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The Dambusters - Last Moments of the Möhne Dam by Robert Taylor. (RM)- Cranston Fine Arts Historical Art

The Dambusters - Last Moments of the Möhne Dam by Robert Taylor. (RM)


The Dambusters - Last Moments of the Möhne Dam by Robert Taylor. (RM)

As they cleared the surrounding hills the valley unfolded to reveal the black waters of the lake glistening in the crystal clear moonlight. And then, away in the distance, they saw the target they had come to destroy - the Möhne Dam. The largest dam in Europe, the fortress-like walls of Möhne held back nearly 140 million cubic metres of water essential to the industry and factories of the Ruhr. The Air Ministry had long ago decided that if the Möhne dam, and the two other major Ruhr dams - the Eder and Sorpe - were destroyed, it could deliver a massive blow to the Nazi war machine. But cracking open the mighty dams would require exceptional flying skills; and so, on 21 March 1943, a new squadron was formed specifically for the task, the only time this ever happened in Bomber Command. Known as 617 Squadron and led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, it was not only the squadron that was unique, so was the weapon they would be using - Upkeep - a cylindrical, hydrostatic 'bouncing' bomb. The brainchild of Barnes Wallis, Upkeep was designed to skip across the surface of the water, sink against the dam's massive wall, and explode with enormous force at a precise depth. In Robert Taylor's sensational new painting Guy Gibson and Mick Martin draw the enemy's fire as 'Dinghy' Young clears the dam's parapet seconds after releasing his bomb. A few moments later Young's bomb will successfully detonate against the dam leaving it mortally wounded allowing David Maltby in AJ-J to finish the task. With the Möhne Dam breached Gibson, with the remaining crews, will turn south to repeat the operation at the Eder Dam.
AMAZING VALUE! - The value of the signatures on this item is in excess of the price of the print itself!
Item Code : DHM6408RMThe Dambusters - Last Moments of the Möhne Dam by Robert Taylor. (RM) - This Edition
TYPEEDITION DETAILSSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSYOUR PRICEPURCHASING
REMARQUELimited edition of 19 remarques.

The edition size of 19 represents the number of aircraft that took part in the raid. SOLD OUT.
Image size 28 inches x 27 inches (71cm x 69cm) Johnson, George L
Lucas, Kenneth
Sutherland, Frederick E
McDonald, Grant S
Munro, Les
+ Artist : Robert Taylor


Signature(s) value alone : £225
SOLD
OUT
NOT
AVAILABLE
All prices on our website are displayed in British Pounds Sterling



Other editions of this item : The Dambusters - Last Moments of the Möhne Dam by Robert Taylor.DHM6408
TYPEEDITION DETAILSSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSYOUR PRICEPURCHASING
PRINTSigned limited edition of 350 prints. Image size 28 inches x 27 inches (71cm x 69cm) Johnson, George L
Lucas, Kenneth
Sutherland, Frederick E
+ Artist : Robert Taylor


Signature(s) value alone : £120
£215.00VIEW EDITION...
ARTIST
PROOF
Collectors edition of 25 artist proofs. Image size 28 inches x 27 inches (71cm x 69cm) Johnson, George L
Lucas, Kenneth
Sutherland, Frederick E
McDonald, Grant S
Munro, Les
+ Artist : Robert Taylor


Signature(s) value alone : £225
£80 Off!Now : £375.00VIEW EDITION...
PRINTCollectors limited edition of 275 prints. Image size 28 inches x 27 inches (71cm x 69cm) Johnson, George L
Lucas, Kenneth
Sutherland, Frederick E
McDonald, Grant S
Munro, Les
+ Artist : Robert Taylor


Signature(s) value alone : £225
£80 Off!Now : £265.00VIEW EDITION...
PRESENTATION Chastise Tribute edition of 10 prints.

