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F L Tilley | Warrant Officer F L Tilley After training as a Flight Engineer he volunteered for 617 Sqn taking part in all the raids against the Tirpitz, but at the end of 1944 was forced to crash land in East Germany after being badly shot up and injured on a mission. |
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Target Bearing 270 by Robert Taylor. At sunrise on 12 November, 1944, led by Wing Commander James Tait, Lancasters of 617 Squadron RAF prepare to make their bombing run on the German battleship Tirpitz, lying in the Norwegian fjord at Tromso. |
Towards Night's Darkness by Robert Taylor. Sometimes it was five, every so often it might be six, occasionally it was three, but usually it was seven men who flew together as a crew with RAF Bomber Command. They formed the closest of bonds, forged through an anvil of freezing temperatures, deadly flak and prowling night-fighters but, with an average age of only 22, their odds of survival were slim. By 1943 the life expectancy for bomber aircrew was just 5 missions - only one in six were expected to survive their first tour of 30 operations. The chances of surviving a second tour were even slimmer. Of the 125,000 men who flew with Bomber Command during World War II, more than 55,000 were killed. Whilst the 'Few' of Fighter Command had undoubtedly defeated the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain, it was the 'Many' of Bomber Command who were to play the pivotal role in delivering to the Allies ultimate victory in Europe. But it came at a terrible cost: on one raid alone - the Nuremberg raid of 30th/31st March 1944 - 543 aircrew were killed, more than Fighter Command lost during the entire Battle of Britain. Robert Taylor's evocative new painting is a moving tribute to these men of Bomber Command. As the setting sun casts a golden glow, a group of Lancasters from 576 Squadron gather into formation after departing from their Lincolnshire base at the start of a raid into Germany in late 1944. The lead aircraft UL-I (LM227) was one of only a handful of Lancasters to complete 100 operational sorties. Between them the pilots of Bomber Command won 23 Victoria Crosses during WWII, and countless others were highly decorated for courage and commitment. Several of these veterans have now joined together to sign this commemorative limited edition to honour all those who served with Bomber Command. They include some of the RAF's most inspirational leaders - men such as James 'Tirpitz&;39; Tait, who was awarded no less than four DSOs to become one of the most highly decorated RAF airmen of WWII. Although sadly no longer with us, we are privileged that he was able to personally sign the prints during his lifetime, creating a truly historic collectors edition. |
The Sinking of the Tirpitz by Frank Wootton. A first-hand account of the sinking of the Tirpitz by Bob Knights. - The early morning of 12th November 1944 was clear and very cold, and the wings of the Lancasters of 617 Squadron, parked on the airfield at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, were coated with ice. This ice had to be removed before the aircraft could take off for the final attack on the Tirpitz, the Lancasters were already overloaded with a 12,00lb Tallboy, full petrol tanks, and a reserve fuel tank in the fuselage. The aircraft had been fitted with more powerful engines, the Rolls-Royce Merlin 24, and take-off performance was surprisingly good. After turning out over the Moray Firth, we set course north east for the Norwegian sea at 1500 feet. We saw the Shetland Islands pass by on our left, and when we reached 64 degrees north we turned eastwards towards the Norwegian coast at low level. We crossed the coast, climbing rapidly to clear mountains, and flew over the Swedish border. We then turned north and, keeping on the Swedish side of the border, proceeded to our assembly point, a narrow lake about 100 miles south east of Tromso. At zero hour, Wing Commander Willie Tait, Officer Commanding 617 Squadron, set course on the long run-in to the target, accompanied by the first wave of 617 Squadron aircraft. As we topped the last mountain before reaching Tromso, we saw the Tirpitz clearly from about thirty miles. She looked very vulnerable lying there with no cloud or smoke to protect her, and forunately there was no sign of the fighters, which were stationed at Bardafoss. The anti-aircraft guns opened up as we approached, and there were enormous shell bursts from Tirpitz herself. We had a good straight bombing run, and both my bomb aimer and my flight engineer followed our Tallboy right down to the ship. They reported two direct hits and three bombs very close to the sides of the ship. After taking our aiming point photograph, we circled the ship to observe the subsequent bombing. We stayed in the vicinity for about another fifteen minutes and before we left the ship was beginning to capsize. Then followed the long flight back to Scotland. When we arrived, bad weather had affected Lossiemouth and we were diverted to Peterhead, where we eventually landed after a flight of 12 hours 35 minutes. |
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This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com
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