Towards Night's Darkness
by Robert Taylor
| By 1943 the life expectancy for bomber aircrew was just 5 missions; only one in six were expected to survive their first tour of 30 operations. The chances of surviving a second tour were even slimmer. Of the 125,000 men who flew with Bomber Command during World War II, more than 55,000 were killed. Whilst the Few of Fighter Command had undoubtedly defeated the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain, it was the Many of Bomber Command who were to play the pivotal role in delivering to the Allies ultimate victory in Europe. But it came at a terrible cost: on one raid alone - the Nuremberg raid of 30/31 March 1944 - 543 aircrew were killed, more than Fighter Command lost during the entire Battle of Britain. "Towards Night's Darkness" is a moving tribute to these men of Bomber Command. As the setting sun casts a golden glow, a group of Lancasters from 576 Squadron begin to formate after departing from their Lincolnshire base at the start of a raid into Germany in late 1944. The lead aircraft UL-I (LM227) was one of only a handful of Lancasters to complete 100 operational sorties. Between them the pilots of Bomber Command won 23 Victoria Crosses during WWII, and countless others were highly decorated forcourage and commitment. Several of these veterans have now joined together to sign this commemorative limited edition to honour all those who served with Bomber Command. |
| Overall size: 18¾" x 24½" | Available in the following editions |
| 200 | Limited edition | Signed by six Lancaster aircrew - Low inventory | $215 |
| 100 | Collectors edition | Signed by ten Lancaster aircrew - SOLD OUT | $330 |
| 25 | Collectors edition A/P | As above - SOLD OUT | $395 |
| 25 | V.C. edition | above - SOLD OUT | $1045 |
| 15 | Remarque | above - SOLD OUT | $1195 |
| 5 | Double remarque | with 15 signatures - SOLD OUT | $1925 |
| Limited edition signatures | ||
| Sqdn. Ldr. George ‘Johhny’ Johnson | W/O Harry Irons | Flt. Sgt. Jim McGillivray |
| W/O Ken Johnson | W/O James Copus | Flt. Sgt. Stan Bradford |
| Collectors edition signatures | ||
| Sqdn. Ldr. George ‘Johhny’ Johnson | W/O Harry Irons | Flt. Sgt. Jim McGillivray |
| W/O Ken Johnson | W/O James Copus | Group Capt. James Tait |
| Sqdn. Ldr. Tony Iveson | Air Commodore. John Langston | W/O Frank Tilley |
| Flt. Sgt. Stan Bradford | ||
| The Signatories |
| Sqdn. Ldr. George ‘Johhny’ Johnson DFM Previously with 97 Squadron, ‘Johnny’ Johnson joined 617 Squadron to become Bomb Aimer on Joe McCarthy’s Lancaster AJ-T on the Dambusters Raid. Having to use a reserve aircraft which had not been fitted with the twin spotlights necessary for accurate height, George scored a direct hit on the Sorpe dam. |
| Warrant Officer Harry Irons DFC Harry Irons joined the RAF in 1940 and completed 2 full tours as a Rear Gunner with 9 Squadron. He took part in nearly all the famous raids of Bomber Command and finished in 1945 at 158 Squadron flying Halifaxes. |
| Flight Sergeant Jim McGillivray Training as a Rear Gunner, Jim McGillivray was posted to 115 Squadron based at Witchford in Cambridgeshire. From the Autumn of 1944 until the end of the war he completed 12 Operations on Lancasters. |
| Warrant Officer Ken Johnson Ken Johnson served as a Mid-Upper Gunner on Lancasters and flew with 9 and 61 Squadrons. He successfully took part in a total of 44 operations, including raids on U-boat pens in Bergen, the mighty German battleship Tirpitz, and Hitler’s alpine retreat at Berchtesgaden. |
| Warrant Officer James Copus A Mid Upper Gunner, James Copus joined 97 Squadron in 1943 on Lancasters. During a mission to Frankfurt in March 1944 he and his crew were shot down by German nightfighters. He was captured and spent the rest of the war inS talag Luft I. |
| Group Captain James Tait DSO*** DFC* ADC James ‘Willie’ Tait was one of Bomber Command’s most inspirational wartime leaders. Uniquely he was the only RAF airman to be awarded four DSOs and two DFCs. He was recommended for the Victoria Cross for his "sustained gallantry" over almost five years of constant operations; instead he was awarded a third Bar to his DSO for his "conspicuous bravery and extreme devotion to duty in the face of the enemy". By the end of the war he had flown more than 100 operations, but is perhaps best remembered for his attacks on the Tirpitz in command of 617 Squadron, including the final successful operation on which one of Tait's own 'Tallboy' bombs scored a direct hit. In 1940 he flew on the first raid on Berlin, and then in Malta commanded the first British Army parachute operation of WWII. Joining 35 Squadron, the RAF's first Halifax squadron, he lead them on a daring daylight raid to Kiel. In 1942, during a supposed "rest" post, he flew on all three of the Thousand Bomber Raids before returning to operations in command of 78 Squadron. In May 1944 he joined No. 5 Group as a master bomber and the evening before D-Day led a force of 200 Lancasters attacking coastal defences that threatened the American landings on Utah Beach. |
| Air Commodore John Langston CBE Originally serving as a Navigator with 630 and 189 Squadrons, John Langston then volunteered for 617 Squadron, taking part in operations including the viaduct bombing raids on Armsberg and Bielefeld. |
| Squadron Leader Tony Iveson DFC AE Posted to 616 Squadron Fighter Command in September 1940, Tony Iveson flew Spitfires during the Battle of Britain. For his second operational tour he volunteered for Bomber Command and joined 617 Squadron where he flew many ‘ops’ as a Pilot, including the raids against the Tirpitz. |
| Warrant Officer Frank Tilley After training as a Flight Engineer he volunteered for 617 Squadron, taking part in all the raids against the Tirpitz, but at the end of 1944 was forced to crash land in Lincolnshire on the return journey from Politz, East Germany after being badly shot up and injured on a mission. |
| Flight Sergeant Stan Bradford DFM Flying on Lancasters with 57 Squadron, then based at RAF Scampton, Stan Bradford was one of Bomber Command’s most prolific Air Gunners. A mid-upper gunner on Lancaster ED308 (D-Donald), he was one of only a handful of Lancaster gunners to finish the war as an Ace, credited with shooting down 6 enemy aircraft. These included a Bf109 over France, which he shot down on his very first operation on the night of 27 August, 1943. |