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The Jolly Rogers by Nicolas Trudgian.
With its macabre skull and crossbones insignia, and a reputation for total disdain of authority, VF-17 arrived in the Pacific with a variety of nicknames ranging from the Irregulars to the Cast-offs, but under the dynamic leadership of their Squadron Commander, Tom Blackburn, VF-17 made their presence felt immediately upon their arrival in the fall of 1943. Equipped with the F4U Corsair, VF-17 pilots had what Blackburn was convinced was the best fighter aircraft of World War II, and on 1st November, during the invasion of Bougainville, VF-17 pilots shot down 6 Japanese planes in their first taste of battle - 2 falling to the guns of their C.O. Over the next 8500 hours of combat in the Solomons, its pilots shot down 156 enemy aircraft, 8 Japanese aircraft for each plane it lost, and produced the highest number of Aces of any squadron in the Navy. Blackburns Fighting 17 were the toast of the Navy brass, earned the respect of their peers, and became known throughout the Pacific as The Jolly Rogers. |
| | Item Code : DHM1853 | The Jolly Rogers by Nicolas Trudgian. - This Edition |  Buy 1 Get 1 Half Price! |
| | TYPE | EDITION DETAILS | SIZE | SIGNATURES | OFFERS | YOUR PRICE | PURCHASING | | PRINT | Limited edition of publisher proofs.
We have managed to locate two prints of this much sought after edition. - These have slight damage to the top left hand corner with about 2cm of stain in the corner. | Paper size 36 inches x 24 inches (91cm x 61cm) |  Blackburn, Tom 
Hedrick, Roger
Cunningham, Dan
Killefer, Tom
+ Artist : Nicolas Trudgian
Signature(s) value alone : £225 | £200 Off! | Now : £350.00 |
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| Other editions of this item : | The Jolly Rogers by Nicolas Trudgian. | DHM1853 |
| | TYPE | EDITION DETAILS | SIZE | SIGNATURES | OFFERS | YOUR PRICE | PURCHASING | EX-DISPLAY
PRINT | .**Limited edition of publisher proofs. (One reduced to clear)
Slight damage to the top left hand border with about 2cm of stain in the corner, plus a scratch on the image. | Paper size 36 inches x 24 inches (91cm x 61cm) | Blackburn, Tom
Hedrick, Roger
Cunningham, Dan
Killefer, Tom
+ Artist : Nicolas Trudgian
Signature(s) value alone : £225 | £280 Off! | Now : £320.00
Better Than
Half Price! | VIEW EDITION... |
| | General descriptions of types of editions : |
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| Extra Details : The Jolly Rogers by Nicolas Trudgian. | | About all editions : | 
A photograph of an edition of the print.
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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 | 
Captain Tom Blackburn (deceased)
*Signature Value : £75
| From a naval family, Tom Blackburn joined the service in 1929. In 1942 he took part in Operation Torch, the Allied landings in North Africa, commanding VF-29. His first mission ended by ditching in the Atlantic, and 60 hours adrift in a dinghy. Surviving this, Tom Blackburn went on to command VF-17, leading the squadron to become one of the most distinguished naval fighter units of the Pacific War. With the accent on teamwork and mission accomplishment, the success of Tom Blackburns Jolly Rogers are legend in the lore of naval aviation. Sadly, Tom Blackburn died on 21st April 1994. | 
Lieutenant Dan Cunningham
*Signature Value : £55
| Dan Cunningham joined the service in December 1942, being posted to VF-17, his first operational squadron. He later flew with VBF-10. A valuable member of the Jolly Rogers air fighting team, Dan Cunningham scored 7 aerial victories flying the F4U, and a number of unconfirmed probables. His combat career was confined to the south west Pacific theater, where he took part in some of the major air battles of the Solomons. | 
Lieutenant Tom Killefer (deceased)
*Signature Value : £40
| Born in Los Angeles and raised in Hermosa Beach, Killefer attended Stanford University, where he played varsity baseball and was elected student body president. He earned his law degree at Harvard and was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University in England. Tom Killefer joined the navy in 1941, and was posted to his first operational squadron, VF-18, first seeing combat in October 1943. He flew 58 combat missions, scoring 4 victories, and a number of unconfirmed probables. Like all navy pilots he had a large number of deck landings, and saw action in the North Atlantic and Pacific theaters. Flying the F4F and F4U he took part in the great air battles over Bougainville and the massive campaign against Rabaul. Tom Killefer earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Navy Air Medal and a Purple Heart. Sadly Tom Killefer died at the age of 79 on Sunday 16th June 1996 in Portola Valley, California. | 
Rear Admiral Roger Hedrick (deceased)
*Signature Value : £55
| After joining the US Navy in 1936, Roger Hedrick served aboard the USS Ranger before joining VF-17 on USS Bunker Hill as Executive Officer to Tom Blackburn. With over 200 hours in fighters before his first combat, Hedrick brought considerable experience to the squadron. Regarded by Blackburn as the top fighter pilot he flew with in World War Two, Hedrick completed over 100 combat missions and shot down 12 Japanese aircraft, with a number of probables unconfirmed. Flying the F4U he took part in the campaigns in the Solomons, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Japan. Sadly, he passed away on 10th January 2006. |
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