The winter of 1944 / 45 wasn’t the coldest ever recorded in England but it came close. The weather was bitter and, in what would turn out to be the last Christmas of the war, temperatures plunged across the country, bringing ice, freezing fog and deep banks of drifting snow.
Airfields across East Anglia stood bleak and frost-bound, runways kept clear of snow when conditions allowed, whilst the heavy bombers of the US Eighth Air Force remained under wraps, engines oiled, warmed and ready for any break in the banks of murky fog that would allow them to fly. And when those breaks came, the bombers were back in action ready to play their part in the final destruction of Hitler’s Third Reich. The end game was rapidly approaching and both sides knew it.
Bearing all the hallmarks of a classic Robert Taylor masterwork, this outstanding piece portrays one such break in the weather when, with recent heavy snow beginning to thaw, the B-17 Fortresses of the famous 100th Bomb Group at Thorpe Abbotts in Norfolk are being prepared for a new mission to Germany in early 1945.
Earning the nickname ‘The Bloody Hundredth’ due to the heavy losses they suffered, Robert has fittingly chosen the 100th BG to represent all those who flew so heroically with the Eighth Air Force in England during World War II.
To honor all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, this print has been personally signed and authenticated by veterans who served with the 100th BG as the Allies pushed for victory during WWII. By endorsing the edition, their autographs help to create a historically important collector’s piece to be cherished for future generations.
This Collector’s Edition print has been signed by TEN such veterans:
Captain ROBERT SHOENS
First Lieutenant JOHN CLARK
First Lieutenant JAMES RASMUSSEN
Lieutenant Colonel HENRY ‘HANK’ CERVANTES
Major JOHN ‘LUCKY’ LUCKADOO
Staff Sergeant LEWIS PAYNE
Staff Sergeant ALBERT ARREOLA
Staff Sergeant ALBERT FREITAS
Staff Sergeant LEWIS HERRON
Staff Sergeant JOE URICE
Overall Print Size: 35 ½” wide x 21 ¼” high
Image Size: 29″ wide x 12 ½” high
