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Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art World War Two Veteran Signatures United States B  Bryan, Donald |
Lt Col Donald S Bryan
Originally a P-40 instructor with the 79th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Group, Don Bryan then transferred to the 328th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group as a flight leader flying P-47s. Moving to Bodney, England, in June, he flew with the group on its first combat mission in September, flying his P-47 'Little One', named after his girlfriend Frances Norman. In April 1944, he transferred to P-51s, 'Little One II' and 'Little One III', and completed his first combat tour in May 1944. He returned to the 328th Fighter Squadron in August, became an Ace two months later, and gained 'Ace in a Day' status on 2nd November when he downed five Fw190s in a single mission. Don flew 140 combat missions, never lost a wingman, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, second only to the Medal of Honor. Lt Col Bryan died on 15th May 2012.
| Lt Col Donald S Bryan - Signed Aviation Art |
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| Text for the above items : |
Dove of Peace by David Pentland. P51D of Colonel Glenn Duncan C.O. of the 353rd Fighter Group, along with Betty-E flown by Lt. Colonel Wayne Blickenstaff, taking off on one of their last missions of the war, April 1945. |
Head for Home by Anthony Saunders. (APB) When a fighter escort with a bombers range first appeared over Berlin, Goering knew the end of the war was only a matter of time. when that particular fighter escort turned out to be the Mustang, perhaps the most outstanding of all WWII fighters, the time was all too short. Unlike the RAFs Spitfire and Hurricane, that had succeeded in the Battle of Britain, Goerings Luftwaffe failed to protect its own air space, leaving allied air forces unhampered to bomb Germany by both day and night. Two battle weary Mustangs of 357th Fighter Group, with ammunition spent and fuel low, have broken away from the main bomber force to head across the Channel for home. |
Last One Home by Ivan Berryman. A pair of P51D Mustangs of the 361st Fighter Group, 8th Air Force, escort a damaged B17G Flying Fortress of the 381st Bomb Group back to its home base of Ridgewell, England, during the Autumn of 1944. |
Jet Hunters by Robert Taylor. 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 their deadly trap. As the war in mainland Europe entered its final, bloody phase, the German Armies defending Berlin fought on with a savage determination, slowly disintegrating before the mighty weapon of war unleashed against them. What remained of the Luftwaffe was mercilessly pounded from the air, their airfields hammered relentlessly. Aircraft, fuel, spare parts, ammunition and pilots all in short supply but still they fought on, with deadly effect. At the forefront of the German offensive and pivotal during the defence of the Reich, were the highly advanced jet fighters of the Luftwaffe, and in particular the legendary Me262. B17s of the First Air Division with streaming contrails in the cold clear air as they turn for home. Several Me262s have already torn through the massed formation, but a P-51 from the escorting 356th Fighter Group has quickly spotted his target and presses home his attack. The hunter becomes the hunted as the Mustang pilot, Wayne Gatlin, skillfully positions himself behind the Me262 ready for the kill. Throughout the final stages of the war there were many examples of the determination and skill of Allied pilots flying slower piston-engined fighters triumphing over the cream of the Luftwaffe in their highly advanced but often temperamental jet fighters. |
Masters of the Sky by Richard Taylor. They were an extraordinary group of men who flew their distinctive blue-nosed P-51 Mustangs fearlessly in the savage skies over war-torn Europe. They were the pilots of the 352nd Fighter Group - Masters of the Sky. The three squadrons of P-51 Mustangs that made up the 352nd Fighter Group contained a remarkable collection of fearless young aviators who, amongst other things, provided more Aces in a Day than any other P-51 Group in any theatre. These were pilots such as George Preddy - the highest scoring P-51 Mustang Ace in the Eighth Air Force - who downed 6 Me109s in a single day, and Don Bryan with 5 victories in a day. No less than twenty nine of the USAAF's top aerial Aces in Europe were also from the 352nd, and twelve 352nd pilots scored aerial victories over the revolutionary German jet fighters. To commemorate the men who flew with the 352nd Fighter Group during World War II, Richard Taylor has created his magnificent painting, Masters of the Sky. Led by their Commanding Officer Major George Preddy, the P-51 Mustang pilots of the 328th Fighter Squadron engage in a bitter struggle with Luftwaffe fighters in the cold winter air high over eastern Germany. They have been escorting B-17 Fortresses attacking the heavily defended synthetic oil plant at Merseberg, November 1944. As the B-17s turn safely towards home above them, Preddy skilfully manages to down one of the attacking Fw190s in the ensuing melee. |
Eagles on the Rampage by Robert Taylor. 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 their luck. The greatness of the Mustang is beyond doubt; it was the fighter pilot's ultimate machine. Tough, hard-hitting, it handled beautifully and - once the mighty Merlin engine had been included - possessed a performance unrivalled by any single piston-engined fighter of World War II. British inspired and American built, the P-51 was the aircraft the eager young pilots of the Eighth Air Force had been waiting for. Formed in September 1942 from the RAF Eagle Squadrons, the Fourth Fighter Group was the oldest fighter unit in the Eighth Air Force. Under the command of Don Blakeslee, described as probably the best fighter leader of the war, the combined air and ground victories notched up by 'The Eagles' during World War II surpassed any other fighter group. They were the first to penetrate German air space, and the first to engage the Luftwaffe over Berlin. Hermann Goering later remarked 'When I saw those Mustangs over Berlin, I knew that the war was lost'. Each print in this outstanding edition is signed by some of the most famous Mustang pilots that flew in the European Theatre during World War II. Every signatory in the edition has reached Ace status, creating a historic new collectors' edition which may never be surpassed. |
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