|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Urban L Drew
| Maj Urban L Drew USAF (deceased) Urban 'Ben' Drew was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1924. Three months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, at the age of eighteen, Drew joined the USAAF and commenced pilot training. He earned his wings and a commission at Mariana, Florida in October 1943. He remained in the States honing his flying skills as an instructor pilot for the North American P-51 Mustang at Bartow, Florida. In May of 1944 he received his first overseas combat assignment, sailing to England on the Queen Elizabeth. He was assigned to the 375th Fighter Squadron 'Yellowjackets' of the 361st Fighter Group based in at Bottisham in Cambridgeshire. Later his squadron would be relocated to Little Walden in Essex. During his combat tour Drew would fly a total of seventy-five combat missions, rising to command of X Flight and later to command of the 375th squadron. Drew would be officially credited with six aerial victories during his combat tour. Notable was his downing of two Me-262 jets on October 7, 1944. He was the first fighter pilot to down two of the German jets, and he received the Air Force Cross for this achievement. Also of note was the ace's destruction of the largest aircraft to fly in WW 11, the BV-238, which he destroyed in a strafing pass with two wingman on Lake Schaal on September 18, 1944. Following his successful combat tour, Drew returned to the States where he again served as a flight instructor. In 1945 he was assigned to the 412 th Fighter Squadron of the 414 th Fighter Group based at lwo Jima flying the P-47 Jug. Drew's final victory tally included 6 confirmed aerial victories, 1 damaged, and 1 additional aircraft destroyed on the ground. In addition to the Air Force Cross, Drew was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses and 14 Air Medals. Following the War Drew helped organize the 127 th Fighter Group of the Michigan National Guard. He became Deputy Group Commander and later was appointed the first Air Adjutant General of the State of Michigan. After his retirement from the Air Force with the rank of Major, he established an aviation business in Britain and South Africa. He currently resides in Southern California, and remains active in matters involving the American Fighter Aces Association. Sadly we have learned that Ben Drew passed away on 3rd April 2013. |
  Shooting Swallows by Brian Bateman. (P) |   Shooting Swallows by Brian Bateman. (P) |   Sitting Duck by David Pentland. (P) |   Historic Victory by Brian Bateman. (P) |
Items Signed by Maj Urban L Drew USAF (deceased) |
  | Major Urban 'Ben' Drew - First Victory by Brian Bateman. (P) Price : £320.00 | Urban Ben Drew claims his first victory in his Mustang as he makes a strafing run of a Luftwaffe JU-52 transport at Toussus-Le-Noble in France in mid 1944. ...... | |
  | Take Him, Blue Two by Brian Bateman. (P) Price : £300.00 | Urban Ben Drew scores his second victory, and his first aerial victory, as he claims a Bf109G over Lisieux, France in 1944. His wing leader, Martin Johnson, had his guns jammed as the twisting turning low level dogfight took place, so the fr...... | |
  | Urban 'Ben' Drew - Good Hunting by Brian Bateman. (P) Price : £300.00 | On August 25th 1944, Ben Drew found himself locked in a stalemate with the Bf109 of an experienced Luftwaffe pilot. Circling each other to try and force an advantage, the two pilots spiraled towards the ground until the German finally broke away fr...... | |
  | Urban 'Ben' Drew - Aerial Hat-Trick by Brian Bateman. (P) Price : £350.00 | On 11th September 1944, Urban Ben Drew claimed his third aerial victory claiming another Me109 in his P-51 Mustang. ...... | |
  | Detroit Miss by Brian Bateman. (P) Price : £300.00 | Urban Ben Drew in his P-51 Mustang Detroit Miss claiming his fifth victory to become an Ace. The German Heinkel He111 was over the Baltic Sea on 18th September 1944 when it was spotted by Ben. Attempting to escape Ben and the two oth...... |
| | Historic Victory by Brian Bateman. (P) SOLD OUT | Urban Ben Drew in his P-51 Mustang makes his strafing run on the monster German BV-238 flying boat. A one of a kind prototype, the BV-238 was strafed and sunk on Lake Schaal by the three Mustangs led by Drew on 18th September 1944. When it ...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| | Shooting Swallows by Brian Bateman. (P) SOLD OUT | Ben Drew shot down two Me262s in October of 1944. The painting shows the second Me262 as the main subject with Ben's Detroit Miss peeling off at full speed after he showered the aircraft with the fatal bullets. The shoot down action was s...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
