautiful aeroplane, provided here by four Spitfires on No.66 Sqn. The aircraft shown are LZ-M, LZ-N, LZ-K and LZ-X. LZ-X was flown by H R Dizzy Allen throughout the Battle of Britain.


Open Assault by Robert Taylor.

The Junkers Ju87 Sturzkampfbomber, known to the British simply as the Stuka, had already acquired a deadly reputation across Europe, its siren screaming as the ungainly dive-bomber struck terror into the hearts of those below. In 1940 its pilots crossed the Channel with their grim-looking aircraft to terrorise the southern towns and ports of England. Robert Taylors painting Open Assault, depicts Hurricanes of 501 Squadron attacking a force of Ju87 Stukas as they dive-bomb naval vessels and installations in the port of Dover on 29 July 1940. High explosive bombs detonate within the sheltered anchorage as escorting Bf109s from JG51 race in to protect their lumbering charges. Four Stukas and two Me109s are despatched, for the loss of just one RAF aircraft.


Desperate Measures by Ivan Berryman.

Having already registered two victories since his arrival at 501 Sqn in the Autumn of 1940, Plt Off K W Mackenzie found himself again in action against some Messerschmitt Bf.109s on 7th October, sharing in the destruction of one before vigorously pursuing another as it turned to head out across the Channel. With his ammunition exhausted, Mackenzie was determined not to let the interloper escape and placed his Hurricane's starboard wing over the tail of the Bf.109, bringing it violently down and severing the tail of the German fighter which plunged uncontrollably into the sea. With his own wingtip missing from the impact and his engine now damaged by rounds from other pursuing German aircraft, Mackenzie limped his crippled Hurricane over the cliffs near Folkestone, where he crash-landed. He survived the incident, albeit with some facial injuries sustained when he was thrown against the gunsight, and was awarded the DFC for his gallantry.


Guardian Angels by Ivan Berryman.

Flt Lt Alex Thom in his Spitfire MkVc LK-P of 87 Squadron escorting a convoy with his wingman.


Spitfire! by David Pentland.

Sussex Coast, England, 16th August 1940. For Donald MacDonald, Squadron leader of 64 Squadron, this particular day was fairly eventful. Catching the JG54 fighters and III/KG55 bombers on the coast, he personally accounted for one Me109E destroyed, another damaged, and a third probable. Continuing his attack he shared in the destruction of a He111P-2, and heavily damaged a second.


Hurricane Patrol by Graeme Lothian.

After taking part in the Battle of France early in 1940, 85 Squadron moved to Croydon on the 19th August, where, led by renowned squadron leader Peter Townsend DSO DFC, the squadron played a notable part in the Battle of Britain. Thirty Hurricane squadrons participated in the Battle of Britain compared to only eighteen Spitfire squadrons, claiming 80 percent of the RAF victories. Sir Sidney Camms innovative design ensured the Hurricane became a classic fighter. Hurricane Patrol portrays Squadron Leader Peter Townsend leading 85 Squadron on a high altitude sortie during the long hot summer of 1940.


Flt Lt Walter Lawson by Ivan Berryman.

Depicting the No.19 Sqn Spitfire Mk.IIA of Flt Lt Walter Lawson attacking a Bf.109 E-4 of JG.3 in the Summer of 1940. The final tally of Lawson before he was listed as missing in August 1941 was 6 confirmed, 1 shared, 3 probables and 1 damaged. The Bf.109 shown here was flown by Oberleutnant Franz von Werra. He survived this encounter, but was shot down over Kent in September 1940.


Straggler's End by Ivan Berryman.

Byron Duckenfield is recorded as having shot down a Stuka near Dover, but the exact circumstances are not clear. 501 Sqn did encounter Stukas in this area on a number of occasions - depicted here is a 501 Sqn Hurricane on the tail of a Ju.87.


Night Reaper, 4th May 1942 by David Pentland.

Hawker Hurricane IIc of top Czech ace Flt. Lt. K.M. Kuttlewascher, No.1 Fighter Squadron on a night intruder sortie from RAF Tangmere. On this mission he destroyed three Heinkel IIIs over their own airfield, St. Andre, in occupied France.


Spitfire Alley by Ivan Berryman.

A pair of Spitfire Mk.IXs of 402 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force, based at Kenley, practise combat manoeuvres in the skies above Kent in May, 1943.


Summer 1940 by Ivan Berryman.

Pilot Officer Allan Wright - later Group Captain, and awarded DFC and AFC - pilots Spitfire QJ-S of No.92 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, with his wingman in close support.

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Group Captain Byron Duckenfield AFC (deceased)

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