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Masters of the Sky
by Richard Taylor
| Led by their Commanding Officer Major George Preddy, the P-51 Mustang pilots of the 328th FS, 352nd FG, engage in a bitter struggle with Luftwaffe fighters in the cold winter air high over eastern Germany. They have been escorting B-17 Fortresses attacking the heavily defended synthetic oil plant at Merseberg, 21 November 1944. As the B-17s turn safely towards home above them, Preddy skilfully manages to down one of the attacking Fw190s in the ensuing melee. |
| Overall size: 24" x 32" | Available in the following editions |
| 100 | Limited edition | Signed by one 352nd FG pilot, plus companion print signed by a crew chief. | $165 |
| 150 | Collectors edition | Signed by three 352nd FG pilots, plus companion print signed by a crew chief. | $215 |
| 100 | Blue Nose edition | Signed by six 352nd FG pilots, plus companion print signed by five ground crew. | $295 |
| 30 | Artist's proof | Signed by seven 352nd FG pilots, plus companion print signed by five ground crew. | $355 |
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Preparing for Action (companion print) Major George Preddy’s crew chief Art Snyder together with his crew as they work frantically to ready the 12" x 21¼" |
| Limited edition signatures | ||
| Captain George Middleton | Crew Chief Art Snyder (companion) | |
| Collectors edition signatures | ||
| Captain George Middleton | First Lt. Walter G. ‘Jack’ Diamond | Lt. Col. Donald S. Bryan |
| Crew Chief Art Snyder (companion) | ||
| Blue Nose edition signatures | ||
| Captain George Middleton | First Lt. Walter G. ‘Jack’ Diamond | Lt. Col. Donald S. Bryan |
| Captain Robert H. ‘Punchy’ Powell | Lt. Col. Raymond R. Mitchell | Lt Charles M. Price |
| Crew Chief Art Snyder (companion) | Staff Sgt James Bleidner (companion) | Master Sgt Ralph McLain (companion) |
| Staff Sgt Bill Straub (companion) | Corporal Howard Polin (companion) | |
| Artist's proof signatures | ||
| Captain George Middleton | First Lt. Walter G. ‘Jack’ Diamond | Lt. Col. Donald S. Bryan |
| Captain Robert H. ‘Punchy’ Powell | Lt. Col. Raymond R. Mitchell | Lt Charles M. Price |
| Captain Donald W. ‘Mac’ McKibben | Crew Chief Art Snyder (companion) | Staff Sgt James Bleidner (companion) |
| Master Sgt Ralph McLain (companion) | Staff Sgt Bill Straub (companion) | Corporal Howard Polin (companion) |
| The Signatories |
| George Middleton Joining the 352nd Fighter Group in March 1944, George flew 85 combat sorties with them until the end of hostilities in May 1945. He flew P-51 Worra Bird, and acted as wingman to both George Preddy and Don Bryan on many occasions. George is credited with 2 aerial victories. |
| Walter G. ‘Jack’ Diamond ‘Jack’ Diamond joined the 487th FS, 352nd FG in October 1944 and flew P-51 Mustang Twyla Sue with them until the end of the war. He was one of the few pilots who not only managed to get airborne during the Luftwaffe’s 1945 New Year’s Day onslaught of Operation Bodenplatte, but scored an aerial victory and damaged another as well. |
| Donald S. Bryan Originally a P-40 instructor with the 79th FS, 20th FG, Don Bryan then transferred to the 328th FS, 352nd FG as a flight leader flying P-47s. Moving to Bodney, England in June, he flew with the group on its first combat mission in September, flying his P-47 Little One, named after his girlfriend Frances Norman. In April 1944, he transitioned to P-51s, Little One II and Little One III, and completed his first combat tour in May1944. He returned to the 328th FS in August, became an Ace two months later, and gained ‘Ace in a Day’ status on 2 November when he downed five Fw190s in a single mission. Don flew 140 combat missions, never lost a wingman, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, second only to the MOH. |
| Robert H. ‘Punchy’ Powell ‘Punchy’ Powell joined the 328th FS of the 352nd Fighter Group in August 1943 and flew 83 combat missions with them in P-47s and P-51s until the end of his tour in December 1944. His P-51 was The West “by gawd” Virginian. He was credited with sharing in the destruction of 2 enemy aircraft in aerial combat plus 3 damaged, and destroying 3.5 enemy aircraft on the ground, plus 2 probables while strafing enemy airfields. |
| Raymond R. Mitchell Ray Mitchell flew 69 combat missions with the 328th FS, 352nd FG from August 1944 until late April 1945; his P-51 was Carol. He flew as George Preddy’s wingman many times and was in his flight on 25 December 1944 when Preddy was killed by friendly ground fire chasing after an enemy aircraft. Ray is credited with 1 aerial victory. |
| Charles M. Price Assigned to the 486th Fighter Squadron at Bodney, Charles Price arrived in England in December 1944. He undertook his first combat mission in his P-51 Little Skunk on 6 February 1945, and went on complete a total of 27 before the end of hostilities. He is credited with 3 enemy aircraft destroyed on the ground. |
| Donald W. ‘Mac’ McKibben Don McKibben was also one of the original cadre of pilots with the 352nd Fighter Group. He flew 80 combat missions with the 486th FS in P-47s and P-51s until September 1944. He flew the famous P-51 Miss Lace and with the others of the 486th took part in the first shuttle mission to Russia led by Don Blakeslee of the 4th Fighter Group. McKibben is credited with 2 aerial victories and 1 probable. |
| Art Snyder Serving with the 352nd FG from 1942 to 1945 Art Snyder was George Preddy’s greatly respected crew chief who kept his P-51 Cripes A’Mighty flying to perfection, invaluable to Preddy as the highest scoring P-51 Ace in the Eighth Air Force. Art also doubled as the unit’s barber, often decorating Preddy’s Mustang with a small barber’s pole to the right hand engine nacelle! |
| James Bleidner James Bleidner served as an armourer in the 487th Fighter Squadron in England from July 1943 to August 1945. |
| Ralp McLain Ralph McLain was attached to the 352nd FG as a Radar Operator from their arrival in England until the end of the war. After the war he flew as aircrew on P-36 and B-52s as a Radar & Electronic Countermeasure specialist. |
| Bill Straub Deploying to England in July 1943, Bill Straub was assigned to the 487th Fighter Squadron, where he served as an aircraft and engine mechanic until September 1945. |
| Howard Polin Howard deployed to England in April 1944, and was posted to Bodney as part of the 18th Weather Squadron, attached to the 352nd Fighter Group, where he served until the end of the war. |