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Aviation Art International is a leading dealer in limited edition prints by Robert Taylor and Nicolas Trudgian. Our mail order service has specialised in supplying the finest aviation art to collectors world-wide since 1986.

A wide range of current and secondary market limited edition and remarqued prints by Robert Taylor, Nicolas Trudgian and other leading aviation artists are available via our mail order service. World-wide shipping.

PLEASE NOTE: We stock a huge range of prints by a far wider selection of artists than we can presently display on our web site. Please contact us if you are unable to find the print you are looking for.

Updated November 13th. 2011.

- THE HARD WAY HOME -
by
Robert Taylor

The Hard Way Home


Like the fighter pilots of the Battle of Britain, the young men who flew with Bomber Command came not just from Britain, but from all over the Commonwealth and countries of occupied mainland Europe. Every man was a volunteer, prepared to endure the deadly flak and prowling night-fighters, to say nothing of the savage and bitter cold, in order to wage their relentless attack against the Third Reich.

Bearing the brunt of the RAF’s incessant campaign were two heavy bombers, the stalwarts of Bomber Command - the Lancaster and the Halifax. Between them they accounted for over three-quarters of all the bombs dropped by the RAF, and Halifaxes alone accounted for a total of 73,312 operations, nearly a fifth of all missions carried out by Bomber Command.
 
Robert Taylor’s superb new painting, 'The Hard Way Home', pays tribute to the magnificent Halifax crews who flew with Bomber Command during World War II. In the late summer of 1941 a lone Halifax of 405 Sqn RCAF struggles home the hard way – damaged and alone. One of the aircraft’s engines is already out and another is smoking badly as the exhausted pilot and his crew fight to keep their unwieldy bomber airborne. Any marauding Luftwaffe fighters would have found them easy prey, but fortunately they have been spotted by a formation of Hurricanes from 253 Sqn on a routine patrol. For that final leg of their long journey this crew will at last have protection to see them safely back to base.
  
THE SIGNATURES
This magnificent new limited edition from the world’s premier aviation artist has been endorsed with the signatures of surviving veterans who flew operationally on Halifaxes during that long, bitter struggle in the skies over Europe, together with well respected Hurricane pilots who flew in their defence.

THE LIMITED EDITION
Each print in the FOUR signature Limited Edition is personally signed by artist Robert Taylor, and individually hand-numbered; together with two RAF aircrew who flew Halifaxes during WWII, and two Hurricane fighter pilots.

Warrant Officer HARRY IRONS DFC – Rear Gunner / 158 Sqn
Warrant Officer LAURIE GODFREY – WOP/Air Gunner / 408sqn
Warrant Officer ERIC CARTER – Hurricane Pilot / 615 sqn
Lieutenant STANISLAW NAWARSKI DFC KM – Hurricane Pilot / 302 sqn

THE LIMITED EDITION with FOUR signatures
400 signed & numbered prints                                                      UK£ 200

 

THE COLLECTORS’ EDITION

The TWENTY ONE signature Collectors’ Edition has been additionally signed by thirteen RAF aircrew who flew Halifaxes with RAF Bomber Command, and four Hurricane fighter pilots who flew escort with RAF Fighter Command:
 
Flying Officer TOM SAYER DFM – Halifax Pilot / 102 Sqn
Squadron Leader FRANK WILLIAMSON AFC – Halifax Pilot / 102 Sqn
Flight Lieutenant “BLUEY” MOTTERSHEAD DFC – Halifax Pilot / 158 Sqn
Warrant Officer JOHN MORRISON – Rear Gunner / 35 Sqn
Flying Officer FRANK WALKER – Rear Gunner / 466 Sqn
Flying Officer LEN McNAMARA DFC – Rear Gunner / 158 Sqn
Warrant Officer FRED MALTAS – Flight Engineer / 35 Sqn
Warrant Officer REG CLEAVER – Flight Engineer / 419 Sqn RCAF
Warrant Officer HARRY GOUGH – Rear Gunner / 10 Sqn
Flying Officer JOHN EVANS – Halifax Pilot / 158 Sqn
Warrant Officer SAM THOMPSON – Mid Upper Gunner / 103 sqn
Flight Lieutenant MATT HOLIDAY DFC – Mid Upper Gunner / 10 sqn
Warrant Officer WILLIAM BELL – Navigator / 103 Sqn
Flight Lieutenant KURT TAUSSIG – Hurricane Pilot / 225 Sqn
Wing Commander JOHN ‘TIM’ ELKINGTON – Hurricane Pilot / 134 Sqn
Wing Commander TOM NEIL DFC AFC AE – Hurricane Pilot / 259 Sqn
Pilot Officer STEFAN RYLL – Hurricane Pilot / 306 Sqn
 

