This is an exceptionally rare print, published in 1992 and bearing the original pencil signatures of three legendary figures of the USAAF from the Second World War. Cash alternative of £100 available on this draw! If you don’t know, the our sister company Historia Prize Draw is our competition website, we have given away hundreds of thousands of WW2 prizes – this is another fantastic prize from us and could b yours for just .99p
There are many talented artists who paint scenes from aviation history, and many respected historians who dedicate their lives to studying it, but very few possess the ability to combine both disciplines so seamlessly.
Mark Postlethwaite is one of those rare few.
His work brings together meticulous technical and historical accuracy with an extraordinary understanding of atmosphere, light, and the sheer excitement of flight itself. The result is aviation art that not only documents history, but truly captures its spirit.
It is little surprise that his paintings are highly sought after by serious collectors and held in museum collections around the world.
Colonel William R Lawley Medal of Honor – Lawley’s B-17 was blasted out of formation, trailing smoke and flames as cannon fire tore through the fuselage, wings, and tail. Eight crewmen were wounded and the copilot was killed instantly when a 20-mm shell struck the cockpit, severing his body across the controls. Shrapnel ripped into Lawley’s face, blood pouring over the instruments as the bomber plunged into a steep dive.
Forcing the dead copilot from the yoke, Lawley pulled the aircraft level with one hand while a burning engine, fuel leaks, failing hydraulics, and missing panels made the Fortress almost uncontrollable. When told two badly wounded men could not bail out, he refused to abandon them. Still bleeding heavily, Lawley fought the crippled bomber across the Channel as flames spread along the wing. Reaching England, he crash-landed on a small fighter strip, collapsing the landing gear but saving every surviving crewman aboard.
Colonel Donald James Matthew was one of the most legendary and highly decorated American fighter pilots of World War II. He is widely considered the greatest air combat leader in the history of the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF). Blakeslee’s name became inseparable from the North American P-51 Mustang, the legendary long-range fighter that played a decisive role in shifting the balance of the air war. As commander of the 4th Fighter Group, he led vital escort missions deep into enemy territory, protecting Allied bombers on dangerous raids over Germany. These operations proved crucial in destroying German industry, weakening infrastructure, and steadily eroding the Luftwaffe’s ability to resist. He flew almost 500 missions—more than any other American fighter pilot—and secured at least 15.5 to 17 air victories, along with significant ground kills.
Colonel Hubert “Hub” Zemke is celebrated as one of the premier American fighter leaders of World War II, best known for commanding the 56th Fighter Group (“Zemke’s Wolfpack”) and developing it into the highest-scoring P-47 Thunderbolt unit in the Eighth Air Force.
While commanding the 56th Fighter Group, Zemke flew over 350 combat missions, primarily in the P-47 Thunderbolt, achieving 17 confirmed aerial victories (some sources indicate 17.75) with the group before later transferring to command the 479th Fighter Group
Unframed and 60cm x 40cm (24″ x 16″) in size.
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