Supplied with companion original pencil drawing (Sutherland signature is on both print AND drawing). SOLD OUT.
Image size 28 inches x 27 inches (71cm x 69cm) Johnson, George L
Lucas, Kenneth
Sutherland, Frederick E
McDonald, Grant S
Munro, Les
Chalmers, George (companion print)
Grayston, Raymond E (companion print)
Heal, Dudley P (matted on companion print)
Rodger, Dave (matted on companion print)
Johnson, Edward (matted on companion print)
Townsend, Bill (matted on companion print)
McCarthy, Joe C (matted on companion print)
Webb, Douglas E (matted on companion print)
+ Artist : Robert Taylor


Signature(s) value alone : £700
SOLD
OUT
VIEW EDITION...
REMARQUELimited edition of 10 double remarques.

SOLD OUT.
Image size 28 inches x 27 inches (71cm x 69cm) Johnson, George L
Lucas, Kenneth
Sutherland, Frederick E
McDonald, Grant S
Munro, Les
+ Artist : Robert Taylor


Signature(s) value alone : £225
SOLD
OUT
VIEW 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 Corporal Kenneth Lucas (deceased)

Corporal Kenneth Lucas (deceased)
*Signature Value : £30

Ken Lucas joined the RAF in June 1940, and trained as ground crew for bomber Command. He was sent first to 49 Squadron at RAF Scampton, before transferring to 617 Squadron upon its formation, Involved in all the major servicing of the aircraft before the raid including fitting the motors that drove the belt that spun the bomb, and attaching the critical lamps to the underside of the aircraft. Sadly, Ken Lucas passed away in January 2011.


The signature of Flight Sergeant Grant S McDonald RCAF (deceased)

Flight Sergeant Grant S McDonald RCAF (deceased)
*Signature Value : £45

Grant McDonald was the rear gunner on Lancaster AJ-F flown by Ken Brown. On the way to the Ruhr, the gunners shot up and damaged three trains in an eventful trip before reaching the Sorpe Dam. Sadly, we have learned that Grant S McDonald passed away in May 2012.


The signature of Sergeant Frederick E. Sutherland RCAF (deceased)

Sergeant Frederick E. Sutherland RCAF (deceased)
*Signature Value : £45

 Doc Sutherland was the front gunner on Les Knights Lancaster AJ-N that went to the Mohne Dam, and then successfully attacked and breached the Eder Dam. Shot down four months later, he managed to evade capture and escape back to England with the help of the Resistance movements, returning through Holland, France and Spain. He died on 21st of January 2019.


The signature of Squadron Leader George L. Johnson DFM (deceased)

Squadron Leader George L. Johnson DFM (deceased)
*Signature Value : £45

Joining the RAF in 1940, George Johnson served with 97 Squadron before joining 617 Squadron. Bomb aimer on American Joe McCarthys Lancaster AJ-T, they attacked the Sorpe Dam, for which he was awarded the DFM. Commissioned a few months later, George retired from the RAF in 1962. The last surviving Dambuster, he died aged 101 on 7th December 2022.


The signature of Squadron Leader Les Munro DSO DFC RNZAF (deceased)