THE COLLECTORS EDITION with TWENTY signatures
250 Collectors Edition                                                                  UK£ 325
25 Artist Proofs                                                                            UK£ 395
 
Overall Print Size: 35¼” wide x 23¼” high
 
THE RCAF EDITION
In tribute to those brave veterans who flew with the RCAF during World War II, each print in this SEVEN signature edition is signed by two RCAF Hurricane pilots and five RCAF Halifax aircrew, together with the artist Robert Taylor.
 
Wing Commander J.F.‘STOCKY’ EDWARDS DFC* DFM RCAF – Hurricane Pilot / 92 Sqn
Lieutenant Colonel DOUGLAS ‘DUKE’ WARREN DFC CD RCAF – Hurricane Pilot / 165 Sqn
Squadron Leader IAN HEWITT DFC* – Flight Engineer / 405 Sqn RCAF
Warrant Officer REG CLEAVER – Flight Engineer / 419 Sqn RCAF
Warrant Officer RICHARD CURNOCK – Rear Gunner / 425 Sqn RCAF
Flying Officer EDWARD BOWLES – Bombardier / 429 Sqn RCAF
Flight Lieutenant HENRY OAKEBY – Navigator / 432 Sqn RCAF
 
THE RCAF EDITION with SEVEN signatures
250 RCAF Edition                                                                    UK£ 250
25 RCAF Artist Proofs                                                             UK£ 325
 
THE BOMBER COMMAND TRIBUTE PROOFS (Subject to availability)
 
   This outstanding THIRTY-NINE signature Bomber Command Tribute Edition is issued in recognition to the outstanding airmen who flew and fought with RAF Bomber Command during World War II. Released with all the components of the Collectors’ Edition, with the addition of an ORIGINAL pencil drawing by Robert Taylor, personally signed by thirteen Bomber Command aircrew:
 
Flight Lieutenant BORIS BRESSLOFF DFC – Bomb Aimer / 635 Sqn
Warrant Officer GRAHAM BRIGGS DFM – WoP/Air Gunner / 103 Sqn
Flight Lieutenant ERIC CLARKE MiD – WoP/AG 49 Sqn  
Flight Lieutenant GEORGE COX – Flight Engineer / 214 Sqn
Squadron Leader HARRY GLENDINNING – Navigator / 115 Sqn  
Squadron Leader DOUGLAS JOSS MBE – Air Gunner / 626 Sqn 
Flight Lieutenant BOB LASHAM DFC* – Lancaster Pilot / 97 Sqn 
Flight Sergeant RUDOLF LEKSINSKI – WoP/AG 300 Sqn
Warrant Officer HARRY LEVY – WoP/AG 9 Sqn
Squadron Leader REG MANNING DFC – Flight Engineer / 10 Sqn
Flight Lieutenant JOE PETRIE ANDREWS DFC, DFM – Halifax Pilot / 35 Sqn
Flight Lieutenant RON SMITH DFC – Lancaster Air Gunner / 617 Sqn
Flight Lieutenant KEN THOMAS DFC – Lancaster Pilot / 622 Sqn
 
Each piece has been exquisitely conservation matted to include a museum quality reproduction Bomber Command Aircrew Europe Medal with France and Germany clasp, along with the original signatures of a further five legendary figures of Bomber Command: 
 
Air Vice-Marshal DON BENNETT CB CBE DSO FRAes
Group Captain LEONARD CHESHIRE VC OM DSO DFC
Warrant Officer NORMAN JACKSON VC
Wing Commander ROD LEAYROYD VC
Flight Lieutenant BILL READ VC
 
THE BOMBER COMMAND TRIBUTE PROOFS with THIRTY NINE signatures
10 Tribute Proofs issued with original pencil drawing                      UK£ 2100

Approximate size of matted drawing: 20” wide x 19”high
 
THIS FIRST RELEASE FOR 2011 IS EXPECTED TO HAVE A GREAT RESPONSE PARTICULARLY FOR THE ARTIST PROOFS AND TRIBUTE EDITIONS.
PLEASE CALL FOR AVAILABILITY OR TO PLACE YOUR ORDER.
01262 604214
Colour brochure on THE HARD WAY HOME available on request.

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