Mitchell Aviation Art Prints

Charles N Baisden
Our estimated value of this signature : £35

Charles N Baisden

Chuck Baisden was born in 1920 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1939, and by late 1940 he found himself working with aircraft such as the P-36, P-40, YP-37 and Bell Airacuda. When he joined the AVG in 1941, he had his reasons.... 'I went from making $72 a month in the Army to $350 a month with the Flying Tigers. That was a lot of money in those days.' The new job also provided him an opportunity to travel and work in his field as an ordnance expert and he was assigned to the Hells Angles squadron, to put his talents to good use. One of the youngest to join the AVG, he remembers 'I had just turned twenty-one in March before leaving for China in May of 1941.. just bought my first beer.' After the AVG, Chuck re-enlisted. He entered pilot training school and it was back to China, now part of the famed 1st Air Commando Group. He eventually flew 58 missions as Engineer / Turret gunner of a B-25 squadron, one of whose pilots was R T Smith, a close friend from his AVG days. After WWII, he flew as a B-29 gunner in the Korean War. By 1960 he had completed some 815 refuelling missions, and in 1964 he retired from the Air Force.

Flt Sgt Frank Barton
Our estimated value of this signature : £10

Flt Sgt Frank Barton

Joining the Squadron just after D-Day he was an Air Gunner with 98 Sqn, flying B-25 Mitchells with the 2nd TAF over Normandy. He went on to complete over 30 Operations.

Colonel William J Cavoli
Our estimated value of this signature : £55
Died : 2007

Colonel William J Cavoli

William J. Cavoli was born in Philadelphia, PA on 22nd September 1919. Willaim Cavoli enlisted in the Army Air Corps in July of 1941. He attended basic training at Randolph, AFB, Texas. Cavoli was a pilot on B-25's of 500th Bomb Squadron. He saw service in New Guinea, Northern Solomons, Bismark Archipelago, Southern Philippines, Luzon Western Pacific, China, Ryukyus campaigns and the Air Offensive Against Japan. Captain Willaim J Cavoli pilot of B-25D 'Snafu' 41 - 30054 which took off as part of the second wave of bombers over Kavieng. Once over the target, Cavoli's B-25 experienced heavy anti-aircraft fire. After dropping their bombs and flying through heavy smoke, his B-25 was hit, setting the right wing on fire. Cavoli prepared to ditch the plane into Kavieng Harbor, without any hydraulic pressure or airspeed indicator. Cavoli's crew were to be rescued after 85 minutes in the water by Nathan Gordons PBY Catalina. After the war, Cavoli remained in the military and served in defense intelligence. He was stationed in Washington, DC, Florida, Rome, Guatemala, and Panama. He retired from the Air Force in June of 1972 as a full Colonel. Sadly Colonel William J. Cavoli died on 19th April 2007.

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Lieutenant Colonel Richard E Cole
Our estimated value of this signature : £50

Lieutenant Colonel Richard E Cole

Richard E Cole was born in Dayton Ohio on 7th September 1915. Cole graduated from Steele High School, Dayton, Ohio and completed two years college at Ohio University. On 20th November 1940 Richard Cole enlisted with the USAF. Cole completed pilot training and commissioned as Second Lieutenant, July, 1941. Cole was co-pilot of General Jimmy Doolittles B-25 plane #1, their Mitchell attacked the city of Tokyo and they bailed out over China. Cole remained in China-Burma-India flying bombing and transport missions over the Hump untill June 1943, and served again in the China-Burma-India theater from October, 1943 until June, 1944. Relieved from active duty in January, 1947 but returned to active duty in August 1947. Was Operations Advisor to Venezuelan Air Force from 1959 to 1962. Peacetime service in Ohio, North Carolina, and California. Rated as command pilot. Decorations include Distinguished Flying Cross with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, and Chinese Army, Navy, Air Corps Medal, Class A, 1st Grade.

