Virtual Museum - Paintings and Posters

"Big Beautiful Doll" - Oil painting by Australian artist Spike Wademan. Measures 760mm x 1220mm.  Painted in 1998.

• Air Vice-Marshall Johnnie Johnson, CBE, CB, DSO**, DFC* - 34 and seven shared destroyed, three and two shared probables, ten and three shared damaged, one shared destroyed on the ground.  Johnson was England's leading ace of WWII.  Johnson died on 6 Feburary 2001.
  
• Air Commodore Alan Deere, OBE, DFC*, DFC (US) -  second highest scoring New Zealand fighter pilot - 17 and one shared destroyed, two and one shared unconfirmed destroyed, four probables, seven and one shared damaged.  Al Deere died in late September 1995.
  
• Wing Commander Geoffrey Page, DSO, DFC* - ten and five shared destroyed, three damaged
• Wing Commander Paddy Barthropp, DFC - two and two shared destroyed, one probable, three damaged
• Wing Commander Laddie Lucas, DSO*, DFC - one and two shared destroyed, one probable, eight and one shared damaged

• New Zealand's top-scoring fighter pilot and was credited with twenty-seven enemy aircraft destroyed, one shared and a further twenty-two probably destroyed or damaged
• The seventh highest scoring pilot of the Battle of Britain
• The twelth highest scoring fighter pilot serving with the RAF during WWII and one of only 14 to score more than 25 confirmed victories.
  

On July 13 1940, Gray shot down a Bf 109 near Calais. Over the next seven weeks he claimed 14 enemy aircraft destroyed, shared another and probably destroyed or damaged a further fourteen and was awarded the DFC in mid-August.  In early September, 54 Squadron flew north for a period of rest. Gray went briefly to 43 Squadron but returned to 54 Squadron in January 1941 to replace Alan Deere (another New Zealand fighter ace) as a flight commander.  The unit returned south in late February and Gray remained until mid-June 1941 before he was posted to No.1 Squadron as a flight commander. On the 16 June, he shared in the destruction of an He 59 floatplane and on 22 August shot down a Bf 109. Gray was awarded a Bar to his DFC on September 20 1940, being by then credited with seventeen confirmed victories.

Gray took command of 616 Squadron in late August 1941. In February 1942, he was posted to staff duties. After several short flying appointments in late 1942, he was posted to North Africa in December to take command of 81 Squadron, the first unit to fly Spitfire IX's in the Middle East.  With this mark, he quickly claimed more victories. When the North African campaign ended on 13 May 1943, Gray was awarded the DSO, after destroying a further five enemy aircraft and probably destroyed or damaged four others.  After promotion to Wing Commander, Gray was appointed to lead 322 Wing moving to Malta to prepare for the invasion of Sicily.  On 14 June 1943, he shot down a Bf 109.  Then, on the 17th, he shot down a Macchi 202, followed by a Bf109 on 10 July, invasion day.   The Wing moved to Lentini East airfield on Sicily on the 19th and, six days later, Gray led the Wing on a sweep of the Milazzo area, on Sicily's north-east coast, where it was reported that German transports would be landing supplies on the beach at Cap Milazzo.  As the Spitfires arrived, the Ju 52's were circling to land. Five escorting enemy fighters were shot down in the action and, of the twenty-one transports destroyed, Gray claimed two. They were to be his final victories.  On return to Britain, he was awarded a second Bar to the DFC.

Gray retired from the RAF in March 1961 as a Group Captain and returned to live in New Zealand, where he died at Waikanae on 1 August 1995.

Ref. No. 1169. FRAMED ORIGINAL PENCIL DRAWING OF MOSQUITO BY RON FULTOW. Number two of five originals. Depicts Mosquito EG-J of No. 487 Squadron. Drawing is signed by PO D. R. “Bob” Fowler, who was a Pilot Officer flying EG-J on the famous Amiens Prison raid:

"In March 1944, a combined force of RAF, RAAF, RNZAF and RCAF aircrew flew one of the most hazardous daylight bombing raids of WWII.  In atrocious weather their Mosquitoes and Typhoons flew an ultra-low level mission to ‘spring’ French Resistance fighters from the Amiens prison, then under control of the Gestapo.

"With snow still falling, nineteen Mosquitoes – eighteen Mk VI fighter-bombers of 140 Wing and one Mk IV PRU took-off from RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire, at 1055 hours on 18 February 1944. Their job was the breach the walls of the Amiens Prison and free Resistance Leaders leading up to D-Day - the Allied invasion of Europe.

"The first wave, led by Wing Commander ‘Black’ Smith, were three minutes late into the attack. Sweeping up the straight Amiens-Albert road, they split into two sections of three aircraft, to attack the Eastern and Northern outer walls. Cutting their speed to prevent damage to the bombs on impact, the first section each flew in at ten feet above the ground, releasing their bombs exactly on the eastern perimeter wall followed by a frantic manoeuvre to get their aircraft over and around the prison building. The second section followed in immediately, P/O Merv Darrell and P/O Bob Fowler attacking the northern outer walls, breaching them twice.

"Following the initial attack were five Mosquitoes of 464 Squadron, and a sixth Mosquito from 487 piloted by G/C P C Pickard.  Led by W/C Bob Iredale, their task was to breach the main building and destroy the guard’s quarters at the east and west ends of the prison.  It was intended that the cell doors would be sprung open by concussion from the bomb blasts, allowing the prisoners to escape.

"One of the RAF’s most celebrated airmen was overall Commander of the raid, G/C P C Pick Pickard.  He was last over the prison – the exact moment captured in Gerald Coulson’s remarkable painting – just seconds before the delay fuse bombs exploded. 

"Resistance Leader Dominique Ponchardier sent this message to London in March 1944:

"I thank you in the name of our comrades for the bombardment of the prison.  We were not able to save all.  Thanks to the admirable precision of the attack the first bomb blew in nearly all doors and 150 prisoners escaped with the help of the civilian population.  Of theses, 12 were to be have been shot on February 19.  In addition, 37 prisoners were killed, some of them by German machine-guns, and 50 Germans were also killed."

Ref. No. 865.  BRASS STATUE OF PILOT.  Measures 210 mm high.  Figure is solid brass and is attached to a brass base which has the Royal Air Force “RAF’ emblem on it.  Detail includes goggles, flying helmet, life preserver, Irvin Suit, gloves, parachute and 1939 pattern flying boots. 

Ref. No. 953. IDENTIFICATION POSTER FOR A6M ZERO.  July 1942. Original WWII poster manufactured in the United States. Wording at top reads: “Japanese Fighter Type Zero (“0”).”  Shows top view, side view, silhouettes, position of guns and unprotected fuel tanks, plus performance data.  At bottom of poster it reads: “Identification Poster .  . No. 3 7/42 D.I.T.-A.A.F.- Identification Unit. From Data currently available. Restricted. U.S. Government Printing Office; 1942-O-477937.”