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Warrant Officer Harry Irons DFC (deceased) - Art prints and originals signed by Warrant Officer Harry Irons DFC (deceased)

Harry Irons

Harry Irons

10 / 11 / 2020Died : 10 / 11 / 2020

Warrant Officer Harry Irons DFC (deceased)

Joining the RAF at the age of 16 in 1940, he did 2 full tours as a Rear Gunner with 9 Squadron and took part in nearly all the famous raids of Bomber Command. He finished in 1945 at 158 Squadron flying Halifaxes. 'I had just turned 18 when we went on a gunnery school course. After that six-week training, we usually went for a further three months training to an Operational Training Unit. It so happened that 9 Squadron had just converted from Wellingtons to Lancasters and they were 14 air gunners short on the squadron, so they posted us from gunnery school after six weeks' training straight to the squadron. 'When I got there, I was approached by a Flt Lt Stubbs, who said to me: 'You're my new gunner. We've got a gunner already but he's been flying Wellingtons and he doesn't want to be a rear gunner. He wants to go in the mid-upper turret. You'll be the rear gunner.' But, he said, on my first raid, the best thing for me to do would be to go on the mid-upper turret. 'That way you can see exactly what's going on,' he said. 'My first raid in Lancasters with 9 Squadron was to Dusseldorf on September 10th, 1942. Every time we went on a bombing raid, we had to do an air test first. We would test our guns, test the bomb sight, test the hydraulics, test the engines, and when you landed, if everything was OK, you told the engineers that everything was fine for the raid. As we landed, the armourers arrived with the bomb load. I still remember now, it was one 4,000 pounder - one huge, fat bomb - and 1,200 incendiaries. 'Our bomb aimer was an 'old sweat'. We used to call him 'The Old Boy'. He was 26. He said that with that bomb load we had, we were definitely going to the Happy Valley. When we returned to the mess, we got ready to go to the briefing. We were briefed and the curtain came down off the target and there it was - Dusseldorf. 'That's right,' said the bomb aimer to me, 'that's where we are going, Dusseldorf.' Most of our raids were on the Ruhr Valley and the reason why I am alive now is because - I don't know why - but I never went to Berlin. I wouldn't be talking to you now if I had been to Berlin. I can assure you. 'We put all our gear on. It took about half an hour for the air gunner to get dressed with all the clothing. I clambered into the mid-upper turret and off we went. As we crossed the Dutch coast, I could see we were about 1,400 or 1,500 feet over the coast. I could see a huge number of lights coming up. Far below us there was light flak, in beautiful colours, but it never touched us because we were a little too high. 'We crossed over Holland and the bomb aimer said: 'We are approaching the target, Skipper,' so I decided to swing my turret around and have a look. I was absolutely shocked by what I saw. I could not believe my eyes seeing what was in front of me. The flak, the guns, the lights, the search lights. It was incredible and I was really, really, really frightened. The plane was bouncing about. Then the bomb aimer said: 'Bomb doors open' and in we go straight and level. 'On my left I could see an aircraft on fire going down, and one below us I could see exploding. And I thought to myself: 'We're in for something here!'. I could not believe that we were going to fly through this huge explosion. But we went through it. Then the pilot was talking to the bomb aimer, and the bomb aimer said: 'We have missed the target, Skipper. We're going to have to go round again.' And I thought: 'Dear, oh dear, we've got to go all the way round, come back and go through all that again.' Which we did. And on the second run, we dropped our bombs. 'Bomb doors closed. On the way home. Flying back, there were problems with the oxygen, so the skipper – he was 21 and on his second tour, and old hand – took us down lower. We had to drop below 10,000 feet, and as we crossed the Dutch coast, the light flak opened up. It was absolutely hair-raising. There were hundreds and hundreds of these lights flashing past us but, strangely enough, not one of them hit us. 'When we got back, we landed and had a look at our aircraft. There were about 10 or 15 holes, two or three inches wide, across the fuselage, flak holes caused by shrapnel from the shells. We must have caught them on the Dutch coast. We were lucky but I've seen much worse. We went in for a briefing, had a coffee and went to bed. That was my first raid. Later, I found out, that our skipper, who had finished his tour, unfortunately got killed during training a couple of weeks later.'
Harry Irons died on 10th November 2020.

