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Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art and Artists World War Two Squadrons UK and Commonwealth No.439 Sqn to No.601 Sqn  No.578 Sqn |
[UP] - No.439 Sqn RCAF - No.441 Sqn RCAF - No.450 Sqn RAAF - No.455 Sqn RAAF - No.460 Sqn RAAF - No.464 Sqn RAAF - No.467 Sqn RAAF - No.485 Sqn RNZAF - No.487 Sqn RNZAF - No.488 Sqn RNZAF - No.489 Sqn RNZAF - No.501 Sqn - No.504 Sqn - No.514 Sqn - No.542 Sqn - No.550 Sqn - No.571 Sqn - No.576 Sqn - No.578 Sqn - No.601 Sqn |
Accuracy
578 Squadron was formed from C flight of No.51 Squadron as a heavy bomber squadron at Snaith, Yorkshire on 14th January 1944. Equipped with the Handley Page Halifax B.III, 578 was part of No.4 Group, Bomber Command and began operations on 20th/21st January 1944. During its short operational career, the squadron completed 2,271 operational sorties, lost 77 aircraft and among the awards given to squadron personnel were 1 VC, 3 DSO's, 143 DFC's and 82 DFM's. 578 Squadron, Royal Air Force was disbanded on 15th April 1945 whilst based at Burn.
| No.578 Sqn Aviation Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings Aviation Prints |
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Handley Page Halifax LK797 LK-E. by M A Kinnear. Pilot Officer Cyril Joe Barton, VC: Born 5th June 1921 in Suffolk, Cyril Barton volunteered for aircrew duties and joined the RAFVR on 16th April 1941, qualifying as a Sergeant Pilot 10th November 1942. He and his crew went to No.1663 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) at Rufforth in Yorkshire. On 5th September 1943, they joined No.78 Squadron. Barton was commissioned as a pilot officer three weeks later. Undertaking their first operational sortie (a raid against Montlucon) they served with No.78 squadron until 15th January 1944. Having completed nine sorties, they were posted to No.578 Squadron. Their second sortie with the squadron, was against Stuttgart in Halifax LK797 which was a brand new aircraft. On 30th March 1944, having now completed six sorties in LK797 - which the crew had named Excalibur, they took off on a raid against Nuremburg. Whilst still 70 miles from the target, they were attacked head on by two enemy fighters. Excalibur had two fuel tanks punctured, both the radio and rear turret disabled, the starboard inner engine was on fire and the intercom lines were cut. Despite several determined attacks by a Ju88 nightfighter, and with the aid of his crew, Barton managed to avoid the attacks. Unfortunately following the first attack, the navigator, bomb aimer and wireless operator had misinterpreted signals given to them and bailed out. Despite these difficulties, Barton decided to press on to the target and drop his bombs. Guided only by the Pole Star and his pilots flight map, Barton started for home, crossing the English coast ninety miles north of Burn. Low on fuel he ordered the three remaining crew to crash positions behind the main spar. Soon after three engines cut out and Barton attempted the forced landing. He made a gallant attempt to put down clear of the houses over which he was flying and the aircraft ploughed through several gardens and greenhouses. The rear fuselage broke off and landed in a deep railway cutting with the three crewmen inside. Excalibur had crashed near Ryhope village colliery, Co. Durham. Pilot Officer Cyril Barton died of his injuries but as a result of his selfless actions, the three crewmen survived. On 27th June 1944, Cyril Barton was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. |
| No.578 Sqn RAF Aircraft details |
 Halifax Manufacturer : Handley Page Built : 6177 | Halifax Royal Air Force heavy Bomber with a crew of six to eight. Maximum speed of 280mph (with MK.VI top speed of 312mph) service ceiling of 22,800feet maximum range of 3,000 miles. The Halifax carried four .303 browning machine guns in the tail turret, two .303 browning machines in the nose turret in the MK III there were four .303 brownings in the dorsal turret. The Handley Page Halifax, first joined the Royal Air Force in March 1941 with 35 squadron. The Halifax saw service in Europe and the Middle east with a variety of variants for use with Coastal Command, in anti Submarine warfare, special duties, glider-tugs, and troop transportation roles. A total of 6177 Halifax's were built and stayed in service with the Royal Air Force until 1952 |
