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| Signatures on this item | |
| *The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare. | |
| Name | Info |
 Cpl Forrest Guth *Signature Value : £10 (matted) | Coming down, I had a malfunction of my parachute. It was twisted. The chute had not been properly packed. Or maybe it had been packed in damp conditions. We had not jumped high enough to be able to use the reserve. We had jumped under 500 feet. So my main chute opened but didn't open completely. You try to shake out the twist if you can, but there's so little time. I couldn't do a lot and came down fast. I just hoped for the best. I hit with a thud. I hit on my left hip and back and was knocked out. I don't remember much, just hitting hard and seeing stars. I was paralyzed in leg and back. I couldn't move. Medics came along, gave me a shot of morphine, and put me in a cattle barn. That was the extent of my fighting in Holland. |
 Flying Officer Frank Wheeler DFC (deceased) *Signature Value : £45 | Frank Wheeler joined the RAF in 1941, training in England as a pilot after which he completed a period of instructing. In January 1944 he was posted to join 174 Typhoon Fighter Squadron at Westhampnett, his first operation being as an escort to the Mosquitos taking part in Operation Jericho, the Amiens Jailbreak. He stayed with 174 Squadron for the remainder of the War, serving throughout occupied Europe, and in 1945, at the end of his tour of operations, he was awarded the DFC. We have learned that Frank Wheeler sadly passed away in early 2013. |
| Gunner Ernie Brewer L d Hon *Signature Value : £10 | Ernie Brewer landed on Gold Beach on D-Day with the 5th Battalion, Royal Horse Artillery, part of the 7th Armoured Division - the Desert Rats - equipped with Sexton 25pdr self-propelled guns. |
 Lieutenant Buck Compton (deceased) *Signature Value : £15 (matted) | |
 Lt Col James Maggie Megellas (deceased) *Signature Value : £40 | Commander of H Company, 3rd Battalion, 504th PIR, 'Maggie' Megellas was the most decorated officer in the 82nd Airborne Division. After serving in Italy, where he was twice wounded, Megellas fought in Normandy before taking part in Operation Market Garden where he led his company in the crossing of the River Waal near Nijmegen. For bravery he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest gallantry award. He fought with great distinction in the Battle of the Bulge, and on 28th January, whilst advancing into the town of Herresbach, his company succeeded in killing and capturing a large number of Germans. He single handedly destroyed a German tank with grenades before they seized the town, without losing a man. He was nominated for the Medal of Honor, but the account was never included in the official report. He died on 2nd April 2020. |
 Private Alf Whitbread (deceased) *Signature Value : £35 | Alf Whitbread, known in the war as 'Lucky Jim' was born in Twickenham, London and when his father got a job in the Building Research Station in Garston the family moved to Watford. Alf Whitbread left school to become a machine engineer, but was encouraged to volunteer for the army after hearing a patriotic speech on the radio. On June 19th, 1940, Alf Whitbread went to the Edgeware recruiting office and joined the Royal West Kent Youth Battalion at the age of 18 and in 1942 in Ireland, Alf heard rumours about a newly formed airborne unit and volunteered. Alf said : 'We thought we were going to be in the paratroopers, who were mad, but we finished up in the gliders and the paratroopers thought we were mad.' Alf Served with 17 Platoon of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. He landed as part of the Coup de Main operation on Glider No.6 into Pegasus bridge in the early hours of D-Day. Alf was part of the second group of gliders which landed first at Horsa Bridge, before taking part in the battle for Pegasus Bridge, (the subject of the film 'The Longest Day'.) They sent the message 'ham and jam', a code confirming they had captured both bridges. The men held off many counter attacks by German troops and tanks until midday on June 6th. Alf would later say 'Two of our gliders were sent to secure Horsa bridge and frankly, it was a walk over. Our platoon never lost a man. We secured the bridge and then, when another platoon relieved us, we went and joined John Howard on Pegasus Bridge.' Alf Whitbread was later to take part in Operation Varsity, the last major battle of the war in Europe. On March 24th 1945 Operation Varsity was launched. The aim was to take a bridge over the Rhine again by gliderborne troops. Almost 1,500 men of the Ox and Bucks died during the operation, and Lucky Jim lived up to his reputation before his glider even landed. Alf would say: 'They say dont volunteer for anything, but I did and it worked out to my benefit. I remember when we were set to get on a glider on the way for the Rhine crossing and it was too full. I was detailed to another glider. They both crash landed. All the troops in the first glider were killed. Only three of us got out of the other glider alive, after it broke in half.' After the war Alf Whitbread joined London Transport as an engineer for 40 years and in all that time Alf never took a day off due to illness. With great sadness we have been told that Alf has passed away peacefully on 19th March 2011 at the age of 88. Cranston Fine Arts feel very honoured to have had Alf sign some of our art prints. |
| Private Billy Gray *Signature Value : £25 | The first man out of Glider No. 1 into Pegasus Bridge as part of the Coup de Main operation in the early hours of D-Day. He served with 25 Platoon of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. |
 Sergeant Donald Malarkey *Signature Value : £15 (matted) | |
 Sergeant Titch Rayner (deceased) *Signature Value : £35 | Titch Rayner served with the British Parachute Regiment. On D-Day he was flown into France on Horsa glider No.4, which landed off target due to a navigational problem. With the element of surprise gone, he and his fellow Paras had to fight their way through to Pegasus Bridge. He died on 2nd April 2015. |
 Sgt Bob Bearden (deceased) *Signature Value : £40 | Bob was the leader of H Company mortar squad, 507th PIR, attached to the 82nd Airborne. The 507th arrived over Normandy two hours later than other airborne units without the element of surprise. Massive anti-aircraft fire and dense cloud caused them to have the worst drop of all, with most sticks missing their drop zones, stranded in isolated groups, or with their drop zone flooded by the Germans. Bob Bearden fought with a group of about 50 troopers from various units, taking the small town of Fresville, before being forced to retire due to overwhelming odds. In a brave action which left 20 Germans dead in his wake, Bob was captured by the Germans and then taken prisoner. He was freed by Russians in late December 1944. He died in September 2009. |
 Sgt Milton Schlesener (deceased) *Signature Value : £40 | Milton Schlesener served with D Company, 505th PIR, and participated in an amazing four combat jumps from D-Day with the 505th Regiment. He served with the 82nd Airborne all the way from Normandy to Germany, and the end of the war. He died on 28th March 2019. |
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This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com
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