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Cranston Fine Arts Aviation Art and Artists World War Two Veteran Signatures UK and Commonwealth B Brookbank, Jim

Sgt Jim Brookbank

Born in a Victorian terrace in the back streets of Kilburn in North West London and had yet to reach his sixteenth birthday at the outbreak of war. Having experienced the 'Blitz' and already obsessed with flying since the age of 12, he - in keeping with many aspiring young aviators - wanted to be a Spitfire pilot. He volunteered as U/T pilot at the age of 18, trained in Canada and qualified as a Bomb Aimer. Jim joined IX Squadron at Bardney in August 1944 and flew on Operations with them until VE Day. He attacked specially selected daylight targets with the Barnes Wallis 12,000lb 'Tallboy' bomb, including the final raid of the war on Berchtesgaden on 25th April 1945. Jim completed 23 ops.

Sgt Jim Brookbank - Signed Aviation Art

Preparing for the Tirpitz by Philip West. 2 editions. Both editions feature up to 4 additional signatures. £140.00 - £165.00

Welcome Home by Stephen Brown. 3 editions. All 3 editions feature up to 11 additional signature(s). £125.00 - £175.00

Lancaster Legend by Philip West. One of 2 editions available. Both editions feature 11 additional signatures. £90.00

Text for the above items :

Preparing for the Tirpitz by Philip West. Working around the clock and in all weather conditions the ground crew knew from the size of the bombs they were loading, this was going to be a very special operation for the Lancaster crews of 9 Squadron. Brainchild of Barnes Wallis, the Tallboy bomb weighed in at an impressive 12,000lb. On this occasion in November 1944 the crews and aircraft are being readied for departure to Lossiemouth or Kinloss on route to sink the Tirpitz laying at anchor near Tromso in Norway.

Welcome Home by Stephen Brown. A flak-damaged Lancaster of 617 Squadron struggles across the airfield perimeter as it returns to base after a precision raid over enemy territory. After writing a new chapter in aviation history with the famous Dams Raid of May 1943, 617 Squadron went on to execute many more daring operations including the sinking of the Tirpitz. Often flying specially modified Lancasters with enlarged bomb bay doors to accommodate the huge 12,000lb Tallboy, they specialised in high value precision targets such as canals, tunnels and U-Boat pens.

Lancaster Legend by Philip West. After another long, dangerous mission this Lancaster is limping home flak damaged, past the windmill at Cley-next-the-Sea.

Lancaster Manufacturer : Avro Built : 7377

Lancaster The Avro Lancaster arose from the avro Manchester and the first prototype Lancaster was a converted Manchester with four engines. The Lancaster was first flown in January 1941, and started operations in March 1942. By March 1945 The Royal Air Force had 56 squadrons of Lancasters with the first squadron equipped being No.44 Squadron. During World War Two the Avro Lancaster flew 156,000 sorties and dropped 618,378 tonnes of bombs between 1942 and 1945. Lancaster Bomberss took part in the devastating round-the-clock raids on Hamburg during Air Marshall Harris' "Operation Gomorrah" in July 1943. Just 35 Lancasters completed more than 100 successful operations each, and 3,249 were lost in action. The most successful survivor completed 139 operations, and the Lancaster was scrapped after the war in 1947. A few Lancasters were converted into tankers and the two tanker aircraft were joined by another converted Lancaster and were used in the Berlin Airlift, achieving 757 tanker sorties. A famous Lancaster bombing raid was the 1943 mission, codenamed Operation Chastise, to destroy the dams of the Ruhr Valley. The operation was carried out by 617 Squadron in modified Mk IIIs carrying special drum shaped bouncing bombs designed by Barnes Wallis. Also famous was a series of Lancaster attacks using Tallboy bombs against the German battleship Tirpitz, which first disabled and later sank the ship. The Lancaster bomber was the basis of the new Avro Lincoln bomber, initially known as the Lancaster IV and Lancaster V. (Becoming Lincoln B1 and B2 respectively.) Their Lancastrian airliner was also based on the Lancaster but was not very successful. Other developments were the Avro York and the successful Shackleton which continued in airborne early warning service up to 1992.

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Sgt Jim Brookbank Squadron details

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