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Geoffrey Page
| Wing Commander Geoffrey Page DSO OBE DFC (deceased) Geoffrey Page was born in Boxmoor on 16th May 1920. Geoffrey Page developed an early interest in aviation, which is not surprising as he had an uncle who flew during the Great War and another uncle was Sir Frederick Handley Page, the great aircraft manufacturer. Page went to Dean Close School in Cheltenham, Glouscestershire, and later went to the Imperial College to study engineering. It was at college he joined the University Air Squadron at Northolt. Two weeks after the outbreak of the Second World War, Geoffrey Page received his call-up papers and joined the RAF with the rank of Acting Pilot Officer and went to Cranwell for advanced training. In May 1940 after a short period of instructing, Page was posted to 66 Squadron, flying Supermarine Spitfires but was almost immediately re-assigned to 56 Squadron where he was to fly the Hawker Hurricane. Whilst as a pilot officer with 56 squadron he took part in the Battles of France and Britain, and had accounted for three kills by the time he was shot down on the 12th August 1940 during the Battle of Britain. Flying behind his commanding officer, who was attacking a large formation of Dornier Do17 bombers, his Hurricane was hit and caught fire. Burning high-octane fuel sprayed into the cockpit, covering Page, resulting in very bad burns to his face and hands. Page parachuted out and his Hurricane crashed into the sea. After being picked up from the sea he was taken to the burns unit at Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, where he was treated by Sir Archibald MacIndoe, a pioneering plastic surgeon. He spent the next two years in hospital undergoing numerous plastic surgery operations. Both of his hands were burnt down to the bone, and his head had swollen to three times its normal size. Page had also received gunshot wounds to his legs. Page became a founding member of the Guinea Pig Club, where Sir Archibald MacIndoe was elected life time president and Geoffrey Page was its first chairman. In late 1942 he re-joined operations again as a Flight Lieutenant. He joined No.132 Squadron as a supernumerary Flight Lieutenant, before volunteering for service in North Africa, but returned to the UK as the desert heat caused problems on his skin grafts. In July 1943 he won his first DFC. Later in the year he joined 122 Squadron as a Flight Commander, before re-joining No.132 Squadron in January 1944 as Commanding Officer. On 29th April 1944 Page led his squadron to strafe Deelen airfield in Holland, and attacked a Bf110 night fighter that was landing. Despite the odds, the Bf110 shot down two Spitfires, before Page forced the aircraft down and destroyed it. The pilot of the Bf110 was the famous Major Hans-Joachim Jabs, who survived. Page was later promoted Wing Leader of 125 wing, and after another DFC he won the DSO at the end of 1944. Page had achieved his goal of 15 victories (10 solo, 5 shared, and 3 damaged). After the war on a tour of the United States met his wife to be, the daughter of a British Hollywood actor. He left the R.A.F. in 1948 joining Vickers Armstrong. In retirement, Page remained the driving force of the Guinea Pig Club, and also founded the Battle of Britain Trust. This raised more than one million pounds, with which the Battle of Britain memorial was erected overlooking the Straits of Dover. In 1995 he was created an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Sadly Alan Geoffrey Page DSO, OBE, DFC and Bar died 3rd August 2000. |
Items Signed by Wing Commander Geoffrey Page DSO OBE DFC (deceased) |
| The Thoroughbred by Ivan Berryman. (C) Price : £190.00 | Allied fighters encountering Focke-Wulfs potent Fw190 were to find themselves alarmingly outclassed when first the Luftwaffes new fighter appeared in the skies above France in 1941. Even the Spitfire MkV struggled to match the Butcher Birds outstan...... | |
| Clipped Signature - Geoffrey Page. Price : £75.00 | Briefly flew Spitfires with No.66 Sqn before joining No.56 Sqn flying Hurricanes in the Battle of France, then the Battle of Britain until he was shot down on 12th August 1940, baling out of his fiery aircraft but suffering severe injuries and burns...... | |
| Merlin Roar by Anthony Saunders. (C) Price : £170.00 | The Hawker Hurricane powered by the powerful Rolls Royce Merlin engine is shown in combat with Luftwaffe aircraft during the Battle of Britain. The Hurricane played a major role in the aerial victory along with its companion the Spitfire....... | |
| Combat Over Normandy by Graeme Lothian. Price : £160.00 | Spitfires of R.C.A.F 144 Wing led by Wing Commander Johnson in combat with ME109s of JG3 over Arromanches, France June 1944. ...... | |
| Fighting Lady by Graeme Lothian (B) Price : £480.00 | A solo Spitfire on patrol off the coast of Dover during the Battle of Britain....... |
