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THIS ITEM IS INCLUDED IN OUR BUY ONE GET ONE HALF PRICE OFFER ! Choose any two prints in this special offer and the lower priced item is half price. (Any free bonus prints already supplied with an item are separate and will also be included !) Hundreds of items across our websites are included in this offer! |
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Signatures on this item | |
*The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare. | |
Name | Info |
Air Commodore John Mitchell, LVO, DFC, AFC (deceased) *Signature Value : £50 | John Mitchell had a remarkable career. An RAFVR officer, he was mobilised on the outbreak of war and just missed going to join a Fairey Battle Squadron in France where he would have undoubtedly been killed. He was instead posted to 58 Squadron flying Whitleys, surviving a tour of operations in 1940/41 including ditching in the North Sea. Awarded the DFC, he was sent to the US, helping to develop the first navigation training simulators with the famous Link Trainer factory. He was later awarded the US Legion of Merit, signed by Harry Truman. Returning to the UK in 1942, he was selected to join the crew of Winston Churchill's personal aircraft, the famous Avro York – Ascalon. For two years he navigated 'The Owner' – as he was known – around the world from North Africa to Italy, the Middle East to Moscow, including to the famous Teheran and Yalta conferences. He flew 'General Lyon' (aka HM George VI) on several occasions (for which he was personally decorated), as well as some of the great military leaders of their time from Alexander to Alanbrooke, Smuts to de Gaulle. After the war he continued to enjoy an eventful career. He was Senior Navigation Instructor at the RAF College, Cranwell and then held a similar post at RAF Manby where he undertook long-range exercises over the North Geographic Pole in the converted Lincoln, Aries III. He later returned to Air Attaché duties and was appointed to Moscow during the Brezhnev regime, finishing his career in the Air Intelligence world of the MoD. John Mitchell died 5th February 2016. |
Air Vice-Marshal George Black CB OBE AFC *Signature Value : £45 | Air Vice-Marshal George Black CB OBE AFC was born on the 10th of July 1932 in Aberdeen and joined RAF in 1950. Black was awarded the first flying scholarship in Scotland, gaining his private pilots licence at Strathtay Aero Club, Perth. e left No.107 (Aberdeen) Squadron Air Training Corps where he gained the rank of Sergeant to commence National Service duty in the RAF. After undergoing flying training in Canada he joined No.263 Squadron RAF at RAF Wattisham in the rank of Flying Officer. George Black served as a fighter pilot. In 1952 his National Service was converted to a permanent commission and he was seconded to the Fleet Air Arm as a carrier pilot. Flying Officer Black returned to the RAF in 1961 in the rank of Flight Lieutenant and served with No.74 Squadron RAF flying English Electric Lightnings. After a period as a flying instructor at HQ Fighter Command, in 1964 he became squadron commnader of No.111 (Fighter) Sqdn (1964-66,) and ldr of the Lightning Aerobatic Team in 1965. In 1967 he became Cdr Lightning Operational Conversion Unit (1967-69,) then Cdr No.5 (Fighter) Sqdn between 1969 and 1970. On promotion to Group Captain in 1972 Black was appointed Station Commander at RAF Wildenrath in Germany. He became Commander Allied Sector One, Brockzetel in May 1980 on promotion to the rank of Air Commodore and was later appointed Aide-de-Camp to HM The Queen in July 1981 until 1983. Air Vice-Marshal George Black retired from the RAF in July 1987. He was awarded an Air Force Cross in 1962 while with No.74 Squadron and achieved a bar in 1971. He was awarded an OBE in 1967 and became a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1987. Air Vice Marshal Black is a member of the RAF Historical Society and during his career recorded over 5,000 flying hours on around 100 different types of aircraft. |
Air Vice-Marshal Peter Collins CB AFC (deceased) *Signature Value : £30 | Commanded No 111 Squadron and Royal Air Force Gutersloh. Reformed No 11 Squadron. Served on AFDS and Handling Squadron, Boscombe Down. He died on 17th April 2017. |
Flight Lieutenant Hedley Molland (deceased) *Signature Value : £45 | Flying Officer Hedley Molland. During air combat training Flying Officer Hedley Molland while Flying a Hunter made a cine attack on his target and followed it into a dive from 37,000 feet. At 31,000 feet the dive steepened uncontrollably, the aircraft diving vertically into the sea 7 miles east of Brawdsey, Suffolk. Flying Officer Hedley Molland survived the supersonic ejection at 25,000 feet, mach 1.1 - his left arm was broken on ejection as he only used his left hand to initiate ejection. He also suffered two black eyes and a fractured pelvis. His crash helmet, watch, gloves and one shoe were blown off during ejection. The parachute opened automatically at about 10,000ft and speed of descent was normal. Molland was unable, because of his injuries, to inflate his dinghy in the water. He is thought to be the second man ever to have baled out successfully at such a speed - the first was an American. Molland was rescued. The accident was finally attributed to the probable effects of using flaps at high speeds as an aid to combat manoeuverability. While with 111 Sqd RAF Flt. Lt. Hedley Molland also ejected from a Lightning over Battisford Hill, near Wattisham on the 29th September 1965. He died in February 2012. |
Flt Lt Ian Black *Signature Value : £30 | Ian flew tours on the Phantom, Lightning and Tornado. He was the last RAF pilot to qualify to fly the Lightning, flying with No.11 Sqn, and also spent 4 years with the French Air Force flying the Mirage 2000. He flew operations in the Gulf and Bosnia, flying over 250 combat sorties. He is currently a Senior Captain on the A340/A330 and last flew the Lightning at 'Thunder City', South Africa. |
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