The Victory in Europe Edition

One of World War Two's best known P-51 Mustangs, Glamorous Glen III, flown by one of the aviation's best known pilots, Chuck Yeager, together with pilots of the 357th Fighter Group head out of Leiston in Suffolk, on escort duty to an 8th Air Force bombing mission to Germany, October 1944. An aviation painting of panoramic proportion that relives the spirit that pervaded throughout the US fighter groups in their quest to overcome the Luftwaffe and the German war machine, over 60 years ago

This outstanding new edition - the companion to Air Superiority - is signed by prominent pilots of the 357th Fighter Group including, for the first time ever on a Robert Taylor edition, one of the most famous aviators in history - General Chuck Yeager. Matching numbers to the previous release will be available and together they form an outstanding collection of signatures from this famous unit.

Joining artist Robert Taylor, each print is signed by five highly prominent pilots from the 357th Fighter Group:

Brigadier General - Charles 'Chuck' Yeager
One of the best known aviators of the 20th Century, 'Chuck' Yeager was born on 13 February 1923 in West Virginia. He joined the Army Reserves in September 1941, serving in th Air Corps. Receiving his wings and warranted a FO in March 1943, he transferred to the 357th Fighter Group, with whom he went to England, scoring his first victory on 4f March 1944. The following day he was shot down over France, but evaded capture and escaped to Spain, returning to the Group in May 1944. Normally he would have been returned to the US to avoid compromising his escape route, but by appealing direct to General Eisenhower he was allowed to remain with his group, returning to combat once the area he escaped from had been overrun by the Allies. Commissioned in July 1944, 'Chuck' Yeager was then to become one of the groups leading Aces with 11.5 air victories, including 12 October, 5 Me109s in a day near Hannover. He scored the last of his victories when he downed 4 Fw190s in a day on 27 November, and completed his second tour in January 1945, After the war he became one of the worlds most famous Test Pilots of all time when, on 14 October 1947, he became the first man to fly faster than the spped of sound in the Bell XS-1. On 12 December 1953, he also became the first man to fly at twice the speed of sound in the Bell X-1A. 'Chuck' Yeager later commanded the 417th FBS, followed by command of thye 1st TFW, and then the 405th TFW, flying 127 combat missions over South Vietnam. After his retirement he was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

Captain - William 'Obee' O'Brien
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 'Obee' O'Brien joined the Army Reserves and gained his pilots wings in September 1942. Transferring to join the 357th Fighter Group, 'Obee' flew with the 363rd Fighter Squadron, getting himself on the score sheet with a probable Me109 on 21 February 1944. Towards the end of his tour he scored the last of his victories withe the 357th when he downed 2 Me109s in a day on 30 May, bringing his total air victories to Ace status at 5.5. In August 1944 he tranferred to the 496th FTG, 555th FTS as their Commanding Officer.

Captain - Harvey Mace
Harvey Mace arrived in England at the end of 1943 to join the 357th Fighter Group who were then stationed at Raydon. He flew all his 59 combat missions in P51 Mustangs with the 362nd Fighter Squadron, notching up three victories over Me109s along the way. Flying primarily on B17 bomber escort missions, Harvey went to nearly all the major strategic bombing targets in Europe, including the Shuttle missions from England to Russia, Italy and back again. Towards the end of his tour he was appointed Squadron Operations Officer, and then assigned as Fighter Controller of the 3rd Bomb Group.

Major - James McLane
Jim McLane joined the 357th Fighter Group on 24 March 1945, the day that the group was celebrating its last really big day, having shot down 16 enemy aircraft while on patrol. Assigned to the 362nd Squadron flying P51Ds, Jim managed to get into the action for the final weeks of the war, getting his first combat mission on 17 April escorting 8th Air Force heavy bombers on a 1000 plane mission to the Aussig chemical works

Captain - Charles E. Weaver
Born 1923 in Detroit, Charles Weaver joined the Army Reserves and was rated a pilot in February 1944. He transferred to the 357th Fighter Group in August 1944, joining the 362nd Fighter Squadron initioally flying a P51B. He soon got into the thick of the action, scoring his first victory against an Me109 over the Zuider Zee on 19 September. Two victories in the space of a minute on 14 January 1945, just north of Berlin, took his score past Ace status to 6, and his final victory on 18 April, over an Me262 jet near Prague, took his final tally of air victories to 8.