Channel Sweep

By Richard Taylor

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. Totally outnumbered by the Luftwaffe the RAF was close to breaking point by early September, with some units reduced to a handful of pilots and aircraft.

Then on 7 September, an over-confident Goering made a fatal error. Believing the RAF destroyed, he changed tactics and the Luftwaffe began bombing civilian targets in London. It was the respite that Fighter Command needed and the tide of battle was turned. Against overwhelming and seemingly impossible odds, a replenished RAF repelled the Luftwaffe and by the end of October it was over.

Richard Taylor’s stunning new 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 limited edition prints in this fabulous edition have been personally autographed by members of “The Few.”

Overall Print Size: Approx 25" wide x 16" high

THE LIMITED EDITION (225 PRINTS): $120 USD

Every print has been signed in pencil by THREE RAF Battle of Britain pilots, together with the artist Richard Taylor. Each print is individually hand-numbered.

• Wing Commander John Elkington
• Wing Commander Tony Pickering
• Flight Lieutenant William Robert Hughes Flight

THE ARTIST'S PROOF  (25 PRINTS): $180 USD

Every print has been signed in pencil by THREE RAF Battle of Britain pilots, together with the artist Richard Taylor. Each print is individually hand-numbered.

• Wing Commander John Elkington
• Wing Commander Tony Pickering
• Flight Lieutenant William Robert Hughes Flight

THE REMARQUE (25 PRINTS): $450 USD

Every print has been signed in pencil by THIRTEEN (13) RAF Battle of Britain pilots, together with the artist Richard Taylor. Each print is individually hand-numbered. rope:

• Wing Commander John Elkington
• Wing Commander Tony Pickering
• Flight Lieutenant William Robert Hughes
• Flight Lieutenant Leonard Davies
• Flight Lieutenant Terry Clark DFM AE
• Wing Commander Bob Foster DFC
• Squadron Leader Tony Iveson DFC
• Wing Commander Terence Kane
• Wing Commander Tom Neil DFC* AFC
• Squadron Leader Nigel Rose
• Squadron Leader Geoffrey Wellum DFC
• Squadron Leader Ken Wilkinson
• Corporal Alec Gray     
  
  

THE DOUBLE REMARQUE (10 PRINTS): $675 USD

Every print has been signed in pencil by THIRTEEN (13) RAF Battle of Britain pilots, together with the artist Richard Taylor. Each print is individually hand-numbered. rope:

• Wing Commander John Elkington
• Wing Commander Tony Pickering
• Flight Lieutenant William Robert Hughes
• Flight Lieutenant Leonard Davies
• Flight Lieutenant Terry Clark DFM AE
• Wing Commander Bob Foster DFC
• Squadron Leader Tony Iveson DFC
• Wing Commander Terence Kane
• Wing Commander Tom Neil DFC* AFC
• Squadron Leader Nigel Rose
• Squadron Leader Geoffrey Wellum DFC
• Squadron Leader Ken Wilkinson
• Corporal Alec Gray    

THE PUBLISHER'S PROOF (35 PRINTS): $595 USD

Each of these stunning twenty signature Proofs carries all thirteen signatures on the Remarques and every copy
is beautifully matted to conservation standards to include the original signatures of a further seven prominent
Battle of Britain aircrew.

• Wing Commander John Elkington
• Wing Commander Tony Pickering
• Flight Lieutenant William Robert Hughes
• Flight Lieutenant Leonard Davies
• Flight Lieutenant Terry Clark DFM AE
• Wing Commander Bob Foster DFC
• Squadron Leader Tony Iveson DFC
• Wing Commander Terence Kane
• Wing Commander Tom Neil DFC* AFC
• Squadron Leader Nigel Rose
• Squadron Leader Geoffrey Wellum DFC
• Squadron Leader Ken Wilkinson
• Corporal Alec Gray
• Wing Commander Harbourne Stephen DSO (matted)
• Wing Commander Paddy Barthropp DFC AFC (matted)
• Wing Commander John Freeborn DFC* (matted)
• Air Commodore Peter Brothers CBE DSO DFC* (matted)
• Air Commodore Sir Archie Winskill CBE CVO KVCO DFC* (matted)
• Squadron Leader Charles Frizell (matted)
• Warrant Officer Leoplod Heimes (matted)