Virtual Museum -
Paintings and Posters
"Big Beautiful Doll" - Oil painting by Australian artist Spike
Wademan.
Measures 760mm x 1220mm. Painted in 1998.
"Wairarapa Wildcat" - Oil painting by New Zealand artist Ron
Fulstow. Commissioned for cover of book Air-to-Air by Chris
Rudge. Painting depicts New Zealand ace Geoff Fisken shooting
down a Japanese A6M near Guadalcanal in P-40 NZ3072. Measures
400mm x 560mm. Painted in 2003.
"Spitfire Supreme" - Print from an oil painting by John Young.
Print area (excluding white border) measures 705 mm by 550 mm.
This print features five pencil signatures from famous Spitfire pilots,
these being:
- 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
Details of claims has been taken from Aces
High by Christopher Shores and Clive Williams.
"Spitfire Mk I of 54 Squadron RAF 1940 (Colin Gray)" original drawing
by Ron Fulstow and signed by Fulstow and Group Captain Colin Gray, DSO,
DFC** . This drawing was signed by Gray at the opening of the
Wanaka-based New Zealand Fighter Pilot's Museum. Drawing measures
380mm x 550mm. Gray was:
- 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.
Gray was born in Christchurch on 9 November 1914. He joined 54
Squadron in November 1939. On 25 May 1940, after escorting Swordfish
aircraft to dive-bomb Gravelines, the Squadron met a force of Bf 109's
and 110's. In the action that followed, Gray destroyed a 109 before his
Spitfire was badly hit. With the port aileron damaged, his
aircraft flipped over into a steep dive and it was only levelled
with great difficulty. Gray headed home with no airspeed indicator,
guns, flaps or brakes. He used the emergency CO2 bottle to lower
his undercarriage and landed safely on his second attempt.
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. 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.
Framed print called "Independence Day" by Ron Fulstow depicting F/O
Geoff Fisken shooting down a Mitsubishi Zero near the Russell Islands
(Solomon Islands) on 4 July 1943 in a Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk "Wairarapa
Wildcat". Print signed by the artist and Geoff Fisken, who was
the highest scoring Commonwealth pilot against the Japanese.
Ref. No.13. POPULAR FLYING POSTER, MARCH 1936. Poster produced to
advertise April edition of "Popular Flying". Wording includes, "Free,
this beautiful art plate inside. Popular Flying. April Number. The
national aviation magazine. Out now 6d". On the bottom are the words,
"On sale March 20th, Printed in England, C Arthur Pearson Ltd". Centre
illustration shows an Armstrong-Whitworth "Atlanta" named "Amalthea"
with the registration G-ABTG. The aircraft also has "Royal Mail"
written on it and the print is signed by Howard Leigh. Above the
illustration are the words "Southward Bound" and below "An Imperial
Airways Air Liner Approaching Cape Town" plus "Supplement to Popular
Flying, April 1936".
Mounted on hardboard with cardboard border and glass frame.
Poster measures 510mm x 750mm.
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.”