 Mosquito Manufacturer : De Havilland Built : 7781 | Mosquito Used as a night fighter, fighter bomber, bomber and Photo-reconnaissance, with a crew of two, Maximum speed was 425 mph, at 30,300 feet, 380mph at 17,000ft. and a ceiling of 36,000feet, maximum range 3,500 miles. the Mosquito was armed with four 20mm Hospano cannon in belly and four .303 inch browning machine guns in nose. Coastal strike aircraft had eight 3-inch Rockets under the wings, and one 57mm shell gun in belly. The Mossie at it was known made its first flight on 25th November 1940, and the mosquito made its first operational flight for the Royal Air Force as a reconnaissance unit based at Benson. In early 1942, a modified version (mark II) operated as a night fighter with 157 and 23 squadron's. In April 1943 the first De Haviland Mosquito saw service in the Far east and in 1944 The Mosquito was used at Coastal Command in its strike wings. Bomber Commands offensive against Germany saw many Mosquitos, used as photo Reconnaissance aircraft, Fighter Escorts, and Path Finders. The Mosquito stayed in service with the Royal Air Force until 1955. and a total of 7781 mosquito's were built. |
| No.578 Sqn RAF Pilot and aircrew signature details |
Warrant Officer Tom Cosby Our estimated value of this signature : £25 | Warrant Officer Tom Cosby Having completed his training as a Flight Engineer he served on Halifaxes with 578 Sqn but was shot down in March 1944 on his 12th Op by a German night fighter. He was eventually captured and spent was a PoW until his liberation at the end of the War. |
  Air Marshal Sir John Curtiss KCB KBE Our estimated value of this signature : £45 Died : 2013 | Air Marshal Sir John Curtiss KCB KBE John Curtiss trained as a navigator in RAF Bomber Command. He joined his first operational squadron - He flew bombing operations over Germany with Nos 578 and 158 Squadrons, flying the Halifax. He joined the air transport force and in 1949 was promoted to be a flight commander on a York squadron, he flew more than 260 missions into blockaded Berlin during the 1948–49 airlift. In 1953 Curtiss converted to a night-fighter role and flew in Meteor and Javelin aircraft with Nos 29 and 5 Squadrons, the latter providing a quick reaction alert force in Germany. After commanding the operations wing at RAF Wittering, the home of Victor bomber squadrons equipped with the Blue Steel nuclear missile, he returned to Germany as the station commander at Bruggen, the RAF’s largest operational base. Curtiss managed the introduction of four Phantom strike/attack squadrons to the base where he flew with the units, Sir John held many high ranking posts in the RAF, in 1980, he was promoted to air marshal and appointed AOC No 18 Group and Nato Commander Maritime Air Forces, Eastern Atlantic and the Channel, not expecting to find himself commanding air operations “out of area” during his final appointment in the RAF and was Air Commander Falklands Operations in 1982. he coordinated British air assets, including Vulcan bombers flying long-range raids from Ascension Island. His leadership earned him a knighthood, followed by a second, making him one of the few officers to hold both the KBE and KCB. He retired a year later in 1983. Air Marshal Sir John Curtiss KCB KBE passed away on 14 September 2013, aged 88 at his Milford-on-Sea home |
Jim Inward DFC Flt. Eng. Our estimated value of this signature : £15 | Jim Inward DFC Flt. Eng. Flight Engineer 35 & 76 Squadrons first tour of 25 operations, and 578 Squadron for a further 22 operations. |
  Flt Lt Eric Kemp DFC Our estimated value of this signature : £45 | Flt Lt Eric Kemp DFC Flew with 578 Squadron on Halifaxes |
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