Operation Jericho by Gerald Coulson Artist Proof signed 18 Jericho veterans

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Seller: aviation-43 ✉️ (240) 100%, Location: Newbury Park, California, US, Ships to: WORLDWIDE & many other countries, Item: 295266739980 Operation Jericho by Gerald Coulson Artist Proof signed 18 Jericho veterans.

A powerful print depicting one of the most daring low-level bombing operations of World War II OPERATION JERICHO  -  THE JAILBREAKERS by Gerald Coulson
“I thank you in the name of our comrades for the bombardment of the prison. We were not able to save all. Thanks to the admirable precision of the attack the first bomb blew in nearly all doors and 150 prisoners escaped with the help of the civilian population. Of these, 12 were to have been shot on February 19. In addition, 37 prisoners were killed, some of them by German machine-guns, and 50 Germans were also killed.”
Resistance Leader Dominique Ponchardier, March 1944

It was January 1944, and the mood in London was somber, as chilling as the cold January air that permeated the damp, dark cells of the Gestapo-held prison in Amiens. Among those incarcerated behind the 3-ft thick, towering prison walls were several hundred members of the French Resistance, all condemned to death for their role in assisting the Allies. Some had been betrayed, some had already been shot and the future of the others, including two Allied intelligence officers, looked bleak.

London has now received information that more executions were set to be carried out at dawn on Saturday 19 February. The prisoners needed help, and fast, before the entire Resistance movement in northern France, whose involvement was crucial to Allied plans for the forthcoming invasion, was finished.

What followed was one of the most daring low-level bombing operations of World War II; codenamed ‘Operation Jericho’, it would involve a force of 19 de Havilland Mosquito’s. Led by Wg Cdr ‘Black’ Smith, the Mosquitoes of 487 Sqn RNZAF would first breach the 20-ft high outer wall, followed closely by 464 Sqn RAAF – led by Wg Cdr Bob Iredale – whose task was to hit the main building and demolish the guards’ quarters in the hope that the cell doors would be sprung open, allowing the prisoners to make a dash to freedom. The operation, under the command of Gp Capt ‘Pick’ Pickard, required precision flying of the highest order.

If the task ahead wasn’t difficult enough, on the morning of Friday 18 February snow was falling from murky skies as the Mosquitoes left RAF Hunsdon and headed south towards Amiens to liaise with their Typhoon escort en-route.

Gerald Coulson’s powerful painting depicts the moment when Group Captain Pickard, the last over the prison, departs the scene just as the first time-delay bombs begin to explode. Within seconds the walls will be breached, the barracks destroyed and the cell doors flung open as planned, allowing the prisoners to clamber through the debris into the surrounding fields. More than 150 men will escape to re-join the Resistance.

THE ARTIST PROOF SIGNATURES Published in 1994, the print is personally signed by a staggering collection of seventeen veterans of ‘Operation Jericho’, representing Britain, Australia, Ireland, Canada and New Zealand plus a French resistance veteran who escaped as a result of the raid. This truly remarkable EIGHTEEN signature collector’s piece is a fitting tribute to all those who took part in such a daring mission:

487 Sqn (RNZAF) Aircrew
Wing Commander L.S  “BLACK” SMITH  CBE DFC* – Pilot, C.O 487 Sqn / 8 victories
Pilot Officer MAXWELL SPARKS  AFC – Pilot, 487 Sqn
Pilot Officer ARTHUR DUNLOP  – Navigator, 487 Sqn
Flight Lieutenant BRIAN “TICH” HANAFIN   DFC – Pilot, 487 Sqn
Pilot Officer FRANK REDGRAVE  – Navigator, 487 Sqn
Pilot Officer BOB FOWLER  DFC RNZAF – Pilot, 487 Sqn

464 Sqn (RAAF) Aircrew
Wing Commander BOB IREDALE  DFC* Croix de Guerre avec Palme – Pilot, C.O 464 Sqn
Flight Lieutenant GEOFFREY ATKINS  – Navigator, 464 Sqn
Flight Lieutenant TOM MCPHEE  DFC DFM – Pilot, 464 Sqn
Squadron Leader IAN MCRITCHIE  DFC – Pilot, 464 Sqn

21 Sqn (RAF) Aircrew
Flight Lieutenant “BUCK” TAYLOR  DFC – Pilot, 21 Sqn
Flight Lieutenant ARTHUR WHEELER  DFC –  Pilot, 21 Sqn

140 Wing Master Navigator
Air Commodore E.B “TED” SISMORE  DSO DFC** AFC AE – Navigator 140 Wing

174 Sqn (RAF) Fighter Escort
Flight Sergeant FRANK WHEELER  DFC – Pilot, 174 Sqn
Flight Lieutenant IAN MALLETT  AFC – Pilot, 174 Sqn
Pilot Officer DON BURTON  DFC RCAF – Pilot, 174 Sqn
Flying Officer HARRY MARKBY  DFC – Pilot, 174 Sqn

Amien Prison escapee RAYMOND BONPAS  (Fr)

Exclusively limited to just one hundred copies worldwide, this very special Artist Proof edition was published in 1994 but not made available until 2019, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the mission -   a stunning collector’s item for aviation and WWII enthusiasts.

Please note:   The prints in my store are hand-signed by the veterans involved in the painting so the signatures are original autographs and not reproductions. The certificate of authenticity is included. CONDITION:   My items are guaranteed to be in perfect condition, any issues are clearly detailed in the description.

SHIPPING:   As a long standing aviation art retailer I have shipped countless prints over the years. My prints are rolled in acid free tissue and shipped in heavy duty tubes, and the shipping is insured and guaranteed.

If you are interested in more than one item I will always do my best to combine the shipping to save costs – please just ask.

  • Condition: New
  • Artist: Gerald Coulson
  • Unit of Sale: Single-Piece Work
  • Signed By: WWII Mosquito Pilots
  • Size: Medium
  • Print Size: 36 ¾ x 24 ¼ inches
  • Region of Origin: California, USA
  • Framing: Unframed
  • Listed By: Dealer or Reseller
  • Year of Production: 1994
  • Also signed by:: Bob Iredale
  • Also including:: 464 Squadron
  • Style: Aviation Art, Realism, Illustration Art, Military Art
  • Features: Limited Edition, Autographed, Individually numbered, Artist Proof
  • Topic: Operation Jericho
  • Time Period Produced: 1990-1999
  • Image Orientation: Landscape
  • Signed: Veteran and Artist signed
  • Color: Color
  • Title: Operation Jericho
  • Period: Contemporary (1970 - 2020)
  • Material: Lithograph, Paper, Archival paper
  • Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Yes
  • Featured Aircraft: Mosquito
  • Original/Licensed Reprint: Licensed Reprint
  • Subject: Aircraft, Military, World War II (1939-1945), Mosquito, RNZAF, RAAF, RAF
  • Edition: Artist Proof
  • Type: Print
  • Including:: 487 Squadron
  • Featuring: Gestapo
  • Autographed by:: ‘Black' Smith
  • COA Issued By: The Publisher
  • Theme: Art, Aviation, Conflicts & Wars, History, Militaria
  • Autographs:: Ted Sismore
  • Production Technique: Lithography
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: Australia
  • Including: Amiens Prison

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