Ft Lt Arthur Eyton-Jones DFC
Our estimated value of this signature : £50
Died : 2013

Ft Lt Arthur Eyton-Jones DFC

Arthur Eyton-Jones joined the RAF in 1940 and flew over 1,000 hours operationally as a navigator on Bostons, Mitchells and Mosquitoes. He flew on the notoriously dangerous day time bombing offensive conducted by the RAF during the Second World War, during which he survived a ditching in the North Sea. On July 30 1943, Eyton-Jones was the navigator of a Mitchell bomber of No 226 Squadron searching for the crew of an American bomber off the northern Dutch coast. After locating the Americans' dinghy, with three men aboard, they were attacked by German fighters. The Mitchell was set on fire, a gunner was killed and Eyton-Jones was wounded in the leg. The pilot, Flying Officer Dick Christie, ditched the aircraft. The Mitchell immediately started to sink, and Eyton-Jones had difficulty getting out. When he surfaced there was no sign of the aircraft or his pilot - but he spotted an inflated dinghy with his other two crew members nearby. Just as it was getting dark a Beaufighter located them, but it was not until the following afternoon that they saw another aircraft. An RAF Hudson aircraft appeared with a fighter escort and dropped a lifeboat by parachute - one of the first successful such drops in the war. The lifeboat landed close to the dinghy, and the three survivors boarded the small craft, started the engine and headed west. As the seas increased, the engine was swamped and they spent all night bailing out the water. The craft was fitted with a drogue, which prevented it speeding down the big waves generated by the storm and smashing into the next swell. But the drogue failed, leaving the small boat almost certain to founder in the heavy seas, and the crew was forced to fashion a replacement from the mast and sail. The following morning, with the wind abating, they were able to don survival suits and use the survival aids, including tins of water and Horlicks tablets. Finally, on the afternoon of August 2nd, aircraft spotted their emergency flares, and for the next 24 hours a patrol was established over their position 200 miles east of Newcastle. The following night a Royal Navy Fairmile rescue launch headed for them, and 15 hours later a circling Hudson aircraft directed it to the dinghy. Late in the afternoon, a German Junkers 88 spotted the rescue launch, but - seeing the yellow decks (the international colour of the rescue services) - the pilot did not attack; instead he flew low and waved before departing. The three exhausted men finally arrived at Grimsby late on the evening of the sixth day of their ordeal. The son of a surgeon, Arthur Paget Eyton-Jones was born in Liverpool on July 6th 1920 and educated at Birkenhead Institute School. He enlisted in the RAF in January 1940 and, having trained as a navigator, was posted to No 226, then equipped with the American-built Boston medium bomber. He flew on daylight raids over northern France and Holland before the squadron converted to the Mitchell. After recovering from his ditching, Eyton-Jones transferred to the Mosquitos of No 21 Squadron, part of the Second Tactical Air Force. During a low-level attack in February 1944 against V-1 construction sites, his Mosquito was badly damaged by flak. A few weeks later he was rested after 18 months of continuous operations, almost all at low level during daylight, when losses were heavy. In May 1944 he was awarded a DFC. During his rest tour, Eyton-Jones trained Mosquito navigators and was responsible for survival training, including ditching and sea survival drills on the Norfolk Broads. After a series of asthma attacks, he was grounded in March 1945 and invalided out of the RAF as a flight lieutenant. In 1946 he moved to the Wirral and worked for Littlewoods Pools, rising to a senior position in the Welsh division. He established the Heswall squadron of the Air Training Corps, which he commanded for 15 years. He wrote a book about his wartime experiences, Day Bomber (1998).

Major Thomas C Griffin
Our estimated value of this signature : £35
Died : 2013

Major Thomas C Griffin

Thomas C Griffin was Born July 10, 1917, Green Bay, Wisconsin and graduated from university of Alabama with BA in Political Science in 1939. Entered service on July 5, 1939 as Second Lieutenant, Coast Artillery, but requested relief from active duty in 1940 to enlist as a Flying Cadet. Was rated as a navigator and re-commissioned on July 1, 1940. Griffin became the navigator on Doc Watsons plane #9, attacked a factory on Tokyo Bay in Kawasaki. Arrived back in US in June, 1942. Flew combat in North Africa, shot down and captured in July 1943. POW. Major Thomas C Griffin's awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Chinese Army, Navy, Air Corps Medal, Class A, 1st Grade. He died on 26th February 2013.

