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Group Captain Billy Drake DSO DFC* (deceased) - Art prints and originals signed by Group Captain Billy Drake DSO DFC* (deceased)

Billy Drake

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

28 / 8 / 2011Died : 28 / 8 / 2011

Group Captain Billy Drake DSO DFC* (deceased)

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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Maltese Falcons by Anthony Saunders.


Maltese Falcons by Anthony Saunders.
5 of 6 editions available.
All 2 editions featuring an additional signature are available.
£65.00 - £400.00

A Day for Heroes by Ivan Berryman.


A Day for Heroes by Ivan Berryman.
9 editions.
4 of the 9 editions feature up to 4 additional signatures.
£2.70 - £8500.00

Over Grand Harbour by Anthony Saunders.


Over Grand Harbour by Anthony Saunders.
4 editions.
One edition features an additional signature.
£25.00 - £400.00


The Jaws of Victory by Ivan Berryman.


The Jaws of Victory by Ivan Berryman.
2 of 3 editions available.
All 3 editions feature an additional signature.
£60.00 - £85.00

Clipped Signature - Billy Drake.


Clipped Signature - Billy Drake.
One edition.
£40.00

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


Height and Sun by Robert Taylor.


Height and Sun by Robert Taylor.
One of 3 editions available.
All 3 editions feature up to 40 additional signatures.
£125.00

Glorious Summer by Robert Taylor


Glorious Summer by Robert Taylor
2 of 3 editions available.
All 3 editions feature up to 21 additional signatures.
£260.00 - £635.00

Land, Sea and Air by Ivan Berryman.


Land, Sea and Air by Ivan Berryman.
13 editions.
7 of the 13 editions feature up to 2 additional signatures.
£2.70 - £400.00


Duel in the Desert by Nicolas Trudgian.


Duel in the Desert by Nicolas Trudgian.
2 editions.
Both editions feature an additional signature.
£60.00 - £75.00

Tribute to Squadron Leader Billy Drake by Ivan Berryman.


Tribute to Squadron Leader Billy Drake by Ivan Berryman.
6 editions.
One edition features an additional signature.
£2.70 - £1150.00

Hornchurch Scramble by Robert Taylor.


Hornchurch Scramble by Robert Taylor.
2 of 4 editions available.
All 4 editions feature up to 23 additional signatures.
£215.00 - £295.00


Guardian Angel by Gerald Coulson.


Guardian Angel by Gerald Coulson.
All 3 editions sold out.
2 editions feature up to 3 additional signature(s).

Return From Combat by Simon Smith.


Return From Combat by Simon Smith.
4 editions.
All 4 editions feature an additional signature.
£110.00 - £260.00

Spitfires Over the Needles by Philip West.


Spitfires Over the Needles by Philip West.
2 editions.
Both editions feature up to 3 additional signatures.
£160.00 - £200.00


Cloud Dancers by Ivan Berryman.


Cloud Dancers by Ivan Berryman.
7 editions.
2 of the 7 editions feature up to 2 additional signatures.
£2.70 - £400.00

Fighting Lady by Graeme Lothian.


Fighting Lady by Graeme Lothian.
2 editions.
Both editions feature up to 12 additional signatures.
£145.00 - £480.00

George Cross Island Association 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Print by John Young.


George Cross Island Association 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Print by John Young.
2 editions.
Both editions feature up to 24 additional signatures.
£240.00 - £280.00


Merlin Roar by Anthony Saunders.


Merlin Roar by Anthony Saunders.
12 editions.
10 of the 12 editions feature up to 4 additional signatures.
£37.00 - £350.00

Billy Drake - First of Many by Ivan Berryman.


Billy Drake - First of Many by Ivan Berryman.
4 editions.
All 4 editions feature up to 4 additional signature(s).
£100.00 - £520.00

In Them We Trust by Ivan Berryman.


In Them We Trust by Ivan Berryman.
15 of 16 editions available.
All 8 editions featuring up to 2 additional signatures are available.
£2.70 - £500.00



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Text for the above items :

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.


A Day for Heroes by Ivan Berryman.