Latest Warrant Officer Harry Irons DFC (deceased) Signed Artwork Releases !
 <i>…night after night, month after month, our bomber squadrons travel far into Germany, find their targets, often under the heaviest fire, often with serious loss, with deliberate, careful discrimination, and inflict shattering blows upon the whole of the technical and war-making structure of the Nazi power. On no part of the Royal Air Force does the weight of the war fall more heavily than on the daylight bombers…</i> - Winston Churchill.<br><br>With these words the British Prime Minister reminded the House of Commons of the heroic role undertaken by the young men of RAF Bomber Command during World War II as they set out across the North Sea to wreak havoc upon the enemy. And the cost they bore - for the odds of a safe return were, at best, marginal. One aircraft above all came to symbolise the valiant deeds that these young men undertook - the mighty Avro Lancaster. Introduced in early 1942, it quickly became the backbone of Bomber Command and it wasn't long before a score of airfields across the east of England reverberated to the sound of its four mighty Merlin engines. In this painting, a lone 9 Squadron Lancaster, separated from the main force during a punishing mission to Germany in late 1944, returns to safety. The weary crew are no doubt relieved to see familiar fields beneath them as they approach their base at RAF Bardney. 9 Squadron had received their Lancasters in September 1942 and became a leading unit within Bomber Command. Working on operations alongside 617 Squadron, they specialised in dropping Barnes Wallis's famous 12,000lb <i>Tallboy</i> bombs, including the successful mission to sink the German battleship Tirpitz.

Almost Home by Robert Taylor.
 Sometimes it was five, every so often it might be six, occasionally it was three, but usually it was seven men who flew together as a crew with RAF Bomber Command.  They formed the closest of bonds, forged through an anvil of freezing temperatures, deadly flak and prowling night-fighters but, with an average age of only 22, their odds of survival were slim.  By 1943 the life expectancy for bomber aircrew was just 5 missions - only one in six were expected to survive their first tour of 30 operations.  The chances of surviving a second tour were even slimmer.  Of the 125,000 men who flew with Bomber Command during World War II, more than 55,000 were killed.  Whilst the 'Few' of Fighter Command had undoubtedly defeated the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain, it was the 'Many' of Bomber Command who were to play the pivotal role in delivering to the Allies ultimate victory in Europe.  But it came at a terrible cost: on one raid alone - the Nuremberg raid of 30th/31st March 1944 - 543 aircrew were killed, more than Fighter Command lost during the entire Battle of Britain.  Robert Taylor's evocative new painting is a moving tribute to these men of Bomber Command.  As the setting sun casts a golden glow, a group of Lancasters from 576 Squadron gather into formation after departing from their Lincolnshire base at the start of a raid into Germany in late 1944.  The lead aircraft UL-I (LM227) was one of only a handful of Lancasters to complete 100 operational sorties.  Between them the pilots of Bomber Command won 23 Victoria Crosses during WWII, and countless others were highly decorated for courage and commitment.  Several of these veterans have now joined together to sign this commemorative limited edition to honour all those who served with Bomber Command.  They include some of the RAF's most inspirational leaders - men such as James 'Tirpitz&;39; Tait, who was awarded no less than four DSOs to become one of the most highly decorated RAF airmen of WWII.  Although sadly no longer with us, we are privileged that he was able to personally sign the prints during his lifetime, creating a truly historic collectors edition.

