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Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art and Artists World War Two Squadrons UK and Commonwealth No.602 Sqn to No.854 Sqn  No.619 Sqn |
[UP] - No.602 Sqn - No.603 Sqn - No.604 Sqn - No.605 Sqn - No.607 Sqn - No.609 Sqn - No.610 Sqn - No.611 Sqn - No.613 Sqn - No.615 Sqn - No.616 Sqn - No.617 Sqn - No.619 Sqn - No.620 Sqn - No.625 Sqn - No.630 Sqn - No.644 Sqn - No.761 Sqn - No.818 Sqn - No.825 Sqn - No.854 Sqn |
| No.619 Sqn Aviation Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings Aviation Prints |
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| Text for the above items : |
High Cost by Robert Taylor. The crews of Bomber Command faced one of the most daunting tasks, calling for courage sustained night after night, in conditions of desperate danger and discomfort. They did not fail us and 55,573 paid the supreme sacrifice. In his new tribute to The Many, Robert Taylors evocative painting recreates a typical scene encountered by many Royal Air Force bomber squadrons on raids over enemy occupied territory: Having already survived 30 successful operational sorties, on 9 February 1945 Lancaster PG-G of 619 Squadron has been intercepted by Luftwaffe night-fighters during a raid over Stettin Bay. |
Heading into Darkness by Adrian Rigby The Lancaster was the most successful bomber of the RAF, being both versatile and capable of withstanding consierable damage. In todays world, we often question the purpose and objectives which Bomber Command set, but despite thie, we must never forget the enduring courage of the aircrews, many of which never returned. This painting shows the Lancasters of No.619 Sqn forming up over the Lincolnshire coast and gaining altitude after leaving their base at Coningsby. The last rays of the sun pick out the scratches and stains of this faithful workhorse as its crew sets course for the target ahead. |
| No.619 Sqn RAF Aircraft details |
 Blenheim Manufacturer : Bristol Built : 4422 | Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim, the most plentiful aircraft in the RAFs inventory when WWII began, was designed by Frank Barnwell, and when first flown in 1936 was unique with its all metal monoplane design incorporating a retractable undercarriage, wing flaps, metal props, and supercharged engines. A typical bomb load for a Blenheim was 1,000 pounds. In the early stages of the war Blenheims were used on many daylight bombing missions. On the day that war was declared on Germany, a Blenheim piloted by Flying Officer Andrew McPherson was the first British aircraft to cross the German coast and the following morning 15 Blenheims from three squadrons set off on one of the first bombing missions The Blenheim units operated throughout the battle, often taking heavy casualties, although they were never accorded the publicity of the fighter squadrons. The Blenheim units raided German occupied airfields throughout July to December 1940, both during daylight hours and at night. Although most of these raids were unproductive, there were some successes; on 1 August five out of 12 Blenheims sent to attack Haamstede and Evere (Brussels) were able to bomb, destroying or heavily damaging three Bf 109s of II./JG 27 and apparently killing a Staffelkapitän identified as Hauptmann Albrecht von Ankum-Frank. Two other 109s were claimed by Blenheim gunners. Another successful raid on Haamstede was made by a single Blenheim on 7 August which destroyed one 109 of 4./JG 54, heavily damaged another and caused lighter damage to four more. There were also some missions which produced an almost 100% casualty rate amongst the Blenheims. One such operation was mounted on 13 August 1940 against a Luftwaffe airfield near Aalborg in north-western Denmark by 12 aircraft of 82 Squadron. One Blenheim returned early (the pilot was later charged and due to appear before a court martial, but was killed on another operation); the other 11, which reached Denmark, were shot down, five by flak and six by Bf 109s. Blenheim-equipped units had been formed to carry out long-range strategic reconnaissance missions over Germany and German-occupied territories, as well as bombing operations. In this role, the Blenheims once again proved to be too slow and vulnerable against Luftwaffe fighters and they took constant casualties While great heroism was displayed by the air crews, tremendous losses were sustained during these missions. The Blenhiem was easy pickings at altitude for German Bf-109 fighters who quickly learned to attack from below. To protect the vulnerable bellies of the Blenheims many missions were shifted to low altitude, but this increased the aircrafts exposure to anti-aircraft fire. In the German night-bombing raid on London on 18 June 1940, Blenheims accounted for five German bombers, thus proving that they were better-suited for night fighting. In July, No. 600 Squadron, by then based at RAF Manston, had some of its Mk IFs equipped with AI Mk III radar. With this radar equipment, a Blenheim from the Fighter Interception Unit (FIU) at RAF Ford achieved the first success on the night of 2–3 July 1940, accounting for a Dornier Do 17 bomber. More successes came, and before long the Blenheim proved itself invaluable as a night fighter. One Blenheim pilot, Squadron Leader Arthur Scarf, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for an attack on Singora, Thailand, on 9 December 1941. Another bomber of No. 60 Squadron RAF was credited with shooting down Lt Col Tateo Katō's Nakajima Ki-43 fighter and badly damaging two others in a single engagement on 22 May 1942, over the Bay of Bengal. Katō's death was a severe blow to the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. |