The afternoon of 25th July 1940 was a desperate one for the already exhausted fighter pilots of the RAF defending the South coast of England. As convoy CW8 made its way through the English Channel, sixty JU.87 Stukas and forty JU.88 bombers launched a brutal attack on the ships below, backed up by fighter cover of over 50 Messerscmitt Bf.109s. Eight Spitfires of 64 Sqn (Kenley) were scrambled, together with twelve Spitfires of 54 Sqn (Hornchurch) and Hurricanes of 111 Sqn from Croydon. The British pilots found themselves massively outnumbered, but nevertheless put up a spirited fight against the teeming enemy. This painting shows Spitfires of 54 Sqn entering the fray, the pilots scattering as they choose their targets and go after the JU.87s. To the right of this, Bf.109Es of JG.26 are roaring in to join battle, whilst Adolf Galland's aircraft engages a Hurricane of 111 Sqn.


Over Grand Harbour by Anthony Saunders.

P40 Kittyhawks of No.3 Squadron RAAF based at Ta Qali Airfield, Malta.


The Jaws of Victory by Ivan Berryman.

Group Captain Billy Drake in Curtiss P.40 AL161 of 112 Sqn downing a Stuka during the North Africa Campaign in 1942.


Clipped Signature - Billy Drake.

Joining the RAF in 1936, he flew Hurricanes in the Battle of France. Awarded the DFC, he commanded No.128 Sqn and No.112 Sqn in Africa, gaining a Bar to the DFC and a DSO. He later flew in Malta and flew Typhoons in the summer of 1944. Credited with more than 24 aircraft destroyed in the war, he retired from the RAF in 1963. He died in 2011.


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.


Height and Sun by Robert Taylor.

If you had the height, you controlled the battle. If you came out of the sun, the enemy could not see you. If you held your fire until you were very close, you seldom missed. These three basic rules contributed to the prowess in aerial combat of some of the most successful fighter pilots in history and seldom were they more valuable than when outnumbered. Between July and October 1940 the brave young pilots of RAF Fighter Command were under intense pressure from the constant attacks of the Luftwaffe and the Hawker Hurricane was the machine of the Battle of Britain, accounting for 80 percent of Allied victories. In this painting, Hurricanes of 32 Sqn climb high into the morning sky, gaining Height and Sun in an attempt to take the advantage over the onslaught of enemy fighters - August, 1940. This image captures the surreal calmness above the clouds, belying the fury of action and ultimate sacrifices made in those crisp blue skies.


Glorious Summer by Robert Taylor

Throughout the long hot summer of 1940 the destiny of the British Isles, indeed the future of Europe, lay in the hands of a small band of young RAF fighter pilots. Against them stood the vast aerial fleets of an all-powerful Luftwaffe, gloating and confident from its victories in Poland, France and the Low Countries. Lying in wait across the Channel, anticipating an easy victory by its air force, were the armies of the most powerful tyrant the world had ever known. With Europe already succumbed to Nazi rule, Britain was alone, the last bastion among the free nations to stand against an evil empire bent upon world domination. The battle, the first ever to be fought entirely in the air, would change the course of history, whatever the outcome.

Outnumbered more than five to one at the outset, the odds were so heavily stacked against the RAF, the task looked hopeless. But as the ferocious aerial battles continued through the long summer months, the tactical skills, devotion and raw courage of the RAF's young flyers, gradually turned the tide. By September end, the battle was won and the defeated Luftwaffe retired to its plundered territories to lick its wounds.

Image shows nearest, young Pilot Officer Geoffrey Page, later to become one of the RAFs most highly decorated fighter aces, powers his Mk I Hurricane over the country lane at the edge of the airfield, as he and his fellow No 56 Squadron pilots make their third scramble of the day.


Land, Sea and Air by Ivan Berryman.

Spitfire of 761 Training Squadron (attached to the Royal Navy) flies over the Forth Railway Bridge on the eve of World War Two, also shown is HMS Royal Oak departing Rosyth for the open sea.


Duel in the Desert by Nicolas Trudgian.

The P-40, legendary for its service with Chennaults Flying Tigers in China, was one of the RAFs principle fighters in the north African Desert war. A low-level dogfight between P-40 Kittyhawks of 112 Squadron is shown, as they tangle with the Luftwaffe ME109s over Matamata Hills, near the Mareth line on the border between Tunisia and Libya, early March 1943.


Tribute to Squadron Leader Billy Drake by Ivan Berryman.