Towards Night's Darkness by Robert Taylor.
The Battle of Britain had been won by the young fighter pilots of Fighter Command, but now it fell to another band of young men to wage total warfare against the Nazi war machine - the aircrew of RAF Bomber Command.  And like the fighter pilots of the Battle of Britain, the young men who flew with Bomber Command came not just from Britain, but from all over the Commonwealth, and from the countries of occupied mainland Europe.  Every man was a volunteer, prepared to endure the deadly flak and prowling night fighters, to say nothing of the savage and bitter cold, in order to wage their relentless attack on the military and industrial targets of the Third Reich.  The aircraft that carried these young men to war were numerous, but bearing the brunt of the RAFs incessant campaign were two heavy bombers, the stalwarts of Bomber Command - the Lancaster and the Halifax.  Between them they accounted for over three quarters of all the bombs dropped by the RAF, and Halifaxes alone accounted for a total of 73,312 operations, nearly a fifth of all missions carried out by Bomber Command.

The Hard Way Home by Robert Taylor.
GC0724C. Lancaster Lift-Off by Gerald Coulson.

Lancaster Lift-Off by Gerald Coulson. (C)

Items Signed by Warrant Officer Harry Irons DFC (deceased)

On an RAF airfield in the early evening, a squadron of Lancaster bombers of Bomber Command prepare for another bombing sortie against targets of the German war machine.  A fitting tribute to all Bomber Command aircrew who flew in the Avro Lancatser.......
Distant Dispersal by Graeme Lothian. (D)
Price : £90.00
On an RAF airfield in the early evening, a squadron of Lancaster bombers of Bomber Command prepare for another bombing sortie against targets of the German war machine. A fitting tribute to all Bomber Command aircrew who flew in the Avro Lancatser.......

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 On an RAF airfield in the early evening, a squadron of Lancaster bombers of Bomber Command prepare for another bombing sortie against targets of the German war machine.  A fitting tribute to all Bomber Command aircrew who flew in the Avro Lancatser.......
Distant Dispersal by Graeme Lothian. (Y)
Price : £70.00
On an RAF airfield in the early evening, a squadron of Lancaster bombers of Bomber Command prepare for another bombing sortie against targets of the German war machine. A fitting tribute to all Bomber Command aircrew who flew in the Avro Lancatser.......

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 R5689 (VN-N) - a Lancaster B.1 of 50 Squadron based at Swinderby. This aircraft crash-landed in Lincolnshire while returning from a mission on 19th September 1942, after both port engines failed as the aircraft was preparing to land.  The aircraft n......
Avro Lancaster B.1 by Ivan Berryman. (D)
Price : £110.00
R5689 (VN-N) - a Lancaster B.1 of 50 Squadron based at Swinderby. This aircraft crash-landed in Lincolnshire while returning from a mission on 19th September 1942, after both port engines failed as the aircraft was preparing to land. The aircraft n......

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 A cold winters morning, as dawn breaks over RAF Lissett, revealing that last nights biting wind has once again brought a covering of snow to the airfield.  But, with conditions forecast to improve, tonights operation to bomb industrial targets in Ge......
Action This Day by Richard Taylor. (AP)
SOLD OUT
A cold winters morning, as dawn breaks over RAF Lissett, revealing that last nights biting wind has once again brought a covering of snow to the airfield. But, with conditions forecast to improve, tonights operation to bomb industrial targets in Ge......NOT
AVAILABLE
 A cold winters morning, as dawn breaks over RAF Lissett, revealing that last nights biting wind has once again brought a covering of snow to the airfield.  But, with conditions forecast to improve, tonights operation to bomb industrial targets in Ge......
Action This Day by Richard Taylor. (B)
Price : £150.00
A cold winters morning, as dawn breaks over RAF Lissett, revealing that last nights biting wind has once again brought a covering of snow to the airfield. But, with conditions forecast to improve, tonights operation to bomb industrial targets in Ge......

Quantity:
 A cold winters morning, as dawn breaks over RAF Lissett, revealing that last nights biting wind has once again brought a covering of snow to the airfield.  But, with conditions forecast to improve, tonights operation to bomb industrial targets in Ge......
Action This Day by Richard Taylor. (C)
Price : £1095.00
A cold winters morning, as dawn breaks over RAF Lissett, revealing that last nights biting wind has once again brought a covering of snow to the airfield. But, with conditions forecast to improve, tonights operation to bomb industrial targets in Ge......

