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Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art and Artists World War Two Veteran Signatures UK and Commonwealth W  Wood, George |
Flt. Lt. George Wood
Whilst with 263 Sqn flying a twin-engined Whirlwind he was shot down over Morlaix airfield on 30th October 1943 and successfully evaded capture and made it back to the UK with the help of the Résistance. He rejoined 197 Sqn flying Typhoons for the rest of the war.
| Flt. Lt. George Wood - Signed Aviation Art |
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| Text for the above items : |
Clipped Signature - George Wood. George Wood survived being shot down in a Whirlwind of No.263 Sqn in 1943, returning to the UK to fly Typhoons with No.197 Sqn for the rest of the war. Clipped alongside the signatures of Tony Hallett and Ronnie Sheward - Tony Hallett completed more than 100 sorties in ground-attack Typhoons with No.198 Sqn and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Ronnie Sheward was an Argentine pilot who studied in England, and returned to the UK to join the RAF on the outbreak of war. Flying Spitfires and Hurricanes with 137, 264 and 266 Sqns, he took part in the first ever attack by rocket armed Hurricanes. |
Airborne in JB1 by Ivan Berryman. Squadron Leader J R Baldwin gets airborne from a makeshift airfield in northern France flying one of his personalised Hawker Typhoons, JB-1. |
Clipped Signature - Ronnie Sheward. Ronnie Sheward was an Argentine pilot who studied in England, and returned to the UK to join the RAF on the outbreak of war. Flying Spitfires and Hurricanes with 137, 264 and 266 Sqns, he took part in the first ever attack by rocket armed Hurricanes. Clipped alongside the signatures of George Wood and Tony Hallett - George Wood survived being shot down in a Whirlwind of No.263 Sqn in 1943, returning to the UK to fly Typhoons with No.197 Sqn for the rest of the war. Tony Hallett completed more than 100 sorties in ground-attack Typhoons with No.198 Sqn and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. |
Clipped Signature - Tony Hallett. Tony Hallett completed more than 100 sorties in ground-attack Typhoons with No.198 Sqn and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Clipped alongside the signatures of George Wood and Ronnie Sheward - George Wood survived being shot down in a Whirlwind of No.263 Sqn in 1943, returning to the UK to fly Typhoons with No.197 Sqn for the rest of the war. Ronnie Sheward was an Argentine pilot who studied in England, and returned to the UK to join the RAF on the outbreak of war. Flying Spitfires and Hurricanes with 137, 264 and 266 Sqns, he took part in the first ever attack by rocket armed Hurricanes. |
Typhoon Season by Ivan Berryman. Typhoon IBs of No.181 Squadron attack a German supply vessel off the coast of northern France during the run up to D-Day in 1944 using cannon and 60lb rockets. This unique aircraft's amazing speed at low level and awesome fire-power proved formidable and, after a shaky start to its service career, proved itself beyond all doubt to be an essential tool in the softening-up operations against German defences prior to allied invasion in June 1944. |
The Final Show by Robert Taylor. In May 1944 Wing Commander Roland 'Bee' Beamont led three squadrons of Hawker Tempests into operations for the first time. Flying from RAF Newchurch in Kent, one of the advanced landing grounds constructed in preparation for the invasion of France, they formed 150 Wing RAF. The far-sighted Beamont had almost single-handedly overseen the transformation of the Hawker Typhoon into the most potent ground attack aircraft of its day before turning his attention to its successor - the Tempest. With thinner wings, greater range, improved ailerons, a redesigned windscreen and all-round 'rear vision' canopy it was a significant improvement on the Typhoon. Through the last year of the war the unwavering pilots who flew these two mighty aircraft became the scourge of the German Army, blasting their way through armoured formations, destroying airfields, shipping, barges, bridges, trains, marshalling yards, rail hubs, anything to support the advancing British and Canadian armies as they battled their way through Belgium and the Netherlands