Major Nolan A Herndon
Our estimated value of this signature : £40
Died : 2007

Major Nolan A Herndon

Navigator and bombardier on B-25 Plane #8. of the Doolittle Raiders who bombed Japan in 1942, The crew landed in Russia and were interned, escaping in 1943 and returned to the United States. Born in Texas, Herndon enlisted on 27th July 1940. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant about a year later. He also graduated from navigator training and completed bombardier training. After his return to the US, Herndon retired from active duty November 4th, 1945. Herndon died at the age of 88 of pneumonia at Edgefield Mercantile Funeral Home, October 8th 2007.

Brigadier General Everett W Holstrom
Our estimated value of this signature : £55
Died : 2000

Brigadier General Everett W Holstrom

I was Captain and pilot of a B-25 that met stiff resistance from Japanese fighter opposition. Our guns and turrets were inoperative. We flew on and bailed out 40 miles south west of Shinghsi. I landed by parachute in a driving rainstorm about 10.00 p.m. On the third day I was picked up by Chinese guerrillas who escorted me through free China. The rest of my crew were one day behind me! I later spent 20 years in Strategic Air Command, and flew and commanded B-47s, B-52s and the worlds first supersonic bomber - the B-58. - Everett Holstrom died 2nd December 2000.

USAF Colonel Travis Hoover
Our estimated value of this signature : £55
Died : 2004

USAF Colonel Travis Hoover

Travis Hoover was born September 21, 1917 at Melrose, New Mexico. He graduated from Polytechnic High School in Riverside, California in 1938. He enlisted in the National Guard in 1938, and became a Flying Cadet in the Regular Army in 1939. By May of 1940 Hoover had earned his wings and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. He was selected to participate in the first bombing raid on Tokyo in 1942, which was both planned and lead by Jimmy Doolittle. Hoover piloted the second B-25 off the Hornet's deck and caught up with the aircraft piloted by Doolittle. They attacked Tokyo together. This was the first strike back against the Japanese homeland and occurred only four months following the Pearl Harbor raid. Hoover's B-25 headed west towards China following the attack, and as they reached the Chinese coast they ran out of fuel. They made a forced landing in Japanese occupied territory. They were able to evade the Japanese forces for several days, and eventually they contacted a Chinese student, Tung Sheng Lin, who guided Hoover's crew to safety. Undoubtedly Tung Sheng Lin's courage and valor, and his utter disregard for his own safety, prevented Hoover's crew from being captured and executed. Hoover made it back to America, and he continued to serve his country. He flew B-25s and B-24s out of England, North Africa, and Italy from September of 1942 until May of 1944. He then volunteered to fly P-38 Lightnings in the fighter and dive bomber roles in Italy for another few months. He flew a total of 73 combat missions in WW 11. Later in the War, Hoover instructed in air operations at the Command and General Staff School at Leavenworth, Kansas. His peacetime overseas service included tours in both Okinawa and Turkey. In 1949 he earned his B.A. degree from the University of California. Stateside assignments included Kansas, Washington, D.C., California, Texas, and Mississippi. He completed enough flying hours to earn his command pilot's wings. Travis retired from the Air Force with the rank of Colonel. His numerous decorations include the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with Oak Leak Cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with nine Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Chinese Army, Navy, and Air Corps Medal, Class A V' Grade. Retiring in 1969 to San Antonio, Texas, then later to Joplin, Missouri. Travis Hoover passed away 17th January 2004.

