Flying ahead of the main bomber stream, a Lancaster of 156 Squadron Pathfinder Force makes a run over its target in the heavily defended industrial Ruhr Valley. Extreme concentration can be observed in the crews eyes as they focus on their critical task of marking the target. The Ruhr, the greatest industrial area in the whole of Germany, was the most heavily defended target in the world. The Ruhr Valley was nearly always covered by an almost permanent smoke-haze which, at night made visual pin-pointing of towns below nearly impossible. The Pathfinder force was able to penetrate the industrial pollution with aircraft equipped with the blind-bombing devise known as Oboe. This technology afforded the ability to seek out targets regardless of weather conditions and illuminate desired areas with brilliant target markers which reflected back up from the ground through the haze. The application of the crews precise identification of the target locations will enable the following bomber strikes to be incisively accurate further crippling the German war effort. “We Guide To Strike” (motto of No: 8 Pathfinder Force Group)Aircrew of 156 Squadron Pathfinder Force Signing “We Guide to Strike”Group Captain G Womersley DSO* DFC MID Pilot Flight Lieutenant W Cleland DSO DFC Pilot Flight Lieutenant T Timperley DFC Pilot Flight Lieutenant H Hernaman DFC Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Wing Commander W Bagg OBE DFC Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Pilot Officer D Briggs DFC Flight Engineer/Bomb Aimer Warrant Officer J Chapman DFM Flight Engineer/Bomb Aimer Flying Officer C Dee Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Flight Sergeant C Follit DFM Air Gunner Flying Officer W Kerry Navigator Warrant Officer R Noye DFC Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Flight Lieutenant D Reed DFM Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Warrant Officer J McCrum DFM Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Warrant Officer J Watson DFM Flight Engineer/ Bomb AimerAircrew and personnel of 156 Squadron Pathfinder Force based at RAF Upwood signing the Artist Proofs, also to include the above signatures Leading Aircraft Woman Mrs C Versey (nee. Taylor), Motor Transport Section Corporal Mrs W Carter, Signals, Leading Aircraft Woman Miss D Search, Cook Leading Aircraft Woman Mrs N Peters (nee. Ashton), Meteorologist Assistant Corporal A Barnes AdministrationDetails about the limited edition print “We Guide to Strike”400 Signed and numbered prints with 14 signatures £120.00 50 Artist Proofs with 21 signatures £175.00 SOLD OUT Artist signed £60.00 postage and packingOverall print size 31” width 23” height Image size 26” width 18” height 120lb McCoy Silk Cover Stock Archival ph neutral paperCopyright of “We guide to Strike” is retained by Gil Cohen/Knightsbridge Press Published by Vector Fine Art Prints