Quantity:
 A cold winters morning, as dawn breaks over RAF Lissett, revealing that last nights biting wind has once again brought a covering of snow to the airfield.  But, with conditions forecast to improve, tonights operation to bomb industrial targets in Ge......
Action This Day by Richard Taylor. (RM)
Price : £395.00
A cold winters morning, as dawn breaks over RAF Lissett, revealing that last nights biting wind has once again brought a covering of snow to the airfield. But, with conditions forecast to improve, tonights operation to bomb industrial targets in Ge......

Quantity:
 A cold winters morning, as dawn breaks over RAF Lissett, revealing that last nights biting wind has once again brought a covering of snow to the airfield.  But, with conditions forecast to improve, tonights operation to bomb industrial targets in Ge......
Action This Day by Richard Taylor. (RMB)
Price : £625.00
A cold winters morning, as dawn breaks over RAF Lissett, revealing that last nights biting wind has once again brought a covering of snow to the airfield. But, with conditions forecast to improve, tonights operation to bomb industrial targets in Ge......

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The Battle of Britain had been won by the young fighter pilots of Fighter Command, but now it fell to another band of young men to wage total warfare against the Nazi war machine - the aircrew of RAF Bomber Command.  And like the fighter pilots of th......
The Hard Way Home by Robert Taylor.
Price : £210.00
The Battle of Britain had been won by the young fighter pilots of Fighter Command, but now it fell to another band of young men to wage total warfare against the Nazi war machine - the aircrew of RAF Bomber Command. And like the fighter pilots of th......

Quantity:
The Battle of Britain had been won by the young fighter pilots of Fighter Command, but now it fell to another band of young men to wage total warfare against the Nazi war machine - the aircrew of RAF Bomber Command.  And like the fighter pilots of th......
The Hard Way Home by Robert Taylor. (AP)
Price : £395.00
The Battle of Britain had been won by the young fighter pilots of Fighter Command, but now it fell to another band of young men to wage total warfare against the Nazi war machine - the aircrew of RAF Bomber Command. And like the fighter pilots of th......

Quantity:
 The Battle of Britain had been won by the young fighter pilots of Fighter Command, but now it fell to another band of young men to wage total warfare against the Nazi war machine - the aircrew of RAF Bomber Command.  And like the fighter pilots of t......
The Hard Way Home by Robert Taylor. (B)
Price : £325.00
The Battle of Britain had been won by the young fighter pilots of Fighter Command, but now it fell to another band of young men to wage total warfare against the Nazi war machine - the aircrew of RAF Bomber Command. And like the fighter pilots of t......

Quantity:
 The Battle of Britain had been won by the young fighter pilots of Fighter Command, but now it fell to another band of young men to wage total warfare against the Nazi war machine - the aircrew of RAF Bomber Command.  And like the fighter pilots of t......
The Hard Way Home by Robert Taylor. (D)
SOLD OUT
The Battle of Britain had been won by the young fighter pilots of Fighter Command, but now it fell to another band of young men to wage total warfare against the Nazi war machine - the aircrew of RAF Bomber Command. And like the fighter pilots of t......NOT
AVAILABLE
 Sometimes it was five, every so often it might be six, occasionally it was three, but usually it was seven men who flew together as a crew with RAF Bomber Command.  They formed the closest of bonds, forged through an anvil of freezing temperatures, ......
Towards Night's Darkness by Robert Taylor.
Price : £145.00
Sometimes it was five, every so often it might be six, occasionally it was three, but usually it was seven men who flew together as a crew with RAF Bomber Command. They formed the closest of bonds, forged through an anvil of freezing temperatures, ......

