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Return To Rattlesden
Nicolas Trudgian
FREE Companion
Print
A meticulously constructed drawing, carefully
printed to the same width as Nick's print RETURN
TO RATTLESDEN, showing a scene from
the 447th Bomb Group's base at Rattlesden in 1945.
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With their
crews, the 447th Bomb Group B-17 Fortresses arrived at Rattlesden
in late 1943, the East Anglian base from which the group
flew all its missions until the end of the war. Entering
combat on December 24, the 447th targeted submarine pens,
naval installations, ports and missile sites, airfields
and marshalling yards in France, Belgium and Germany in
preparation for the Normandy invasion.
In the thick of the bomber offensive,
the 447th took part in the Big-Week raids, supported the
D-Day landings, aided the breakthrough at St. Lo, pounded
enemy positions during the airborne invasion of Holland,
and dropped supplies to the Free French forces fighting
behind enemy lines. During the Battle of the Bulge, December
1944 - January 1945, the group attacked marshalling yards,
railroad bridges and communications centers in the combat
zone, later resuming their offensive against targets deep
inside Germany. When the war ended the 447th had flown over
257 individual missions, with one of their aircrew, Robert
Femoyer, being awarded the Medal of Honor. Theirs was typical
of the action packed campaigns flown by the American Eighth
Air Force bomb groups in Europe during WWII.
Nicolas Trudgian's fine new painting
shows a battle damaged B-17G of the 447th on final approach
to Rattlesden, returning from a strike against road and
rail communications in northern Germany in February, 1945.
A P-51 pilot from the 359th Fighter Group, having escorted
the injured bomber all the way home, sees his charge safely
back to base. In traditional Trudgian style, the painting
is full of carefully researched and authentically dated
interest bringing a wonderful feel of credibility and reality
to the picture.
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Overall print
size: 36 3/4" wide x 22 1/2" high.
Image size: 30 1/8" wide x 15"
high.
Nicolas Trudgian's limited edition
offers collectors a wonderfully authentic memory and record
of the heroic deeds of the USAAF Bomber Aircrews in Europe
in World War II.
| Return
To Rattlesden by Nicolas
Trudgian |
| 500 s/n prints w/EIGHT
signatures. |
US $175 |
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The beautifully painted Suffolk
winter landscape, lightly dusted with snow, provides a fascinating
contrast to awesome warbirds as they thunder homeward from
battle. As with all Trudgian paintings, there is endless viewing
in this image that will keep its viewers endlessly absorbed.
And with prints signed by aircrews at the 447th's reunion
at Rattlesden in 2001, Nick's limited edition will undoubtedly
be considered a highly desirable collector print. |
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Companion
Print
Rattlesden, 1945
A unique full width printed
drawing depicting the busy air base at Rattlesden at the height
of the 447th Bomb Group's combat campaign in 1945. Carefully
printed to the same width as Nick's new limited edition RETURN
TO RATTLESDEN allowing collectors the choice of incorporating
within the same frame as the main print, or framing as a separate
collector item. Either way, the superb artistry of this highly
detailed drawing provides a beautiful companion piece to an
outstanding WWII collector print.
Overall print size:
35" wide x 8 1/2" high.
Image size: 30 3/4"
wide x 5" approx.
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print of 'Return to Rattlesden' is signed by the artist, and
EIGHT combat crew veterans flying B-17 Flying Fortresses for
the 447th BG out of Rattlesden, England, during World War II.
T/Sgt. John
C. Bitzer
John Bitzer joined the service in
1942 before transferring to England. On 30th December 1943
flying the B-17G Fortress 'Maid to Please', on his very first
combat mission his aircraft was shot down and he had to bail
out. John was taken prisoner by the Germans and remained in
captivity until May 1945.
T/Sgt. Norman
Bussel
As Radio Operator on the B-17 'Mississippi
Lady', Norman Bussel flew his first combat mission in March
1944 to Frankfurt. On 29th April 1944, his aircraft was shot
down over Berlin, the worst day for losses for the 447th during
the entire war. Bailing out with his clothes on fire, four
of his grew died that day. Norman was taken POW for the rest
of the war.
Colonel Edward
A. Dingivan DFC
Edward Dingivan was pilot of 'Brass
Wagon', flying his first combat mission to Neuminster, Germany
in September 1944. He completed a tour of 30 combat missions
in the B-17. After the war, Director of Traffic during the
Berlin Airlift and Commander of the 35th Air Transport Squadron.
Later Military Executive to the Assistant Secretary of the
U.S. Air Force, he retired in 1969.
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First Lt.
Frank Frison
Frank Frison was Bombardier on the
Fortress 'Bouncin Baby' flying his first mission on 2nd November
1944 when the Luftwaffe mounted one of their largest fighter
operations of the war. He flew the last of his 35 combat missions
on 22nd March 1945, supporting the Rhine Crossings.
S/Sgt. John
H. Osbahr
John Osbahr flew his first combat
mission on 2nd November 1944, flying to Merseberg, Germany.
He was Ball-Turret Gunner in the B-17 'Bouncin Baby'. John
completed the last of his 32 missions in March 1945 on a mission
to Dresden.
S/Sgt. Orlando
'Pete' Petrillo DFC
'Pete' Petrillo was a Waist gunner
on the B-17 'Bit o' Lace'. He flew his first combat mission
to Caen, France in August 1944, and the last of his 35 missions
was in December 1944 to Mainz in Germany. One of his memorable
trips was a supply drop to the French Maquis.
Sgt. Byron
Schlag
Byron Schlag was the Tail Gunner
of B-17 'Ol Scrapiron' flying his first combat mission on
26th February 1945 to Berlin. On 23rd March, his B-17 collided
mid-air with another B-17, cutting the tail off. He managed
to bail out at just 400 ft; his ball-turret gunner fell in
his turret from 23,000 ft. and survived. The rest of the crew
died. Byron Schlag was taken POW; he escaped and was recaptured
four times.
S/Sgt. Don
Sherman
Don Sherman was the Ball-Turret Gunner
on the B-17 'Buddy Buddy'. The first of his 31 combat missions
was in December 1944 to Mainz in Germany. His final mission
was flown in April 1945 against German targets holding out
at Royan in France.
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