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D-Day Armada by Nicolas Trudgian (C) - American Art Prints

D-Day Armada by Nicolas Trudgian (C)


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D-Day Armada by Nicolas Trudgian (C)

There was never a greater concentration of air power deployed in an active theater of war as over the English Channel in May and June 1944. As D-Day approached, the USAAFs Ninth Air Force had assembled over 3500 aircraft a day, they were pounding enemy positions all the way from Pas de Calais to the coast of Normandy. 6 June 1944, arguably the most decisive single day in modern military history, saw the sky filled with waves of troop carrying aircraft towing gliders, dropping over 20,000 highly trained men in support of the massed sea-borne landings on the beaches below. Grabbing all the airspace they could find, the combat wings of the Ninth Air Force were creating havoc among the German ground forces as they scrambled to get troops and armor to the battlefront.
AMAZING VALUE! - The value of the signatures on this item is in excess of the price of the print itself!
Item Code : DHM2275CD-Day Armada by Nicolas Trudgian (C) - This Edition
TYPEEDITION DETAILSSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSYOUR PRICEPURCHASING
PRINT Limited edition of 50 remarques, with eight signatures. Inscribed with original pencil drawing by Nicolas Trudgian.

SOLD OUT
Paper size 35 inches x 23.5 inches (89cm x 60m) Minech, John L
Denison, Richard Dick
Downing, Wayne E
Milow, Arthur R
Mitchell, William Bill D
Strait, Donald
Gross, Clayton
Long, Maurice
+ Artist : Nicolas Trudgian


Signature(s) value alone : £340
SOLD
OUT
NOT
AVAILABLE
All prices on our website are displayed in British Pounds Sterling



Other editions of this item : D-Day Armada by Nicolas Trudgian.DHM2275
TYPEEDITION DETAILSSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSYOUR PRICEPURCHASING
PRINT Limited edition of 350 prints.

Last 12 available of this sold out edition.
Print size 35 inches x 23.5 inches (89cm x 60cm) Strait, Donald
Gross, Clayton
Long, Maurice
+ Artist : Nicolas Trudgian


Signature(s) value alone : £155
£50 Off!Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!Now : £160.00VIEW EDITION...
ARTIST
PROOF
Limited edition of 25 artist proofs, with eight signatures.
Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!
Paper size 35 inches x 23.5 inches (89cm x 60cm) Minech, John L
Denison, Richard Dick
Downing, Wayne E
Milow, Arthur R
Mitchell, William Bill D
Strait, Donald
Gross, Clayton
Long, Maurice
+ Artist : Nicolas Trudgian


Signature(s) value alone : £340
£50 Off!Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!Now : £250.00VIEW EDITION...
PRINT Anniversary edition of 150 prints.

Last 20 available of this sold out edition.

Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!
Paper size 35 inches x 23.5 inches (89cm x 60cm) Minech, John L
Denison, Richard Dick
Downing, Wayne E
Milow, Arthur R
Mitchell, William Bill D
Strait, Donald
Gross, Clayton
Long, Maurice
+ Artist : Nicolas Trudgian


Signature(s) value alone : £340
£20 Off!Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!Now : £220.00VIEW EDITION...
FLYER Nicolas Trudgian Promotional Flyer. A4 Size Double Sheet 11.5 inches x 8 inches (30m x 21cm) none£2.00VIEW EDITION...
SLIGHT
BORDER
DAMAGE
Limited edition of 350 prints.

The print has slight damage to the border area, mostly on a corner. Not noticeable once framed.

Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!
Print size 35 inches x 23.5 inches (89cm x 60cm) Strait, Donald
Gross, Clayton
Long, Maurice
+ Artist : Nicolas Trudgian


Signature(s) value alone : £155
£120.00VIEW EDITION...
EX-DISPLAY
PRINT
**Limited edition of 350 prints. (One print reduced to clear)

Ex display prints with slight border damage.

Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!
Print size 35 inches x 23.5 inches (89cm x 60cm) Strait, Donald
Gross, Clayton
Long, Maurice
+ Artist : Nicolas Trudgian


Signature(s) value alone : £155
£90 Off!Now : £120.00VIEW EDITION...
General descriptions of types of editions :




Signatures on this item
*The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare.
NameInfo


The signature of Captain John L Minech

Captain John L Minech
*Signature Value : £45

A pilot with the 647th Squadron, 410th Light Bomb Group, John Minech flew the first of his sixty-five combat missions in May 1944, flying the Douglas A20 Havoc. he flew two missions on d-Day itself, the second of which was a low level attack at 300ft during the evening. He flew thirty-five missions as a Flight Leader, and was Squadron Operations Officer for 5 months. He flew in Europe until the end of the war.


The signature of Captian Clayton Gross (deceased)

Captian Clayton Gross (deceased)
*Signature Value : £50

Clayton Gross was one of 12 original pilots to fly with the 355th fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group. He first saw combat in 1943, and took part in the great D-Day air operations on 6th June 1944. He flew over 100 combat missions in two combat tours on P51s, was credited with 6 confirmed kills (including an Me262 jet), 14 damaged, multiple ground vehicles destroyed, including 8 locomotives. He survived one bail-out behind enemy lines, and flew continuously in the ETO until VE Day. Captain (Air Corps) Clayton Kelly Gross (ASN: 0-663512), United States Army Air Forces, was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action against the enemy as a P-51 Mustang Fighter Pilot of the 355th Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, NINTH Air Force, in action against the enemy in aerial combat in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. His gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army Air Forces. Clayton Gross died on 10th January 2016.


The signature of Colonel Maurice Long (deceased)

Colonel Maurice Long (deceased)
*Signature Value : £50

Maurice Long arrived in England in 1943, assigned to the 355th Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group. Flying the P51B Mustang he served as a Flight Commander, operations Officer and Squadron Commander, achieving 8 and a half victories. In the ETO he took part in the vital D-Day missions over Normandy, later moving with the Squadron to French soil. In a long career he took part in 140 combat missions flying P51s in the ETO, and later F84s in Korea. Sadly, we have learned that Maurice Long passed away on 31st March 2008.
The signature of Colonel Richard Dick Denison (deceased)

Colonel Richard Dick Denison (deceased)
*Signature Value : £35

Navigator Dick Denison's first combat missions were flown during the D-Day invasion, flying C47s towing gliders into the Normandy bridgehead, and making casualty evacuations. He transferred to the 552nd Squadron, 386th Bomb Group flying the Martin B26 Marauder, before converting over to the Douglas A26 Invader. Dick completed a total of 40 combat missions during his tour. He died on 1st February 2018.


The signature of First Lt Wayne E Downing (deceased)

First Lt Wayne E Downing (deceased)
*Signature Value : £35

A pilot, Wayne Downing flew Douglas A20 Havoc light bombers with the 416th Bomb Group, the first Group to fly the A20 in Europe. On D-Day the 416th BG targeted Argentan, a major German troop crossroads, and later in the day a second mission to hit a major marshalling yard. Moving to France in September 1944, in October he converted over to flying the more advanced A26 Invader. Wayne Downing flew a total of 86 combat missions. Post-war he stayed with the Air Force flying the B-47 and B-52 until 1962, becoming a maths teacher after leaving the service. He died on 4th August 2018.
The signature of Lieutenant Colonel William Bill D Mitchell

Lieutenant Colonel William Bill D Mitchell
*Signature Value : £35

Receiving his pilots wings in 1942, Bill Mitchell trained on high altitude P38 Lightnings, to become a photo-reconnaissance pilot. Arriving in England in November 1943, he joined the 30th Photo-Reconnaissance Squadron, of which he was the commander for its missions with the Ninth Air Force. Bill flew a total of eighty-five operational missions, including three on D-Day. 


The signature of Lt Colonel Arthur R Milow (deceased)

Lt Colonel Arthur R Milow (deceased)
*Signature Value : £35

Arthur Milow was Commanding Officer of the 643rd Squadron, 409th Bomb Group, and commanded a total of 66 combat missions flying the Douglas A20 Havoc, and A26 Invader. He flew combat missions during the D-Day operations, and later took part in the Battle of the Bulge. He died on 28th June 2012.