Quantity:
 Sometimes it was five, every so often it might be six, occasionally it was three, but usually it was seven men who flew together as a crew with RAF Bomber Command.  They formed the closest of bonds, forged through an anvil of freezing temperatures, ......
Towards Night's Darkness by Robert Taylor. (AP)
SOLD OUT
Sometimes it was five, every so often it might be six, occasionally it was three, but usually it was seven men who flew together as a crew with RAF Bomber Command. They formed the closest of bonds, forged through an anvil of freezing temperatures, ......NOT
AVAILABLE
 Sometimes it was five, every so often it might be six, occasionally it was three, but usually it was seven men who flew together as a crew with RAF Bomber Command.  They formed the closest of bonds, forged through an anvil of freezing temperatures, ......
Towards Night's Darkness by Robert Taylor. (B)
SOLD OUT
Sometimes it was five, every so often it might be six, occasionally it was three, but usually it was seven men who flew together as a crew with RAF Bomber Command. They formed the closest of bonds, forged through an anvil of freezing temperatures, ......NOT
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 Sometimes it was five, every so often it might be six, occasionally it was three, but usually it was seven men who flew together as a crew with RAF Bomber Command.  They formed the closest of bonds, forged through an anvil of freezing temperatures, ......
Towards Night's Darkness by Robert Taylor. (C)
SOLD OUT
Sometimes it was five, every so often it might be six, occasionally it was three, but usually it was seven men who flew together as a crew with RAF Bomber Command. They formed the closest of bonds, forged through an anvil of freezing temperatures, ......NOT
AVAILABLE
 Sometimes it was five, every so often it might be six, occasionally it was three, but usually it was seven men who flew together as a crew with RAF Bomber Command.  They formed the closest of bonds, forged through an anvil of freezing temperatures, ......
Towards Night's Darkness by Robert Taylor. (RM)
SOLD OUT
Sometimes it was five, every so often it might be six, occasionally it was three, but usually it was seven men who flew together as a crew with RAF Bomber Command. They formed the closest of bonds, forged through an anvil of freezing temperatures, ......NOT
AVAILABLE
 Sometimes it was five, every so often it might be six, occasionally it was three, but usually it was seven men who flew together as a crew with RAF Bomber Command.  They formed the closest of bonds, forged through an anvil of freezing temperatures, ......
Towards Night's Darkness by Robert Taylor. (RMB)
SOLD OUT
Sometimes it was five, every so often it might be six, occasionally it was three, but usually it was seven men who flew together as a crew with RAF Bomber Command. They formed the closest of bonds, forged through an anvil of freezing temperatures, ......NOT
AVAILABLE
 <i>…night after night, month after month, our bomber squadrons travel far into Germany, find their targets, often under the heaviest fire, often with serious loss, with deliberate, careful discrimination, and inflict shattering blows upon the ......
Almost Home by Robert Taylor.
Price : £195.00
…night after night, month after month, our bomber squadrons travel far into Germany, find their targets, often under the heaviest fire, often with serious loss, with deliberate, careful discrimination, and inflict shattering blows upon the ......

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An all time classic image of the Lancaster bomber of Bomber command at altitude crossing the coast on its way to another bombing mission in Europe.  In this atmospheric classic image, Gerald Coulson has shown this stalwart of the Royal Air Forces Bom......
Outbound Lancaster by Gerald Coulson. (C)
Price : £125.00
An all time classic image of the Lancaster bomber of Bomber command at altitude crossing the coast on its way to another bombing mission in Europe. In this atmospheric classic image, Gerald Coulson has shown this stalwart of the Royal Air Forces Bom......

Quantity:
GC0724B. Lancaster Lift-Off by Gerald Coulson. ......
Lancaster Lift-Off by Gerald Coulson. (B)
Price : £135.00
GC0724B. Lancaster Lift-Off by Gerald Coulson. ......

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GC0724C. Lancaster Lift-Off by Gerald Coulson. ......
Lancaster Lift-Off by Gerald Coulson. (C)
Price : £115.00
GC0724C. Lancaster Lift-Off by Gerald Coulson. ......