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Major General David M Jones
Our estimated value of this signature : £35
Died : 2008

Major General David M Jones

David M. Jones was born December 18th, 1913, at Marshfield, Oregon, attended high school in Tucson and graduated from the University of Arizona in 1932. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Cavalry arm of the Arizona Army National Guard and transferred to the Army Air Corps for pilot training which he completed in June 1938. In February 1942, he volunteered as a pilot for the secret project organized by Lt. Col. James H. 'Jimmy' Doolittle which became the attack by 16 Army Air Force bombers launched from the Navy Carrier USS Hornet on April 18, 1942. Jones was Captain and pilot of B-25 plane #5, attacked the waterfront of Tokyo. The bombers attacked Tokyo and four other Japanese cities in retaliation for the infamous surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 by Japanese naval forces. Jones had to bail out over China after the mission. After the raid he flew Martin B-26s in North Africa before being shot down over Bizerte on his fifth mission and taken prisoner. David Jones spent the next one and a half years in a German prison in Stalag Luft III. He was selected as a member of the 'escape committee' by his fellow prisoners to review escape plans and participated in digging one of three tunnels labeled Tom, Dick and Harry. He was liberated in April 1945. In the years following, Jones attended three major Armed Forces schools followed by assignments in research and development. He was director of the B-58 Test Force and at one time had more super-sonic flying time in that aircraft than any other USAF pilot. In 1961, he was named vice commander of the Aeronautical Systems Division at Wright-Patterson AFB and deputy commander for the GAM-87 air launched ballistic missile. After this project was cancelled, he was named deputy chief of staff for systems at the Air Force Systems Command and in 1964 he became deputy associate for Manned Space Flight with NASA. In 1967, he was appointed commander of the Air Force Eastern Test Range at Cape Kennedy, Florida for Manned Space Flight. He retired as a major general on May 31, 1973. Sadly Major General David M. Jones passed away on November 25th, 2008, at his home in Tucson, Arizona

Lieutenant Colonel Frank A Kappelar
Our estimated value of this signature : £40
Died : 2010

Lieutenant Colonel Frank A Kappelar

Frank Albert Kappelar was born in San Francisco in January 1914 and grew up in Alameda. He transferred to the Air Corps as a navigator in 1941. Graduated high school in 1932 and Polytechnic College of Engineering, Oakland, California. Transferring to Aviation Cadet training in December, 1939 and was commissioned a second lieutenant, June, 1941 at McChord Field, Washington with rating as navigator. Later received training as bombardier. Frank Albert Kappelar was navigator on B-25 plane #11 of the Doolittle Raid. Remained in CBI theater until August 1942. Served in European Theater of Operations from November, 1943 until June, 1945. Stateside assignments after the war included bases in Texas, Ohio, California before returning overseas to Japan where he served from May, 1951, until February, 1952. Deputy Commander, Minuteman Site Activation Task Force, Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. Decorations include Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 2 Silver Oak Leaf Clusters, Bronze Star Medal, and Chinese Army, Navy, and Air Corps Medal, Class A, 1st Grade. after the war and his service. Kappeler had been retired from the Air Force for a year when they settled in Santa Rosa in 1967. Kappeler purchased the former Mill's real estate office in 1976 and ran it for several years. Sadly Frank Albert Kappelar died on June, 23rd, 2010, in Santa Rosa, California.

Second Lieutenant Gene Koscinski
Our estimated value of this signature : £20

Second Lieutenant Gene Koscinski

Joining up in 1943, Gene Koscinski graduated as a bomber pilot and soon found himself in the thick of the action with the 780th BS, 465th Bomb Group based at Pantanella in southern Italy, flying his first combat mission in November 1944. Tasked with the destruction of enemy facilities throughout Italy, southern Europe and the Balkans, the 465th were crossing the treacherous Alps on a daily basis. And flying heavily laden bombers over mountains in winter, often under fire, was a tough call. During his tour Gene survived two crashes and lived to tell the tale. Transferring to the USAF, he retired from the service in 1956.

Captain Robert E Lewis
Our estimated value of this signature : £40

Captain Robert E Lewis

Capt. William J. Cavoli's navigator on B25 of 345th Group who attacked the heavily defended Japanese base at Kavieng. His aircraft was shot down but he was rescued by Lt Nathan Gordon's Catalina.

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Senior Master Sergeant Vernon Main
Our estimated value of this signature : £25

Senior Master Sergeant Vernon Main

Flew in B25s of the 13th Squadron, 3rd Bomb Group, during the Royce Raids.

