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Warm Winter's
Welcome
Nicolas Trudgian
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As the Autumn of 1944 turned to winter,
the USAAF Eighth Air Force bombers were penetrating ever
deeper into enemy territory, attacking distant targets in
central and south-east Germany. Large formations of seven
or eight hundred bombers, escorted by as many fighters,
darkened the skies over the Reich. Central to the massive
daylight raids was the long-range capabilities of the P-51
Mustang, the most versatile fighter of the war.
Despite incessant pounding from the
air, the Luftwaffe were putting up determined resistance,
particularly in the south, often sending up several hundred
fighters to meet the challenge. Huge aerial battles were
fought between the opposing groups of fighters, and though
the Allied pilots usually gained the upper hand in these
encounters, the air fighting was prolonged and furious.
Typical of those encounters, on a single
mission in November the Allied estimate of Luftwaffe sorties
flown against them exceeded 750, but often the German fighters
were handicapped by poor direction from the ground, hampering
their effectiveness - on the 27th, several Gruppen were
vectored directly towards the P-51s of the 357th and 353rd
Groups believing them to be in-coming bombers. They paid
the price, the Leiston based pilots of the 357th bagging
30 enemy fighters before they knew what hit them.
Successful as they were, the long-range
escort missions flown by the P-51s were both hazardous and
grueling. The weather, particularly in winter, was often
appalling, and even as experienced pilot could become disoriented
after hectic combat, and lost in the far reaches of the
Reich.
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Overall print
size: 29 5/8" wide x 24 5/8" high.
Image size: 23 1/2" wide x 17"
high.
A delightfully atmospheric painting
by Nicolas Trudgian brings warmth and welcome to a cold winter's
evening in 1944, as P-51 Mustangs of the 357th Fighter Group
return from war.
| Warm
Winter's Welcome by Nicolas
Trudgian |
| 500 s/n prints w/FOUR
signatures. |
US $175 |
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The return to
base in England after combat over distant enemy territory
was always exhilarating, and the pilots often hedgehopped
gleefully over towns and villages on their way home after
crossing the English coast. Nicolas
Trudgian's painting depicts such a scene, with P-51 Mustangs
of the 357th Fighter Group racing over a typical English village
as they head for Leiston and home. As the evening light fades,
the peace and tranquillity of the snowy village, broken momentarily
by the roar of Merlin engines, seems to bid the returning
fighter boys a warm winter's welcome.
Each print in Nicolas Trudgian's limited
edition print has been individually signed by FOUR highly
distinguished P-51 Mustang pilots who flew with the 357th
Fighter Group in combat during World War II.
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 Colonel
C. E. 'Bud' Anderson
'Bud' Anderson went to England with
the 357th Fighter Group in 1943, the first 8th Air Force group
to be equipped with Mustangs. He soon got himself on the score
sheet whilst dog-fighting a bunch of Me109s. On 29th June
1944, leading his squadron on a mission to Leipzig, they ran
into a formation of Fw190s. In the ensuing battle Anderson
shot down the leader, and two others. After a short rest in
the US he returned for a second tour, arriving back just in
time for the 357th's big day on 28th November. With the 353rd
they took on a huge formation of some 200 enemy fighters,
Anderson adding three more to his score. His final victory
came in another fierce contest west of Berlin, and he finished
the war with 16 air victories.
 First
Lieutenant Raymond Ted Conlin
'Ted' Conlin joined the service in
July 1942, arriving in England in March 1944 to join the 362nd
Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, flying P-51s. He flew his first
of his combat missions on 13 May 1944, and the next few weeks
saw much activity in the build up to D-Day. In September he
took part in the air operations in support of Market Garden,
the airborne landings in Holland around Arnhem and Nijmegen,
and also escort on the 'Russian Shuttle' missions. He finished
his combat tour in November 1944.
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 First
Lieutenant John Skara
John Skara joined the service in
June 1942. After training he was posted to England to join
the 357th Fighter Group at Leiston in Suffolk, flying both
the P-51B and later the P-51D. He undertook his first combat
mission in March 1944, and took part in the long and hazardous
escort missions both to Russia, and Italy. For most of his
combat tour flew as wingman to 'Bud' Anderson.
 Captain
Robert P. Winks
Robert Winks joined the service in 1943, and after training
was posted to England. Flying his first combat mission in
July 1944, he served with the 364th Fighter Squadron, 357th
Fighter Group. His year long tour in Europe took in the heavy
fighting over the Battle of the Bulge, the missions to support
the Arnhem operations, and the Battle of Berlin, when the
357th destroyed 56 enemy aircraft. During this time he flew
some 69 combat missions. His personal P-51D was 'Trusty Rusty'.
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