Battle over London signed by Ray Holmes
by Geoff Nutkins, AGAvA
Rare Battle of Britain print
A4 sized print from aviation artist Geoff Nutkins' Pilot Portrait series.
Hand-signed in pencil by the late Sergeant Ray Holmes,
504 Squadron.
Also signed in pencil by the artist.
Print is made up of the following images:
- Reproduced wartime photograph of Ray Holmes
- Graphic of the No.504 Squadron crest
- Reproduction of a Geoff Nutkins' painting featuring Ray Holmes in combat
All together on an A4 sheet (approx 29.5cm x 21cm).
Picture caption reads:
Sergeant Ray Holmes of 504 Squadron slices through the tail
of a Dornier Do17 bomber high above London on 15th September 1940.
Sergeant Holmes parachuted to safety, the German bomber falling at Victoria Station.
(Close-up view of the print to show detail)
Ray Holmes was born on 20 August 1914. He joined the RAFVR in 1937, and during the Battle of Britain flew Hurricanes with No.504 Squadron based at Hendon.
On 15th September 1940, now officially "Battle of Britain Day", his squadron intercepted a force of Luftwaffe Dornier 17 bombers over London. Holmes had aleady fired on two Dorniers when he saw a third, heading - he believed - for Buckingham Palace. Approaching the bomber head-on, he discovered he was out of ammunition, and so made the decision to ram it. His left wingtip sliced off the Dornier's entire tail section. Ray initially thought his Hurricane would survive the impact, but then discovered he had lost all controls. He baled out safely, landing between houses in Chelsea. The Dornier crashed at Victoria Station. This very public act of bravery captured the public imagination and became one of the most famous incidents of the Battle of Britain. It was later imortalised in the 1969 film of the same name.
Ray's Hurricane was dug up from Buckingham Palace Road as part of a Channel 5 documentary in 2004.
In 1941, Ray was sent to Murmansk where he taught Russian pilots to fly Hurricanes. On his return he joined No.541 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, flying Spitfires. He later acted as Winston Churchill's courier during the Potsdam Conference.
The original painting from which these prints were made was presented to Ray in 1988.
Ray Holmes died on 27 June 2005 at the age of 90.
All our Pilot Portrait prints are in excellent condition and come in a protective plastic envelope with back-board.
They have never been displayed and have been stored flat, out of direct light.
Prints are not framed.
UK buyers - payments by Paypal, cheque or postal order.
(If you pay by cheque, prints will be despatched
after your cheque has cleared)
Non-UK buyers - payments by Paypal ONLY.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email.
Thanks for taking the time to look.
Buy with confidence!
The seller - Avibloke - is the artist Geoff Nutkins, backed up by his small team at Avi-Art.
You are buying an original print direct from the artist!
Got a question about this item? Send us an email:
www
aviartnutkins.com
:: Aviation Art by Geoff Nutkins ::
Please note: Signature images are representative only.
We sell a number of copies of each print, and each is individually hand-signed.
The print you are bidding on has the same signatures, but they may have a slightly different size and/or position.
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