Day Duties for the Night Workers by Robert Taylor

From the Robert Taylor Graphite Collection

As the massive Lancaster looms majestically over them, the ever vigilant ground crew begin the task of preparing ‘their’ aircraft for the coming night’s operation. Checking, repairing and double-checking again, making sure that nothing goes wrong on the next trip, nothing that could endanger the lives of the crew who depend on them. It will be a race against time.

Robert Taylor’s magnificent new drawing, signed by distinguished aircrew who flew with Bomber Command during World War II, pays tribute to all the bomber crews who, night after night when the island fortress of Britain stood facing uncertainty, resolutely carried the fight to the enemy, delivering their deadly payloads deep in the heart of Germany.

Signatures

Limited Edition (3 signatures):

Flight Lieutenant BORIS BRESSLOFF DFC - PFF Navigator with 635 Squadron completing 53 ops on Lancasters.

Warrant Officer REG CLEAVER - Flight Engineer and co-pilot flying Halifaxes with 419 Squadron RCAF, shot down and taken PoW on his 17th op.

Flight Lieutenant ALAN PAYNE DFC - Bomb Aimer with 630 Squadron, he flew 29 ops on Lancasters

The Bomber Command Edition (50 signatures) includes the signatures above plus three additional:

W/O BILL BELL - Navigator / 103 & 166 Sqns

W/O JIM BOOKER - Navigator / 635 Sqn

Flt Lt KEN CARLTON - Flt Eng / 156, 7 & 635 Sqns

Flt Lt ERIC CLARKE - MiD WOP Air Gunner / 49 Sqn

W/O RICHARD CURNOCK - Rear Gunner / 425 Sqn

W/O ERIC EVANS - Rear Gunner / 463 Sqn

W/O REG EVES - Rear & MU Air Gunner / 550 Sqn

Flt Lt DENNIS FIELD - Pilot / 90 Sqn

F/O GEORGE FRENCH - Bomb Aimer / 76 Sqn

W/O HARRY GOUGH - Rear Gunner / 10 Sqn

F/O LES HADLEY - Navigator / 40, 139 & 156 Sqns

Flt Lt JOHN HALL DFC - Rear Gunner / 106 & 44 Sqns

W/O JEFF HILDRETH - WOP / 170 Sqn

Flt Sgt KEN JENKINSON - WOP / Air Gunner / 57 & 617 Sqns

W/O KEN JOHNSON - MU Air Gunner / 61 & 9 Sqns

W/O NORMAN JONES - Flt Eng / 625 Sqn

Flt Lt WILLIAM KELBRICK - AG, RG MU / 50 & 9 Sqns

Flt Lt ‘BERT’ KIRTLAND DFC* - WOP Air Gunner / 76 Sqn

Flt Lt R L C LASHAM DFC* - Pilot / 9 & 97 Sqns

Flt Sgt RUDOLF LEKSINSKI - WOP / 300 Sqn

W/O JACK LINAKER - Rear Gunner / 9 Sqn

Flt Sgt NORMAN LUSHER - WOP/AG / 9 Sqn

F/O LEN McNAMARA DFC - Rear Gunner / 10, 158 & 75 Sqns

W/O FRED MALTAS - Flt Eng / 51 & 35 Sqns

Flt Sgt LEN MANNING - Rear Gunner / 57 Sqn

W/O FRANK MANNION - Rear Gunner / 10 Sqn

W/O JOHN MORRISON - WOP/AG / 78,51 & 35 Sqns

Flt Lt ‘BLUEY’ MOTTERSHEAD DFC - Pilot / 158 Sqn

Flt Lt HARRY OAKEBY - Flt Eng / 432 Sqn

W/O KEN O’BRIEN DFM - Rear Gunner / 10 Sqn

W/O LOU PARSONS - Flt Eng / 75 Sqn

W/O ERNIE PATTERSON DFM - WOP/AG / 635 Sqn

W/O JOHN PEARL - MU Air Gunner / 207 Sqn

W/O KEN ROGERS - WOP/AG / 9 Sqn

Sqn Ldr JOHN ROWLAND DSO DFC* - Pilot / 12,613 & 625 Sqns

Flt Lt RON SMITH DFC - Rear Gunner / 9 & 617 Sqns

W/O REX STATHAM - Flt Eng / 158 Sqn

Flt Lt ‘DICK’ STARKEY - Pilot / 106 Sqn

F/O MALCOLM STAVES - WOP/AG / 207 Sqn

Flt Lt PHIL TETLOW - WOP/AG / 9 Sqn

W/O SAM THOMPSON - MU Air Gunner / 103 & 9 Sqns

Flt Lt WILF TUNSTALL DFC - Rear Gunner / 158 Sqn

Flt Sgt ERIC VARNEY - MU Air Gunner / 207 Sqn

F/O FRANK WHEELER - Rear Gunner / 466 Sqn

W/O ANDREZJ WESOLOWSKI - WOP/AG / 304 Sqn

W/O TONY WINSER - Rear Gunner / 626 Sqn

F/O RAYMOND WORRALL - Flt Eng / 44 Sqn

The Victoria Cross Edition (54 signatures) includes the signatures above plus four additional which have been beautifully conservation matted along with a miniature VC:

Group Captain LEONARD CHESHIRE VC OM DSO** DFC - Pilot / 617 Squadron

Warrant Officer NORMAN JACKSON VC - Flight Engineer / 106 Squadron

Wing Commander ROD LEAROYD VC - Pilot / 49 Squadron

Flight Lieutenant BILL REID VC - Pilot / 61 Squadron