Squadron Leader Les Munro DSO DFC RNZAF (deceased)
*Signature Value : £60

New Zealander Les Munro was the Captain and pilot of Lancaster AJ-W assigned to attack the Sorpe Dam, but was forced to turn back en-route to the target after heavy flak damage over Holland had rendered his aircraft unable to carry on with the operation. Squadron Leader Les Munro, who has died aged 96, was the last surviving pilot to have taken part on the Dambusters raid, which attacked the Ruhr Dams in May 1943. His Lancaster was one of the first to take off on the night of May 16. Their target was the Sorpe Dam. Flying at very low level over the Dutch island of Vlieland, the bomber was badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire. The radios and electrical system were disabled but, crucially, so was the intercommunication system between members of the crew. Without this it was impossible to carry out the precise attack from a height of 60 feet, so with great reluctance, Munro turned for his home base at Scampton, near Lincoln, still with his bouncing bomb on board. John Leslie Munro was born on April 5 1919 at Gisborne, New Zealand, where his Scottish father had emigrated in 1903. He worked as a farmer before joining the Royal New Zealand Air Force in July 1941. He trained initially in New Zealand and then in Canada, where he completed his qualification as a pilot. On arrival in England he trained on bombers before joining No 97 Squadron, which had recently been re-equipped with the Lancaster. After an operation to drop mines in the sea-lanes to German occupied ports, Munro attacked industrial cities in Germany during the so-called Battle of the Ruhr when Essen, Dusseldorf and Cologne were among his targets. He also flew on two raids to Berlin and attacked targets in Italy. He and his crew were approaching the end of their tour of operations (30 sorties) when volunteers were called for to form a new squadron for a special operation. Munro discussed it with his crew and they agreed to apply. A few days later, on March 25, they arrived at Scampton to join X Squadron on its formation, later to become No 617. Soon after leaving No. 97 Squadron, Munro was awarded the DFC for pressing home his attacks with great courage and determination. Within days of arriving at Scampton, all the crews were practising intensive low-level flying including runs over lakes and reservoirs when high-tension cables, barrage balloons and birds were an ever-present hazard. During a trial flight with the Upkeep bouncing bomb designed by Barnes Wallis, Munro was flying below the prescribed height of 60 feet when a great plume of water made by the bomb as it made its first bounce damaged the tailplane of his Lancaster. After the Dams Raid, Munro remained on No 617. The squadron suffered further heavy losses and morale was badly affected. Under the leadership of its new commanding officer, Wing Commander Leonard Cheshire, Munro was made a flight commander. The other two flight commanders were Dave Shannon, an Australian, and the American Joe McCarthy and these three, under Cheshires inspiring leadership, created one of the most effective squadrons to serve in Bomber Command. Cheshire described his three flight commanders as the backbone of the squadron. Of the three, the slow speaking, taciturn New Zealander was the least flamboyant, but his rock steady dependability and utter reliability were an inspiration to his young crews. Cheshire was dissatisfied with the marking of targets by the Pathfinder Force and he developed his own low-level marking technique that proved highly successful. Munro dropped flares from high level and Cheshire dived beneath them to accurately mark the targets for the following bombers. On the eve of D-day on June 5 1944, No 617 flew Operation Taxable, a complex flight requiring extremely accurate flying, navigation and timing. Munro, with Cheshire as his co-pilot, was flying one of the lead aircraft, which flew a series of orbits as it advanced across the English Channel towards the Pas de Calais dropping window (reflective metal strips) to simulate an amphibious landing force approaching the area. This deception created doubt in the Germans minds as to where the Allied landing was taking place and delayed the despatch of reinforcements to Normandy. After the landings, the squadron flew in support of troops establishing the bridgehead. On the night of June 8 , it had a spectacular success when Munro dropped one of the new 12,000-lb Tallboy bombs, which completely destroyed the Saumur railway tunnel. On the following nights he dropped Tallboys on the E-boat pens at Le Havre and Boulogne before attacking the V-weapon sites at Wizernes and Mimoyecques. After this latter raid, his 55th, he and his fellow flight commanders were retired. He had recently been awarded the DSO, his citation concluding with the words, His achievements have been worthy of the greatest praise. Munro finished the war in command of a Bomber Defence Training Flight. He returned to New Zealand and left the RNZAF in February 1946 as a squadron leader. Munro made a major contribution to community life in New Zealand and was Mayor of Tekuiti from 1978 to 1995. He was awarded the Queens Service Order in 1981 and appointed Commander of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1997 for services to local government and community. Munro retained strong links with his old squadron and made a number of trips to the United Kingdom on special anniversaries. He was present when the Queen dedicated the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park in 2012. In 2015 he placed his medals with an auction house to raise money for the maintenance of the memorial. At the last minute, Lord Ashcroft stepped in to stop the sale, offering to donate £75,000 to the memorials upkeep if Munro gifted his medals to the Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland. Squadron Leader Les Munro, born April 5 1919, died August 4 2015.

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