  | Opening Sky by Robert Taylor. (AP) Price : £650.00 | With the morning sun glinting on their fuselages, P-51 Mustangs of the 78th Fighter Group cross the Dutch coastline far below, as they head back towards their base at Duxford, England at the end of a long sweep east of the Rhine crossing, Spring 194...... | |
  | Return to Duxford by Robert Taylor SOLD OUT | Flying low over the picturesque village of Thaxted, in the cold winter of 1944-45, the P-51D Mustangs of the 78th Fighter Group return to Duxford after a tiring eight hour escort mission. With dusk approaching, low on fuel, the fighters have about 20...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| | Return to Duxford by Robert Taylor (AP) SOLD OUT | Flying low over the picturesque village of Thaxted, in the cold winter of 1944-45, the P-51D Mustangs of the 78th Fighter Group return to Duxford after a tiring eight hour escort mission. With dusk approaching, low on fuel, the fighters have about 20...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| | Shooting Swallows by Brian Bateman. (P) SOLD OUT | Ben Drew shot down two Me262s in October of 1944. The painting shows the second Me262 as the main subject with Ben's Detroit Miss peeling off at full speed after he showered the aircraft with the fatal bullets. The shoot down action was ...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
  | Jet Hunters by Robert Taylor. (C) Price : £465.00 | On 10th April 1945, thirteen hundred bombers of the Mighty Eighth set out to destroy the last of the Luftwaffe's jet force. But, unknown to the bomber crews and their fighter escort, the enemy jets were already airborne and waiting to spring th...... | |
| | Jet Hunters by Robert Taylor. (D) SOLD OUT | On 10th April 1945, thirteen hundred bombers of the Mighty Eighth set out to destroy the last of the Luftwaffe's jet force. But, unknown to the bomber crews and their fighter escort, the enemy jets were already airborne and waiting to spring th...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| | Jet Hunters by Robert Taylor. (E) SOLD OUT | On 10th April 1945, thirteen hundred bombers of the Mighty Eighth set out to destroy the last of the Luftwaffe's jet force. But, unknown to the bomber crews and their fighter escort, the enemy jets were already airborne and waiting to spring the...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
 | Eagles on the Rampage by Robert Taylor. (C) SOLD OUT | Dominating the skies over Germany, P-51s of the 4th Fighter Group - The Eagles - sweep across the cloud tops, their pilots scanning the distant horizon for any signs of the Luftwaffe. They are ready for trouble should the enemy decide to chance the...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
  | Sitting Duck by David Pentland. (B) Price : £310.00 | Lake Schaal, Northern Germany, 18th September 1944. Squadron Leader Urban Drew of 375th Fighter Squadron leading a flight of 3 P-51 Mustangs caught and destroyed the giant BV 238 Flying boat prototype undergoing flight trials on Lake Schaal. ...... | |
| | Sitting Duck by David Pentland. (P) Price : £480.00 | Lake Schaal, Northern Germany, 18th September 1944. Squadron Leader Urban Drew of 375th Fighter Squadron leading a flight of 3 P-51 Mustangs caught and destroyed the giant BV 238 Flying boat prototype undergoing flight trials on Lake Schaal. ...... | |
  | A Big Victory by Stan Stokes. (B) Price : £120.00 | On September 18, 1944 P-51 pilots of the 375th Fighter Squadron of the 361st Fighter Group, based at Little Walden in Essex, were assigned the mission of escorting B-17s on a shuttle mission to Russia. The Mustangs would accompany the bombers to the...... | |
| | A Big Victory by Stan Stokes. (D) Price : £95.00 | On September 18, 1944 P-51 pilots of the 375th Fighter Squadron of the 361st Fighter Group, based at Little Walden in Essex, were assigned the mission of escorting B-17s on a shuttle mission to Russia. The Mustangs would accompany the bombers to the...... |
Packs with at least one item featuring the signature of Maj Urban L Drew USAF (deceased) |