Lieutenant Colonel Harry C McCool
Our estimated value of this signature : £45

Lieutenant Colonel Harry C McCool

Navigator in Brick Holstrom's plane #4, meeting stiff resistance from Japanese fighter opposition. Remained in DBI theater until September 1942 then assigned to Europe.

Lieutenant Colonel Chase J Nielson
Our estimated value of this signature : £45
Died : 2007

Lieutenant Colonel Chase J Nielson

Lieutenant Colonel Chase J Nielson was born on January 14, 1917, Hyrum, Utah Graduated from South Cache High School, Hyrum, Utah, 1935. Attended Utah State University from 1935 to 1938; majored in Civil Engineering. Enlisted as Flying Cadet at Fort Douglas, Utah on August 18, 1939. Commissioned and rated navigator, June, 1941. became Navigator on plane #6. Captured by Japanese forces and spent 40 months as a prisoner of war. Lieutenant Colonel Chase J Nielson Was the only Tokyo Raider who returned to testify at Japanese War Crimes Trials. Nielson's decorations include Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, and Chinese Breast Order of Pao Ting. Lieutenant Colonel Chase J Nielson died March 23, 2007, Brigham City, Utah.

Colonel Henry A Potter
Our estimated value of this signature : £45
Died : 2002

Colonel Henry A Potter

Navigator on General Doolittle's plane #1, they bombed the industrial area of Tokyo. Lieutenant Potter parachuted to safety in China. When Lieutenant Potter landed in a field, armed Chinese captured him and others from the plane and marched them along a road until a passing schoolteacher was able to speak to them in English. 'We were able to explain to him who we were,' Colonel Potter recalled in 1992. 'He convinced his countrymen we were allies and he took us home and gave us breakfast.' He was transferred back to the US after the raid and later flew a combat tour of North Africa in B-26s. Lieutenant Potter was made a major and retired from the Air Force in 1970 with the rank of colonel. He settled in Austin and raised money for the Confederate Air Force, now the Commemorative Air Force, a nonprofit group that preserves World War II-era combat aircraft. Henry Potter passed away on Memorial Day, May 27th 2002 in Austin, Texas, where he lived. He was 83.

Flt Lt Malcolm Scott DFC
Our estimated value of this signature : £50

Flt Lt Malcolm Scott DFC

Flew with 180 Squadron on Mitchells 1944 - 1945. Bomber Navigator/ B with 34, 180 ( Bomber Command) and 29 Squadron. He did two tours of operations – 1st M.E.T.O. & F.E.T.O. on Blenheims 36 ops and 2nd E.T.O. on Mitchells and Mosquitos 38 ops. He volunteered in July 1940 ( RAFVR).

Major Howard A Sessler
Our estimated value of this signature : £50
Died : 2001

Major Howard A Sessler

As the navigator and bombardier on Don Smiths aircraft we attacked targets in Kobe. When the raid was completed we flew on and eventually ditched our aircraft in the sea off the coast of China. We swam to an island where Chinese guerrillas took us through enemy lines into China. We got to Chungking from where we were sent home through India and across the South Atlantic. I later flew all through Africa after the invasion until the war was over, a total of 103 missions, all in B-25s. Sadly, Howard Sessler passed away in February 2001.

First Lieutenant Arthur Sherman
Our estimated value of this signature : £40

First Lieutenant Arthur Sherman

Arthur Sherman joined up as soon as he could on 10th April 1942, and after training was posted to the 15th Air force in Italy, joining the 779th bomb Squadron, 464th Bomb Group flying B25s. He flew his first combat mission on 2nd May 1944. Transferring to the 483rd Bomb Group he flew B17 Fortresses and was regularly escorted by the 332nd Tuskegee Fighter Group. Among his numerous strategic bombing missions were included the momentous raid to Memingen airfield to destroy the factory where over 600 Me109s were being made every month, together with the new Me262 jet fighter.

Flying Officer Ernest Skinner
Our estimated value of this signature : £10

Flying Officer Ernest Skinner

Speedy, as he was known, was originally with 69 Squadron in the Middle East on Baltimores. Moving onto 226 Squadron as a navigator on B25 Mitchell bombers, he completed a full tour during the summer of 1944, and then was transferred to 128 Squadron based in Brussels on Mosquitos.