 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. |
| No.619 Sqn RAF Pilot and aircrew signature details |
Warrant Officer M Ben Brennan DFM AFM Our estimated value of this signature : £45 | Warrant Officer M Ben Brennan DFM AFM Ben Brennan volunteered for the RAF in 1941, qualifying as a Flight Engineer in early 1943. Converting to Lancasters, he was posted to join 619 Squadron at Woodall Spa. In late 1943 he went to 83 Squadron at Wyton, as part of the Lancaster Pathfinder Force, before joining No 5 Group at Coningsby. He flew a total of 80 operations during the war. |
 Air Commodore Charles Clarke Our estimated value of this signature : £30 Died : 2019 | Air Commodore Charles Clarke A pilot on Lancasters he served with 619 Sqn but was shot down in February 1944 by a German night fighter whilst on a mission to Schweinfurt, it was his 18th ‘Op. He subsequently spent time as a Pow in Sagen, North Camp. He would pass away on May 7th, 2019. |
Warrant Officer Jack Forrest Our estimated value of this signature : £10 | Warrant Officer Jack Forrest Flight Engineer on 619 Sqn flying Lancasters. On his 29th Operation, having already completed an Operation on the eve of D-Day, he flew again in the afternoon of the 6th June 1944 and was shot down over Caen, ending up as a PoW in Stalag Luft 7. He took part in the Long March with Doug Fry. |
Flying Officer Norman A. Gampe RAAF Our estimated value of this signature : £20 | Flying Officer Norman A. Gampe RAAF Norman Gampe joined the RAAF in September 1942. After training as a pilot in Australia, he sailed to the UK, and in the later half of 1944 attended 19 OUT, then converted to Lancasters. In January 1945, Norman was posted to 619 Squadron equipped with Lancasters, based at Strubby. On ANZAC Day-25th April 1945, Flying Officer Gampe completed his 13th and final Operational Sortie of the war with 619 Sqn when he bombed Hitler's Eagles Nest at Berchesgarden. |
Flight Lieutenant John M. Grant RAAF Our estimated value of this signature : £15 | Flight Lieutenant John M. Grant RAAF John Grant joined the RAAF in October 1942. He trained as a pilot in Australia, and then attended OUT and HCU in the UK. In October 1944 John was posted to 619 Squadron equipped with Lancasters, and based at Strubby. Grant went on to complete his tour of 30 sorties with the squadron. After this, flight Lieutenant Grant was assigned to Tiger Force, where he was to lead 619 Squadron in the planned RAF component of MacArthur's proposed invasion of Japan. |
Squadron Leader Malcolm Mac Hamilton DFC* Our estimated value of this signature : £60 Died : 2008 | Squadron Leader Malcolm Mac Hamilton DFC* After joining Coastal Command in 1943, Mac converted to Lancasters, and was posted to Bomber Command, joining 619 Squadron at Woodall Spa for his first tour. Here he flew sorties mainly to Berlin andthe Ruhr. For his second tour he joined Cheshires 617 Squadron, again at Woodall Spa, where he flew precision operations, including the raids on the Saumur rail tunnel, the U-boat pens, V1 sites and V2 rocket bases, and the raids against the German battleship Tirpitz. He died in April 2008. |
 Flying Officer Eric Hookings Our estimated value of this signature : £20 | Flying Officer Eric Hookings Joining the RAF in 1940 as a Pilot he flew Wellingtons and then Lancasters with 619 Sqn but was forced to bale out over Holland after being hit by Fw190 Night Fighters. He spent the remainder of the war in Stalag Luft III taking part in The Long March before his liberation. |
Flying Officer Bernard T. Hucks DFC RAAF Our estimated value of this signature : £20 | Flying Officer Bernard T. Hucks DFC RAAF Bernie Hucks joined the RAAF in October 1941. He trained as a Wireless Operator in Australia, and then attended 14 OUT in the UK. In June 1943, Hucks was posted to 619 Squadron equipped with Lancasters, and based at Woodhall Spa. After completing his tour of 27 sorties, Warrant Officer Hucks was awarded the DFC for skill and fortitude against the enemy. After instructing Bernie flew one last sortie with 463 Squadron RAAF on ANZAC Day – 25th April 1945. |
  Flt Lieutenant Bob Knights DSO, DFC Our estimated value of this signature : £45 Died : 2004 | Flt Lieutenant Bob Knights DSO, DFC A member of the elite 617 Dambusters squadron, Bob Knights had a key role on the night before D-Day. With the rest of the squadron he flew on Operation Taxable which simulated the approach of the invasion across the Pas de Calais by dropping metal strips of window to a very precise pattern. The enemy was completely deceived and kept most of their best troops on the wrong side of the Seine. Bob Knights had already flown a full operational tour with 619 Squadron Lancasters, including eight trips to Berlin, before volunteering for 617 Squadron. Under Cheshire he flew on some of the squadrons most challenging precision operations and later under Willie Tait took part in the attack that finally destroyed the Tirpitz. Seconded to BOAC in December 1944 he stayed with the airline after the war for a 30 year long career. He died 4th December 2004. |
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