Full Throttle   by Robert Bailey

Spitfires of 412 Squadron, RCAF, attack targets of opportunity in France just after D­Day.

Signatures

Individually signed by four Canadian Spitfire pilots. Comes with bio-card showing photos and biographies of signees.

Squadron Leader Don Laubman

From D­Day to VE-Day, thirteen RCAF Fighter pilots in service on the continent accounted for more than 120 German aircraft destroyed. Top scorer was Squadron Leader Don Laubman of 412 Squadron (and later 402 Squadron), with fifteen victories.

On September 26 and 27, 1944, Don Laubman flew four missions and downed seven enemy aircraft in the Nijmegan area (four FW­190's and three BF­109's) plus another BF­109 damaged. During this period and along with his squadron mates, Don was heavily involved in air to ground action. This involved bombing and strafing of marshalling yards and targets of opportunity, such as trains, barges and vehicles. On his last mission he attacked two fuel tenders traveling down a dirt road. He first shot at the rear vehicle, observed strikes, and lined up with the second truck which also received hits. But as he passed over at low level, they exploded in a massive fireball which engulfed his Spitfire and he had to bail out. He was then nearly lynched by German civilians but spent the rest of the war as a POW.

All of his victories were scored in Spitfire VZZ. He ended the war as a Squadron Leader with fifteen victories. Decorations included the DFC and Bar. He is the fourth ranking RCAF ace, retiring as a Lt. General.

F/O Gordon Ockenden joined the RCAF in 1941, trained on the Fleet Finch and Harvard, and won his wings a year later. After operational training on Hurricanes he was posted to Europe in 1943 with 443 (F) Squadron, 144 Wing. This was the first Wing to move into France, on June 15, 1944. During the Falaise Gap period, Gord was credited with over 35 German vehicles and tanks destroyed. He is credited with 4­1/2 aerial victories. The Mk. IXb Spitfire which Gordon Flew at this time was 21­V. It was reclaimed from salvage, rebuilt by RAF St. Athans, Wales, and now flies with the RAF. Memorial Flight from Coningsby. He retired from the air force as a Major General. Between June and December of 1944, Gordon did most of his ops on another Spitfire, MJ­171. During a dawn patrol he had a rough time, so another pilot offered to take his place on the dusk mission. All of the planes failed to return. Gordon feels as though he has been on borrowed time since then.

F/O Don Murchie joined the RCAF in 1941, training on Tiger Moths and Cessna Cranes. Posted to Bournemouth, England, he was selected for day fighters and had further training on Miles Masters and Hurricanes. Selected for Spitfires, he eventually ended up with 412 Squadron. He was involved in dive bombing and armed reconnaissance flights in the Ruhr areas, as well as fighter sweeps throughout the air space east of the Rhine River. Don flew over 80 operational sorties and is credited with numerous ground vehicles, locomotives and motorcycles destroyed.

F/O Douglas Gaudin enlisted in the RCAF In 1940 and received operational training on Hurricanes at Sutton Bridge in Lincolnshire, England. He was posted to 122 Squadron RAF on Spitfires at Scorton, Yorkshire in February 1942, then later transferred to the Middle East via West Africa. He then joined 417 Squadron RCAF in October 1942 at a base near Alexandria, flying Hurricanes and, later, Spitfires. The main task of the squadron at this time was the defence of Alexandria Harbour prior to Montgomery's advance, and the interception of German photo reconnaissance aircraft. Douglas is credited with nearly a hundred operational sorties.

The Story

Immediately following the Normandy breakout by the allies in late July of 1944, the German army was in a full and disorganized retreat. The combined allied war machine was beginning to push the Wehrmacht across the length and breadth of France. This was accomplished in large part by dominating the air space above the conflict. The air campaign of Great Britain and the United States had wrestled air superiority from the German Luftwaffe in the years 1942-1944. It was now paying big dividends.

Without control of the air, the German army was denied the freedom to move troops and equipment to combat the advancing allied effort. Deployment of German troops was inevitably defensive in nature, and they were constantly harassed by marauding fighter bombers and reconnaissance flights.

No movement was safe, including the travels of high echelon superiors in the military as they scurried about the battle front, attempting to analyze the changing situation and adjust their plans.

In Robert Bailey's painting FULL THROTTLE, a German staff car, escorted by motorcycles, is caught on an open road by Spitfires searching for targets of opportunity. In this case, a locomotive transporting war materials makes this a double bonus target.