| Those Valiant Few by Robert Taylor. (AP) SOLD OUT | The Battle of Britain commenced at the beginning of June 1940, and for the next two and a half gruelling months the young men of Royal Air Force Fighter Command, duelled with the cream of Goerings Luftwaffe over the skies of southern England. It wa...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| Those Valiant Few by Robert Taylor. (B) SOLD OUT | The Battle of Britain commenced at the beginning of June 1940, and for the next two and a half gruelling months the young men of Royal Air Force Fighter Command, duelled with the cream of Goerings Luftwaffe over the skies of southern England. It wa...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| Hornchurch Scramble by Robert Taylor. (C) SOLD OUT | On August 12th, 1940 the Luftwaffe turned their full attention to the RAF's forward fighter bases and radar stations with the intent to obliterate them once and for all. The outcome of the Battle of Britain hung in the balance. It was late in ...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| Tangmere Hurricanes by Nicolas Trudgian. Price : £330.00 | MK1 Hurricanes of No. 601 Squadron refueled and rearmed, climb to rejoin the battle during the summer of 1940. As the great air battle rages high above, life goes in the countryside as a Southern Railway train pulls out of a local village station, c...... | |
| Tangmere Hurricanes by Nicolas Trudgian. (AP) Price : £370.00 | MK1 Hurricanes of No. 601 Squadron refueled and rearmed, climb to rejoin the battle during the summer of 1940. As the great air battle rages high above, life goes in the countryside as a Southern Railway train pulls out of a local village station, c...... |
| Tangmere Hurricanes by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) SOLD OUT | MK1 Hurricanes of No. 601 Squadron refueled and rearmed, climb to rejoin the battle during the summer of 1940. As the great air battle rages high above, life goes in the countryside as a Southern Railway train pulls out of a local village station, c...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| Tangmere Hurricanes by Nicolas Trudgian. (Y) Price : £260.00 | MK1 Hurricanes of No. 601 Squadron refueled and rearmed, climb to rejoin the battle during the summer of 1940. As the great air battle rages high above, life goes in the countryside as a Southern Railway train pulls out of a local village station, ...... | |
| Eagles High by Robert Taylor. SOLD OUT | SOLD OUT. ...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| Gathering of Eagles by Robert Taylor. SOLD OUT | SOLD OUT. ...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| Hurricane Force by Robert Taylor. SOLD OUT | Sunday 15th September, 1940 - a date that will live forever in military history. The day the Luftwaffe made its final, massive effort to defeat the RAF, and pave the way for Hitler's invasion of England. The day the tremendous air battles betwe...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
Packs with at least one item featuring the signature of Wing Commander Geoffrey Page DSO OBE DFC (deceased) |
| Trudgian Hurricane Artist Proof Editions Pack. Pack Price : £600.00 Saving : £550 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Tangmere Hurricanes by Nicolas Trudgian. (AP) Hurricane Heroes by Nicolas Trudgian (AP) Squadron Scramble by Nicolas Trudgian (AP) Holding the Line - The Battle of Britain by Nicolas Trudgian (AP) | |
| JG3 Aviation Art Print Pack. Pack Price : £390.00 Saving : £306 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Operation Bodenplatte by Nicolas Trudgian. Unhappy New Year by David Pentland. Morning Chorus by Gerald Coulson. Combat Over Normandy by Graeme Lothian. | |
| Ultimate JG3 Luftwaffe Aviation Art Print Pack. Pack Price : £780.00 Saving : £541 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Ramraiders by Robert Tomlin. (B) Ramraiders by Richard Taylor. The Battle for Britain by Robert Taylor. Dragons of Colombert by Nicolas Trudgian Operation Bodenplatte by Nicolas Trudgian. Unhappy New Year by David Pentland. Morning Chorus by Gerald Coulson. Combat Over Normandy by Graeme Lothian. | |
Battle of Britain Hurricane Prints by Nicolas Trudgian. Pack Price : £400.00 Saving : £300 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Tangmere Hurricanes by Nicolas Trudgian. (AP) Hurricane Heroes by Nicolas Trudgian (AP) | ||
JG3 Me109 Aviation Art Prints by Gerald Coulson and Graeme Lothian. Pack Price : £210.00 Saving : £220 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Morning Chorus by Gerald Coulson. Combat Over Normandy by Graeme Lothian. |
Nicolas Trudgian Spitfire and Hurricane Prints. Pack Price : £440.00 Saving : £170 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Tangmere Hurricanes by Nicolas Trudgian. (AP) Fighter Legend - Johnnie Johnson by Nicolas Trudgian. |
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