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Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art World War Two Veteran Signatures UK and Commonwealth B  Bradford, Stan |
Flt Sergeant Stan Bradford DFM
A mid-upper gunner on Lancaster ED308 D-Donald of 57 squadron RAF Bomber Command, then based at Scampton. By the end of his tour in March 1944 Stan had become an air Ace, credited by 5 Group with the shooting down of 6 enemy fighters, including a Bf109 over France on his very first operation on the night of August 27th 1943. He died on 22nd June 2017.
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| Distinguished Flying Medal |
| Flt Sergeant Stan Bradford DFM - Signed Aviation Art |
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| Text for the above items : |
No Turning Back by Robert Taylor. A Lancaster of No. 61 Squadron, RAF, piloted by Flt. Lt. Bill Reid, under attack from a German Fw190 en route to Dusseldorf on the night of November 3rd, 1943. Already injured in a previous attack, Bill Reid was again wounded but pressed on for another 50 minutes to bomb the target, then fly his badly damaged aircraft on the long journey home. The courage and devotion to duty that earned Bill Reid the Victoria Cross, was a hallmark of RAF bomber crews throughout their long six year campaign. |
Alone at Dawn by Gerald Coulson. Heavily damaged by flak and with one engine out, a Lancaster slowly makes its way home far behind the main force. |
One Hundred Up! by Simon Atack. Piloted by RAAF skipper T.N.Scholefield, No. 467 Squadrons Lancaster S For Sugar, one of RAF Bomber Commands most famous Lancs, heads out on her 100th mission on May 11, 1944. Embellished with a bomb symbol painted on the fuselage signifying each raid completed, and the infamous Hermann Goering quotation No enemy plane will fly over the Reich Territory, the mighty bomber leads a formation bound for Germany. In total she completed 137 bombing raids. Today, beautifully restored, S For Sugar proudly rests in the RAF Bomber Command Museum at Hendon, London. |
Towards Night's Darkness by Robert Taylor. Sometimes it was five, every so often it might be six, occasionally it was three, but usually it was seven men who flew together as a crew with RAF Bomber Command. They formed the closest of bonds, forged through an anvil of freezing temperatures, deadly flak and prowling night-fighters but, with an average age of only 22, their odds of survival were slim. By 1943 the life expectancy for bomber aircrew was just 5 missions - only one in six were expected to survive their first tour of 30 operations. The chances of surviving a second tour were even slimmer. Of the 125,000 men who flew with Bomber Command during World War II, more than 55,000 were killed. Whilst the 'Few' of Fighter Command had undoubtedly defeated the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain, it was the 'Many' of Bomber Command who were to play the pivotal role in delivering to the Allies ultimate victory in Europe. But it came at a terrible cost: on one raid alone - the Nuremberg raid of 30th/31st March 1944 - 543 aircrew were killed, more than Fighter Command lost during the entire Battle of Britain. Robert Taylor's evocative new painting is a moving tribute to these men of Bomber Command. As the setting sun casts a golden glow, a group of Lancasters from 576 Squadron gather into formation after departing from their Lincolnshire base at the start of a raid into Germany in late 1944. The lead aircraft UL-I (LM227) was one of only a handful of Lancasters to complete 100 operational sorties. Between them the pilots of Bomber Command won 23 Victoria Crosses during WWII, and countless others were highly decorated for courage and commitment. Several of these veterans have now joined together to sign this commemorative limited edition to honour all those who served with Bomber Command. They include some of the RAF's most inspirational leaders - men such as James 'Tirpitz&;39; Tait, who was awarded no less than four DSOs to become one of the most highly decorated RAF airmen of WWII. Although sadly no longer with us, we are privileged that he was able to personally sign the prints during his lifetime, creating a truly historic collectors edition. |
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This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com
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