The signature of Major General Donald Strait (deceased)

Major General Donald Strait (deceased)
*Signature Value : £55

Don Strait was born on April 28th, 1918 and grew up in Verona, New Jersey. From an early age Don Strait wanted to be a pilot, and after working for Prudential Insurance Company for a short period Don Strait enlisted in 1940 in the 119th Observation Squadron of the New Jersey National Guard. Initially Don Strait was an armorer and moved up to become an aerial gunner in the two-seater O-46 and O-47 observation planes. He qualified as an aviation cadet in early 1942 and started his training at Maxwell Field, Alabama. After Basic and in January 1943 Strait received his wings and his commission. Don Strait got his ambition to become a fighter pilot, he began flying the P-47 Thunderbolt at Westover Field, MA. After checking out in the P-47 and completing transition training he was assigned to the 356th Fighter Group, then at Bradley Field, CT. By August, 1943 Don Strait had been promoted to Captain before being transferred to England. Captain Don Strait with the 356th Fighter Group went to Martlesham Heath in England flying first the P-47 Thunderbolt. Martlesham Heath was just five miles from the North Sea, which made it relatively easy to find when returning from a mission in bad weather. The 356th made its first combat sorties in October, 1943, with sweeps over Holland and northern France; sightings of Luftwaffe planes were quite rare, and the group took over a month to score its first aerial victory. Strait's first combat occurred on February 6th, 1944, when his flight bounced a pair of Fw190s while on an escort mission. He immediately attacked. The 190s split apart and he chased one down to the deck. He scored hits on it and the pilot bailed out - Strait's first kill. But he and his wingman had used too much fuel, and barely made it back to base. He shot down a couple more Bf109s while flying Thunderbolts on February 10th and May 19th. Having completed well over 200 combat hours, he was entitled to rotate home, but agreed to continue front-line flying, provided that he was given command of the 361st Fighter Squadron. He took a 30-day leave and returned to Europe in September, 1944. He and Captain George May, the intelligence officer, reviewed daily sightings and disposition of the Luftwaffe, which helped him plan and lead the squadron's missions. Don Strait took part in long range bomber escort and ground support missions, taking part in all the D-Day operations, before converting to P51s. The group flew their first Mustang mission on November 20, the same day that Strait assumed command of the 361st FS. In two combat tours he flew a total of 122 missions. He led the squadron again on November 26, 1944, when it flew an escort mission over the heavily defended Ruhr. After linking up with the B-17s just east of Holland, the pilots were advised of 40 bandits approaching from the south. As Strait's sixteen Mustangs arrived in the Osnabruck area, they spotted the 40 Bf109s at 25,000 feet. They dropped tanks and attacked. Then Strait spotted about another 150 German fighters at various altitudes, preparing to attack the bombers. 'We've got the whole damn Luftwaffe!' he radioed. He closed to within 350 yards of an enemy airplane and fired - it dived away smoking. Strait's wingman saw it crash. Strait soon bounced another 109, but it eluded him. He spotted a third and closed to within 300 yards, and exploded it (a shared kill with Lt. Shelby Jett). After this dogfighting, fuel began to be a concern, so they headed home. That day the 356th FG destroyed 23 enemy aircraft without losing a single American. After two more victories on December 5th, Strait found more air combat on Christmas Day. In action again against Bf109s, he had a nasty moment when his first victim left oil and engine coolant all over his windscreen. Skidding away, Strait almost rammed his foe. He continued shooting down German planes in 1945 - an Fw190 on Jan. 14th, another Fw190 on Feb 14th, and three Fiesler Storch light observation planes on Feb 20th. Don Strait commanded the 361st Fighter Squadron, and became the Group's leading fighter Ace with 13 and a half air victories, all but three of these flying the P51. After the war he rejoined the NJ Air National Guard. He later commanded the 108th Tactical Wing in Korea, where he flew the F86, F84, and F105 jet. Participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Vietnam. He retired from the Air Force in 1978 with the rank of Major General, and was inducted into the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame in 1989. Donald Strait died on 30th March 2015.

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