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Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art World War Two Veteran Signatures UK and Commonwealth M  McGindle, Edward |
Flight Lieutenant Edward Ted McGindle
Englishman Ted McGindle was studying in Australia at the outbreak of the Pacific war and joined the RAAF in April 1942. After initial training he gained his wings and graduated as a Sgt Pilot. Ted sailed for England and attended 21 OTU Morton-in-the-Marsh in March 1944 where he selected his crew and converted to Wellingtons. Ted McGindle converted to Halifaxes and in August 1944 was posted to 640 Sqn - 4 Group where he completed 11 operations. Later that month he transferred to 462 Sqn RAAF, equipped with Halifaxes and based at Driffield. On his 19th operation on 6th October 1944 to the synthetic oil plants at Sterkrade, Ted McGindle was awarded an immediate DFC and three of his crew immediate DFMs for bringing their crippled Halifax and wounded crew home to Woodbridge. During this seven month period he received four promotions from the rank of Sgt Pilot to Flt Lieutenant and acting Flight Commander in March 1945, completing his operational tour at the age of 21.
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| Distinguished Flying Cross |
| Flight Lieutenant Edward Ted McGindle - Signed Aviation Art |
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| Text for the above items : |
Top Cover by Robert Taylor. Flying escort missions was no soft option for fighter pilots. Supporting bombers en-route to important strategic targets almost guaranteed interception by enemy fighters, and the great bomber air raids over enemy occupied Europe brought about some of the most ferociously fought dog-fights of the war. Though regarded as the best defencive fighter ever built, the Spitfire flew in most fighter roles in almost every theatre of WWII. It equipped many squadrons such as the RAF's number 610 Squadron, which flew this outstanding fighter in various marks, throughout the war. Having contested the Battle of Britain flying Mark Is, 610 became part of Douglas Bader's famous Tangmere Wing in 1941 with the Mark Vb. As part of top-scoring Johnnie Johnson's with Canadian Wing in 1943, the squadron was equipped with the Mark IX - the best of all Spitfire Marks according to the great wing leader - getting the better of the Luftwaffe's new Fw190 in the great air battles leading up to the Normandy Landings in 1944. In 1944 the squadron received 90 gallon drop tanks for their new Mark XIV Spitfires and began long range sweeps over Germany. Robert Taylor's emotive painting Top Cover recalls an event from this period. Led by Tony Gaze, on 6th October 1944, his flight of 610 Squadron Spitfires have picked up a severely damaged Halifax over Holland as it lumbers homeward after an attack on synthetic oil plants in Germany. Two crew members have been ordered by skipper Ted McGindle to depart the ailing bomber by parachute while he struggles on with other crew members too badly wounded to escape. Top cover provided by 610's Spitfires ensured this 462 Squadron Halifax made it home on that October day. |
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