Quantity:
 Halifaxes of No.76 Squadron RAF en route to another night bombing raid over Germany.  The lead aircraft here has code MP-L.  Serial numbers for aircraft were unique, but codes like MP-L were transferred after an aircraft was lost.  A total of 10 air......
No.76 Squadron Halifax by Ivan Berryman. (AP)
Price : £170.00
Halifaxes of No.76 Squadron RAF en route to another night bombing raid over Germany. The lead aircraft here has code MP-L. Serial numbers for aircraft were unique, but codes like MP-L were transferred after an aircraft was lost. A total of 10 air......

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Packs with at least one item featuring the signature of Warrant Officer Harry Irons DFC (deceased)


4 pack of Avro Lancaster prints.
Pack Price : £430.00
Saving : £135
Aviation Print Pack. ......

Titles in this pack :

Avro Lancaster B.1 by Ivan Berryman. (D)
Distant Dispersal by Graeme Lothian. (D)
Lancaster Dawn by Anthony Saunders. (E)
Jet Attack by David Pentland. (C)

Quantity:




Bomber Command Lancaster Art Prints by Gerald Coulson and Ivan Berryman Massive Discount Pack.
Pack Price : £580.00
Saving : £680
Aviation Print Pack - available for purchase by our customers and the art trade. ......

Titles in this pack :

Summer Harvest by Gerald Coulson.
Winter Ops by Gerald Coulson.
Outbound Lancaster by Gerald Coulson. (C)
Lancaster Lift-Off by Gerald Coulson. (C)
Gunner's Moon by Ivan Berryman.
Operation Manna by Ivan Berryman.
Avro Lancaster B.1 by Ivan Berryman. (D)
Incident over Mannheim by Ivan Berryman.
The Dambusters by Ivan Berryman.
Dambusters - Moment of Truth by Ivan Berryman.

Quantity:

Lancaster Bomber Print Pack.
Pack Price : £200.00
Saving : £220
Aviation Print Pack. ......

Titles in this pack :

One Hundred Up! by Simon Atack.
Avro Lancaster B.1 by Ivan Berryman. (D)
Operation Manna by Ivan Berryman.

Quantity:
Pack 886. Pack of two pilot-signed Lancaster prints by Ivan Berryman and Graeme Lothian.
Pack Price : £185.00
Saving : £75
Aviation Print Pack. ......

Titles in this pack :

Avro Lancaster B.1 by Ivan Berryman. (D)
Distant Dispersal by Graeme Lothian. (D)

Quantity:
Avro Lancaster Bomber Prints by Philip West and Ivan Berryman.
Pack Price : £160.00
Saving : £70
Aviation Print Pack. ......

Titles in this pack :

Lancaster Legend by Philip West.
Avro Lancaster B.1 by Ivan Berryman. (D)

Quantity:
Avro Lancaster Print Pack by Robert Taylor and Ivan Berryman.
Pack Price : £330.00
Saving : £165
Aviation Print Pack. ......

Titles in this pack :

Target Peenemunde by Robert Taylor.
Avro Lancaster B.1 by Ivan Berryman. (D)

Quantity:
WW2 Lancaster Bomber Prints by Robert Taylor and Gerald Coulson.
Pack Price : £350.00
Saving : £150
Aviation Print Pack. ......

Titles in this pack :

Target Peenemunde by Robert Taylor.
Outbound Lancaster by Gerald Coulson. (C)

Quantity:
Pilot / Aircrew Signed WW2 Halifax Prints by Ivan Berryman and Gerald Coulson.
Pack Price : £330.00
Saving : £90
Aviation Print Pack. ......

Titles in this pack :

Leading the Way by Gerald Coulson.
No.76 Squadron Halifax by Ivan Berryman. (AP)

Quantity:
Aviation Art Prints by Stephen Brown and Graeme Lothian.
Pack Price : £220.00
Saving : £160
Aviation Print Pack. ......

Titles in this pack :

Welcome Home by Stephen Brown.
Distant Dispersal by Graeme Lothian. (D)

Quantity:
Warrant Officer Harry Irons DFC (deceased)


Warrant Officer Harry Irons DFC
Squadron details



Warrant Officer Harry Irons DFC
Aircraft details


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