Channel Sweep

On 14 June 1940, the first German jackboots were heard on the streets of Paris. Within days France signed an armistice and Hitler could now turn his avaricious eyes north and across the grey waters of the Channel. The island of Britain stood alone and, faced with the threat of imminent invasion, few gave her much chance of survival. Before the all-conquering Panzers could invade, Germany needed to gain air superiority and Goering boasted that his Luftwaffe ‘would quickly sweep the RAF from the skies’ – how wrong he would be. The Battle of Britain began on 10 July 1940 and for the next eight weeks most front-line squadrons were often flying four missions a day. Against overwhelming and seemingly impossible odds, the RAF repelled the Luftwaffe and by the end of October it was over.

Overall print size: 25” wide x 16” high

Richard Taylor’s stunning painting depicts Mk1 Spitfires from 92 Squadron undertaking a defensive sweep along the Kent coastline against a dramatic backdrop of the white cliffs of Dover, at the height of the battle in September 1940.

The prints in this fabulous edition have been personally autographed by members of “The Few.”

THE LIMITED EDITION
Every print has been hand numbered and personally signed by the artist and three highly respected veterans who flew in the Battle of Britain.

Wg Cdr JOHN ‘TIM’ ELKINGTON
Sqn Ldr TONY PICKERING AFC
Flt Lt WILLIAM ROBERT ‘BOB’ HUGHES DFC AE

THE REMARQUE EDITIONS with THIRTEEN signatures The two remarqued editions will feature an original pencil drawing created in the border of the print and the DOUBLE remarques feature an exquisite double sized drawing. Each print is additionally signed by a further TEN Battle of Britain veterans:

Flt Lt TERRY CLARK DFM AE
Flt Lt LEONARD DAVIES
Wg Cdr BOB FOSTER DFC
Sqn Ldr TONY IVESON DFC
Wg Cdr TERENCE KANE
Wg Cdr TOM NEIL DFC* AFC
Sqn Ldr NIGEL ROSE
Sqn Ldr GEOFFREY WELLUM DFC
Fg Off KEN WILKINSON
Corporal ALEC GRAY

THE PUBLISHERS PROOFS with TWENTY signatures
Each of these stunning Proofs carries all thirteen signatures on the Remarques but each copy is beautifully matted to conservation standards to include the original signatures of a further seven prominent Battle of Britain Aircrew.

Wg Cdr PADDY BARTHROPP DFC AFC
Wg Cdr HARBOURNE STEPHEN DSO
Wg Cdr JOHN FREEBORN DFC*
A/Cdre PETER BROTHERS CBE DSO DFC*
A/Cdre Sir ARCHIE WINSKILL CBE CVO KVCO DFC*
Sqn Ldr CHARLES FRIZELL
W.O LEOPOLD HEIMES