Edward L Stiles
Our estimated value of this signature : £35

Edward L Stiles

Edward Lee Stiles was born in McCaysville, Georgia in 1919. He entered the Army Air Corps in 1938, and after a time at Langley Field, joined the AVG in 1941. One of the first thirty ground crew personnel to arrive in Toungoo, Burma, Ed became a crew chief with the Hells Angels squadron. Of these turbulent days, he recalls many moves: 'We went from Toungoo, Burma up the road to Kunming, China, down to Magwe, Burma, bombed out! Up the road to Loiwing, bombed out! To Mangshi, China to Poashan to Kunming. We left China in June to Karachi, Bombay, Ceylon and Capetown; then from to Trinidad to New York City--home September 13, 1942!' After the AVG, Ed re-entered the USAAF, and soon entered the cadet training program. By 1944, he was an instructor on B-25 bombers. After the war, he stayed in the AF Reserve, attaining captain in 1959. Flying C-119 aircraft in the 910th Air Reserve Carrier Group, Major Stiles retired in 1971.

Captain J Royden Stork
Our estimated value of this signature : £55
Died : 2002

Captain J Royden Stork

I was co-pilot on a B-25 detailed to attack the chemical plant at the base of the Heneda River. I was designated photographic officer on the raid and had installed 16mm cameras in each bomb bay. After an attack we flew on to China, and the crew bailed out. I knocked myself out on landing, and after regaining consciousness, rolled up my parachute and waited for sunrise. After walking all day I was befriended by a local magistrate who helped me to get to the preassigned rendezvous point some dree days later. I wound up in the 10th Air Force in India where I flew missions over Japanese occupied territory until Air Force intelligence learned that the Japanese had put a $5,000 reward on all who had participated in the Tokyo raid. - Royden Stork died 2nd May 2002.

Staff Sergeant David J Thatcher
Our estimated value of this signature : £50
Died : 2016

Staff Sergeant David J Thatcher

Graduated from Steele high School, Dayton, Ohio and completed two years college at Ohio University. Enlisted November 22, 1940. Completed pilot training and commissioned as Second Lieutenant, July, 1941. became Co-pilot of General Jimmy Doolittles B-25 plane #1, attacked the city of Tokyo and bailed out over China. Remained in China flying bombing and transport missions over the Hump. Relieved from active duty in January, 1947 but returned to active duty in August 1947. Between 1959 to 1962 Cole was Operations Advisor to Venezuelan Air Force . Peacetime service in Ohio, North Carolina, and California. Rated as command pilot. Cole's decorations include Distinguished Flying Cross with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, and Chinese Army, Navy, Air Corps Medal, Class A, 1st Grade. He died on 22nd June 2016.

Major Griffith P Williams
Our estimated value of this signature : £55
Died : 1998

Major Griffith P Williams

I was co-pilot oil Don Sinths aircraft, our detail being to attack waterfront targets in Kobe. After the attack we crash-landed in the sea off the coast of China, coming ashore with the aid of life vests and a partially deflated life raft, we landed on the small Chinese island of Tantou Shan. We made contact with Chinese fishermen who in turn put us in contact with resistance fighters who guided us out of Japanese held territory. We were eventually picked up by a US army transport plane for return to the US. I was reassigned to a newly formed bomb group for training and subsequently deployed to England and North Africa. I was later shot down and taken prisoner by Germans while operating out of North Africa. Sadly, Major Griffith P Williams passed away in 1998.

Lieutenant Hugh L Wright
Our estimated value of this signature : £55

Lieutenant Hugh L Wright

Hugh Wright saw action with the U.S. infantry before volunteering for the Army Air Corps. Having completed training he arrived in Europe in 1944, joining the 57th Bomb Wing, 310th Bomb Group, U.S. 12th Air Force. Flying B-25s he completed 70 missions in the Mediterranean Theatre, when the 310th supported the landings in southern France, making continual strikes against German communications. Highly decorated, he fiew combat until the end of the war.

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