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Loire Rendezvous by Philip West.
Lysanders of 161 Special Operations Squadron turn onto their final course to a
clandestine landing field somewhere in central occupied France during a full
moon period in 1943. Based at Tempsford, Bedfordshire and often operating from
Tangmere to shorten the flight, the pilots flew a dead reckoning course to their
first turning point, usually on the River Loire, using rudimentary navigating
equipment. The moonlit town of Blois is easily distinguishable by its chateau,
churches and bridge with the Forest of Chambord beyond. The agents in the rear
cockpit prepare themselves by torchlight for the forthcoming landing. |
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Loire Rendezvous by Philip West.
Lysanders of 161 Special Operations Squadron turn onto their final course to a clandestine landing field somewhere in central occupied France during a full moon period in 1943. Based at Tempsford, Bedfordshire and often operating from Tangmere to shorten the flight, the pilots flew a dead reckoning course to their first turning point, usually on the River Loire, using rudimentary navigating equipment. The moonlit town of Blois is easily distinguishable by its chateau, churches and bridge with the Forest of Chambord beyond. The agents in the rear cockpit prepare themselves by torchlight for the forthcoming landing.
Signed limited edition of 250 prints. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £150.00 Signed by Flight Lieutenant Peter Arkell, Captain Murray Anderson DFC*, Flight Lieutenant R G (Bob) Large, DFC, Legion d Honneur and Air Chief Marshal Sir Lewis Hodges KCB CBE DSO DFC* (deceased).
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £295.00 Signed by Flight Lieutenant Peter Arkell, Captain Murray Anderson DFC*, Flight Lieutenant R G (Bob) Large, DFC, Legion d Honneur, Air Chief Marshal Sir Lewis Hodges KCB CBE DSO DFC* (deceased), Major E H Van Maurik, Nancy Wake, GM, Legion dhonneur, Croix De Guerre, French Resistance Medal, US Medal of Freedom., Captain George Millar, D.S.O., M.C. (deceased), Flying Office J A Tommy Thomas and Donald Dunstan.
ITEM CODE DHM2201
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Loire Rendezvous by Philip West
- The Signatures
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Flight Lieutenant Peter Arkell
For his first tour Peter flew Mustangs and Spitfires with 26 Squadron on intruder and low lever photographic sorties over France, before joining 161 Squadron as Tempsford in 1944, flying Lysanders into occupied Europe. He then accompanied the Lysanders to Burma where he flew 35 successful but hazardous missions supplying Force 136 behind the Japanese lines.
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Captain Murray Anderson DFC*
Commissioned in the Royal Tank Regiment from RMA Woolwich in 1939, Murray Anderson was seconded to the Royal Air Force in 1940. He flew Spitfires with No.1 Photo Reconnaissance Unit at RAF Benson until 1943. He then joined 161 (Special Duties) Squadron flying Lysanders, and was the most successful 'pick up' pilot for the whole of that year even though in May 1944 he was posted to 65 Squadron 2nd Tactical Air Force, flying Mustangs. After a rest period he was posted to 52 Sqn at Dum Dum in May 1945.
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Flight Lieutenant R G (Bob) Large, DFC, Legion d Honneur
Learned to fly in Scotland in 1940 and in 1941 joined 616 Squadron as part of the Tangmere Wing, commanded by the famous legless pilot Wing Commander Douglas Bader. The Squadron flew Fighter and Bomber sweeps over Northern France. The remains of Bobs Spitfire lie at the bottom of the sea ten miles off Hythe (where he now lives) after being bounced by eighty plus ME 109Gs over the English Channel. Having learned of the activities of 161 SD Squadron he was interviewed by the CO, Wing Commander Lewis Hodges, and joined the Lysander Flight. He then flew many important missions into occupied France in single, double and a memorable treble pickup when his excuse for being late at the rendezvous was that he had had a haircut in the firms time because it grew in the firms time! After D-Day he returned to Fighter Command and later flew Meteors. (Bobs dog, Patrick, became the first dog in the Allied Forces to fly in a jet which took place in a Meteor 3 on 11th May 1946 and is now recorded in the Guinness Book of Records!)
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 | Air Chief Marshal Sir Lewis Hodges KCB CBE DSO DFC* (deceased)
Lewis Hodges flew with 49 Sqn from June 1940 until he was shot down over occupied France in Sept 1940 and taken prisoner by the Vichy French. He managed to escape and made his way back to England, rejoining 49 Sqn. He took part in the attacks against the German Channel dash operation in Feb 1942. In Nov of that year he joined 161 (Special Duties) Sqn, flying Halifaxes, Lysanders and Hudsons landing and parachuting agents into German occupied territory. Among the people he brought out of France were two future Presidents - Vincent Auriol and Francois Mitterand. He died 4th January 2007.
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Lewis Hodges signing prints of - Lysander Pick Up - by Graeme Lothian. |
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Major E H Van Maurik
Trained SOE agents in sabotage, use of weapons and survival. Accompanied agents to Tangmere for their flights by Lysander to and from occupied France. In January 1944 parachuted in to the Maquis de l'Ain to verify their readiness for combat when the invasion of Europe took place. Smuggled himself into Switzerland to send his report back to SOE in London. "The longest telegram ever".
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Nancy Wake, GM, Legion d'honneur, Croix De Guerre, French Resistance Medal, US Medal of Freedom.
The most decorated servicewoman of WW2, Nancy(Codename- Helene) organised an escape route over the Pyrenees before she was forced to use it herself. Following training with SOE, she returned to France to organise her own Resistance Group in the Auvergne. Involved in many dangerous subversive missions, she won the everlasting respect of 3500 members of her Maquis.
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Captain George Millar, D.S.O., M.C. (deceased)
Parachuted secretly into France as an SOE agent on 1 June 1944. He was dropped north of Dijon to organise and train local Resistance groups to harass the enemy in support of the forthcoming D-Day landings in Normandy. His incredible book, "Maquis", tells of their many daring exploits which included the destruction of the giant railway turn-tables on the important rail junction at Besancon. He vividly describes his day to day survival and the disruptive operations carried out on the German supply lines. He also depicts with understanding the characters of the ordinary men and women of the French Resistance who selflessly served with him to play their heroic part in the final liberation of France. "Emile" and his Maquis are still remembered in the quiet villages of the Ognon Valley. He died 15th January 2005.
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Flying Officer J A Tommy Thomas
Trained in 1941/2 as a winch operator on Fairy Battles and Lysanders, target towing for Spitfire OUT. In 1942 Tommy remustered as Air Gunner and in 1943 he joined 161Special Duties Squadron at Tempsford on Halifax's B flight, He later detached to A flight on Hudsons and Lysanders for mail pick-up duties. His training and quick thinking saved him and Bob Large when on one memorable flight Tommy reacted instantly to a tow wire fouling the elevators of their Lysander. Between July 43 and July 45 he completed 33 Ops. out of Tempsford and Tangmere.
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Donald Dunstan
Trained as Flight Mechanic working on Fairy Battles then transferred to 103 Squadron, Bomber Command on Wellingtons. After a Fitter 2E course he joined 161 Squadron at Tempsford with their Lysanders. During the "Moon Period" often working at Tangmere. He serviced the aircraft of Wing Commanders Pickard and Hodges.
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