THE JOLLY ROGERS
(Signatures)	Artist : Nicolas Trudgian and Signed by four VF-17 Navy Fighter Pilots Captain Tom Blackburn Rear Admiral Roger Hedrick Lieutenant Dan Cunningham Lietenant Tom Killefer.
(Dimensions)	36" x 24" approx  Very Rare unframed print
Price	£0.00

Description

With its macabre skull and crossbones insignia, and a reputation for total disdain of authority, VF-17 arrived in the Pacific with a variety of nicknames ranging from the Irregulars to the Cast-offs, but under the dynamic leadership of their Squadron Commander, Tom Blackburn, VF-17 made their presence felt immediately upon their arrival in the fall of 1943. Equipped with the F4U Corsair, VF-17 pilots had what Blackburn was convinced was the best fighter aircraft of World War II, and on 1st November, during the invasion of Bougainville, VF-17 pilots shot down 6 Japanese planes in their first taste of battle - 2 falling to the guns of their C.O. Over the next 8500 hours of combat in the Solomons, its pilots shot down 156 enemy aircraft, 8 Japanese aircraft for each plane it lost, and produced the highest number of Aces of any squadron in the Navy. Blackburns Fighting 17 were the toast of the Navy brass, earned the respect of their peers, and became known throughout the Pacific as The Jolly Rogers...Nicolas Trudgian painting shows F4U Corsairs of Navy Squadron VF-17 – Tom Blackburn's ' Jolly Rogers ' – return from an air battle over Rabaul , December 1943. Fighting 17 was the top-scoring squadron in the Solomons...Published in 1993 this is a rare sold out edition and is now only available on the secondary market ...Signed by four VF-17 Navy Fighter Pilots , Captain Tom Blackburn , Rear Admiral Roger Hedrick , Lieutenant Dan Cunningham and Lietenant Tom Killefer...priced @ Sold...To complement the purchase of your fine art print, we are now able to offer a professional Picture Framing service. For further details please contact us by phone or email.