Sqn Ldr Billy Drake is shown in Curtiss Kittyhawk Mk1a ET790 claiming a Ju87 Stuka on the 31st of October 1942. Sqn Ldr Drake commanded 112 Squadron flying Kittyhawks at Gambut on 24th May 1942. He claimed a probable Bf109 on 6th June, another probable on 2nd July, destroyed a Bf109 on the 8th, damaged a Ju88 on the ground on the 19th, destroyed a Bf109 on the 24th, two Ju87s on the 1st September and another Bf109 on the 13th. Drake shared a Ju87 and probably destroyed another on 1st October 1942, got a probable Bf109 on the 22nd, destroyed another on the 26th, an Me202 on the 27th, a Ju87 on the 31st, a Bf109 destroyed and another damaged on 5th November, a Bf109 destroyed on the ground on the 11th, an He111 destroyed and a Bf109 damaged on the 15th, a Bf110 destroyed and another damaged on the 19th, an Me202 and a Bf109 destroyed on 11th December and he finally shared a Bf109 on the 13th. Drake was awarded a Bar to the DFC (28.7.42) and the DSO (4.12.42).


Hornchurch Scramble by Robert Taylor.

On August 12th, 1940 the Luftwaffe turned their full attention to the RAF's forward fighter bases and radar stations with the intent to obliterate them once and for all. The outcome of the Battle of Britain hung in the balance. It was late in the afternoon of Sunday, 18 August 1940. The previous week had seen the hardest days of fighting in the Battle of Britain as the young pilots of the RAF Fighter Command had engaged in deadly duels with the Luftwaffe. Bystanders gazed cautiously upwards at the weaving contrails in the clear blue skies over southern England as they anxiously awaited the outcome. For just a moment, all was at peace: A gentle breeze floated across the airfield at RAF Hornchurch as the exhausted young pilots of 54 Squadron could rest for a few brief minutes and reflect on their own previous two encounters with the enemy that day. The Luftwaffe had thrown everything at them in the past few days, but today had been the toughest of them all. And then the calm was shattered by the shrill tones of the alarm, the Luftwaffe had launched another huge raid of over 300 aircraft across the Channel, and it looked like Hornchurch was the target. Hornchurch Scramble, portrays the moment as 54 Squadron's commanding officer, Squadron Leader James Leathart, taxis out at Hornchurch to prepare for take-off. Quickly following, the aircraft of New Zealander Colin Gray is guided out from dispersal by his ground crew. Gray would claim 3 Bf110s in the encounter and would eventually become the top scoring New Zealand Ace of the war.


Guardian Angel by Gerald Coulson.

As Britain holds itself ready for perhaps the greatest battle it has ever fought, a pair of Mk 1 Hurricanes of 213 Squadron set out from their base at Biggin Hill for an early morning patrol over the Channel, they could meet the enemy at any moment. As they cross the coast, they are joined in spirit by a 213 Squadron Sopwith Camel from an earlier conflict. With the Battle of Britain poised to begin the great task of defending the nation will fall upon their shoulders. But at least for today the spirit of their guardian angel will be at their side.


Return From Combat by Simon Smith.

Two 85 squadron Hurricanes returning to base after a battle over the skies of southern England in the summer of 1940.


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.


Cloud Dancers by Ivan Berryman.

Two Hawker Furies of No.1 Sqn, based at Tangmere in 1937.


Fighting Lady by Graeme Lothian.

A solo Spitfire on patrol off the coast of Dover during the Battle of Britain.


George Cross Island Association 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Print by John Young.

Official limited edition print of the 60th Anniversary of the George Cross Island Association. Spitfires from one of Maltas most famous squadrons, 249, climbing up over Valetta harbour in the summer of 1942. The panorama beneath the aircraft is the city with its thousands of Maltese citizens daily exposed to the enemy blitz, ships of the Royal Navy and Merchant Service, and the Armys anti-aircraft batteries.


Merlin Roar by Anthony Saunders.

The Hawker Hurricane powered by the powerful Rolls Royce Merlin engine is shown in combat with Luftwaffe aircraft during the Battle of Britain. The Hurricane played a major role in the aerial victory along with its companion the Spitfire.


Billy Drake - First of Many by Ivan Berryman.

Group Captain Billy Drake in Hurricane JX-P of No.1 Sqn scoring his first victory, an Me109 during the Battle of France, on 20th April 1940.


In Them We Trust by Ivan Berryman.

Two Spitfire Mk1Bs of 92 Squadron patrol the south coast from their temporary base at Ford, here passing over the Needles rocks, Isle of Wight, in the Spring of 1942.

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Group Captain Billy Drake DSO DFC* (deceased)

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