Sea and Air Rescue by Robert Taylor

Completed by Robert Taylor back in August 2023, his drawing was faithfully reproduced as a high quality giclée fine art print on textured velvet paper under his direct supervision. Every copy is issued signed by Robert and embossed with the logo of The Robert Taylor Trust, a body established to preserve Robert's legacy and safeguard the future copyright of his work in years to come.

Signatures:

Sir WINSTON CHURCHILL KG OM CH TD DL FRS RA - British Prime Minister 1940-1945

Air Chief Marshal Sir HUGH DOWDING GCB GCVO CMG - Commander-in-Chief of RAF Fighter Command during The Battle of Britain 1940

Air Chief Marshal Sir KEITH PARK GCB KBE MC* DFC - Commander of No.11 Group RAF Fighter Command (Southeast England & London) during The Battle of Britain 1940

Air Chief Marshal Sir TRAFFORD LEIGH-MALLORY KCB DSO* - Commander of No.12 Group RAF Fighter Command (Midlands) during The Battle of Britain 1940

Squadron Leader NIGEL ROSE - 602 Squadron (Spitfire)

Wing Commander PADDY BARTHROPP DFC AFC - 602 Squadron (Spitfire)

Air Commodore JAMES LEATHART CB DSO - 54 Squadron (Spitfire)

Group Captain BILLY DRAKE DSO DFC* - 1 Squadron (Hurricane)

Group Captain TOM DALTON MORGAN DSO OBE DFC* - 43 Squadron (Hurricane)

Pilot Officer KEN 'HAWKEYE' LEE DFC - 501 Squadron (Hurricane)

WAAF Sergeant MURIEL VLAANDEREN, (nee PETCH) - Plotter RAF Hornchurch

WAAF Section Officer JOAN FANSHAWE, (nee MOXON) - Plotter RAF Uxbridge

Wing Commander WILLIAM GREGORY DSO DFC* AFC DFM - 29 Squadron (Blenheim) -- signed bookplate

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No one can deny that the Battle of Britain was won by a few thousand young pilots from Fighter Command. The bravery, skill and resilience of Winston Churchill's 'Few' is beyond doubt and without their heroism Hitler's legions might well have been marching along Whitehall. Yet there is another, often understated truth: had it not been for the men upon whose shoulders was the responsibility for planning the air defence of Britain, or the tireless, dedicated support given by those 'behind the scenes', there would have been no victory.

Men such as ACM Sir Hugh Dowding, AOC Fighter Command who'd spent years meticulously planning the tactics for just such an event, or his Group commanders, including AVM Trafford Leigh-Mallory at 12 Group, and AVM Keith Park in charge of 11 Group in south-east England that would face the brunt of the fighting.

Also, always in the background but vital to success were the ground crews tasked with keeping the fighters serviceable, the armourers and the bowser crews. There were the members of the Observer Corps and those manning the Army's anti- aircraft guns and searchlight units, the radar operatives, plotters, dispatch riders, telegraphists, and the men and women pilots who ferried new aircraft to the squadrons. And, never forgotten by pilots forced to bale out over the Channel, were the crews of the little ships that plucked them from the sea.

One such scenario was brought to life by the late Robert Taylor in his drawing Sea & Air Rescue as Spitfires from 603 Squadron provide air cover to an RAF Air Sea Rescue launch which, with help from the crew of a small armed trawler, has just rescued a downed airman off the entrance to Dover harbor.