towards the Rhine. And, as an increasingly desperate enemy fought back with V-1 'Doodlebug' flying bombs, the Typhoon and Tempest pilots destroyed those too - 150 Wing alone accounting for 638 V-1s destroyed. As the remnants of Hitler's once-fabled army collapsed under the onslaught, many high-ranking Nazis were faced with a choice - go down fighting or cut and run. Many chose to run, heading north to the Baltic coast with one aim in mind - a last-chance passage to neutral Sweden. The Tempest pilots of 150 Wing were amongst those tasked with stopping their escape. Some of the greatest pilots of the RAF flew this iconic aircraft and this painting depicts the final combat of the war for one such pilot - the legendary fighter Ace Pierre Clostermann. A Flight Commander with 3 Squadron, Clostermann is at the controls of his distinctive Tempest Le Grand Charles during a strafing raid against the heavily defended seaplane base at Grossenbrode, on the coast to the north of Lübeck. Having just destroyed two Dornier Do18 flying boats on the water, he now helps finish off a Bf109 and a Fw190 that have tried to pounce from above. |
Winter Warriors by Ivan Berryman. The Winter of 1943-44 saw Hawker Typhoons operating from Tangmere, equipped with 500lb or 1000lb bombs against radar installations and V1 sites in northern France. Wing Commander J R Baldwin is depicted getting airborne with others of his squadron for just such a mission early in 1944, before the squadron moved to Needs Oar Point in readiness for the D-Day landings. |
F/Lt J R Baldwin by Ivan Berryman. F/Lt (later Wing Commander) Baldwin was to become the highest-scoring Typhoon pilot of all with 15 confirmed victories, one shared, one probable and four damaged. He is depicted here downing a Bf.109 in Typhoon 1B, DN360 (PR-A) of 609 Sqn over Beachy Head. |
Sledgehammer by Ivan Berryman. Regarded by some in the Air Ministry as a failed fighter, the mighty Hawker Typhoon was unrivalled as a ground attack aircraft, especially in the crucial months immediately prior to - and after - D-Day when squadrons of Typhoons operated in 'cab ranks' to smash the German infrastructure and smooth the passage of the invading allied force. This aircraft is Mk.1B (MN570) of Wing Commander R E P Brooker of 123 Wing based at Thorney Island. |
JBII - Hawker Typhoon of Wing Commander J R Baldwin by Ivan Berryman. Squadron Leader J R Baldwin passes above a section of Mulberry Harbour near Arromanches, late in June 1944, his personalised Hawker Typhoon bearing the codes JBII. |
Typhoon Scramble by Stephen Brown. RAF Hawker Typhoon Mk IBs of 609 Squadron embark on a ground attack mission, head for targets in Northern France. Once initial problems with the tail section were resolved the Typhoon proved to be extremely rugged and reliable and was ideally suited to the ground attack role. |
| Flt. Lt. George Wood Aircraft details |
 Typhoon Manufacturer : Hawker Built : 3330 | Typhoon Single engine fighter with a maximum speed of 412 mph at 19,000 feet and a ceiling of 35,200 feet. range 510 miles. The Typhoon was armed with twelve browning .303inch machine guns in the wings (MK1A) Four 20mm Hispano cannon in wings (MK!B) Two 1000ilb bombs or eight 3-inch rockets under wings. The first proto type flew in February 1940, but due to production problems the first production model flew in May 1941. with The Royal Air Force receiving their first aircraft in September 1941. Due to accidents due to engine problems (Sabre engine) The Hawker Typhoon started front line service in December 1941.The Hawker Typhoon started life in the role of interceptor around the cost of England but soon found its real role as a ground attack aircraft. especially with its 20mm cannon and rockets. This role was proved during the Normandy landings and the period after. The total number of Hawker typhoons built was 3,330. |
 Whirlwind | Whirlwind No profile available |
| Flt. Lt. George Wood Squadron details |
No.197 Sqn RAF Country : UK Disbanded 31st August 1945 Known Codes : , OV, | No.197 Sqn RAF Findimus caelum - We cleave the sky |
No.263 Sqn RAF Country : UK Disbanded 30th June 1963 Known Codes : , HE, | No.263 Sqn RAF Ex ungue leonem - From his claws one knows the lion |
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