All our prints and paintings are FREE of VAT.
You will not be charged VAT on any purchase you make.

After 10 amazing but frantic years of publishing aviation art I decided last Christmas to semi-retire, which is by way of belatedly explaining why future news updates will be rather less than prolific! The main difference is, we have no plans to publish more prints; that’s not to say won’t ever do so again, simply we have no plans at present.

Our legendary customer service of which we are enormously proud won’t change one bit. I’ll still be here, tweaking the web site when necessary, answering the telephone, accepting and shipping orders from our existing stock. Which reminds me, we are either sold out or have low stocks of many Remarque and Artist Proof editions.  

Events: It has become increasingly difficult to find potential speakers who live within a reasonable distance of and who are able to travel to Bracknell. We have no plans for any further events, though rarely a day passes without someone asking us to ‘hold just one more, so you might want to watch this space!’

In the meantime, if over the years you have bought prints or cards from us, I think you will know how much we have appreciated your custom and we will continue to do so in the future. We always have and always will provide a very personal service.

If you are new to our company, when you buy direct from us, the publisher of all the prints (exc. Collector’s Bargains) you see on our web site, you have our personal guarantee of the best in quality and service. All the prints you see offered with the signatures of aviators, have been signed in pencil (unlike ink, graphite does not fade) my presence.

If you ever have any questions please feel free to telephone (01225 444929) or send me an email.

Kind regards,
Sean Whyte
Owner/Publisher
SWA Fine Art Publishers Ltd.

Dear Sean,
 
Thanks very much for your email and the photos were great.
 
May I just say, and please feel free to publish this: Your service not only on the day, but after the event, has been absolute first class.
 
Thanks again,
 
Alex & Laura.

 

Group Photo from our In the Company of Heroes event on January 16.

Looking at the photo, standing from L to R.
Ted Dunford, Wally Harris, David Ince, Peter Beresford, Benny Goodman.
sitting: L to R:  Mark Mead, Ron Holmes, Rusty Waughman, Ron Clark.

Lt. Cdr. Peter Beresfod  D.S.C. RN (Swordfish pilot) joined the navy in February 1942 at Lee on Solent. He had been in the navy for only three days when 825 Squadron who were also at Lee on Solent went for the Channel Dash and were all shot down. After training Peter was posted to 816 Squadron and later drafted to HMS Tracker for work on Atlantic Convoys under Escort Group
2 commanded by Johnny Walker, the outstandingly best U-boat hunter.

A year later Peter was transferred to HMS Chaser for Russian convoys - very different to the Atlantic ones. He damaged a u-boat with Rocket Projectiles(RPs) and it was finished off by HMS Onslaught. In May 1944 his ship was anchored to a buoy in Scappa Flow, waiting for another convoy to assemble, when a storm caught them and caused the cable holding the buoy to the seabed to break loose. In about two minutes the ship was grounded and badly damaged, subsequently to be sent to Cornwall to help the RAF on the D-Day landings. Peter  was flying on the west flank of the armada, looking at 2000 ships at sunrise on D-Day - an unforgettable sight. His next posting was to 836 Mac Ship Squadron, still flying Stringbags - four to a ship. Each Mac Ship was a Merchant ship with a flight deck fixed on top! After five trips Peter was re-assigned to be a batsman on Mac Ships, supposedly a rest from operations. On VE day his Mac Ship escorted six surfaced U-boats to surrender off Londonderry.  Peter's final posting was to Seafires on HMS Magnificent. Prior to setting sail for the Pacific the A-bomb was dropped and the war ended.

Flt. Lt. David Ince DFC. After flying Hurricanes he converted to Typhoons and flew with 193 and 257 Squadrons, from Normandy until the end of hostilities in Europe. He completed almost 150 sorties!

Flt Lt Russell (Rusty) Waughman DFC AFC Special Duties Lancaster pilot volunteered for the RAF in 1941. After training in Canada, he qualified as a heavy bomber pilot. In November 1943 he was posted to No 101(Special Duties) Squadron at Ludford Magna. He completed a tour of operations, which began during the 'Battle of Berlin', where they did several operations.  Surviving a mid-air collision, only to write the aircraft off on landing, 'Rusty' and his crew on a subsequent flight had a miraculous escape when their aircraft was blown upside down, over the target, at Mailly-le-Camp; they also survived the Nuremberg raid on 30th March 1944, when 97 aircraft were lost - including about one quarter of 101 sqn strength that night.  

 
Flt. Lt. Ronald Homes DFC Special Duties Lancaster pilot joined the RAF in March 1942 and after initial training, went to Terrell, Texas, USA for his flying training, where he gained his wings in May 1943. He returned to the UK and joined No. 101 Sqn. in May 1944, going on to complete 32 Ops. over Europe. After his bombing tour he converted onto Dakotas, joined No. 238 Sqdn. and flew out to India and Burma, then on to Australia and the South Pacific. After the Japanese surrender he joined 1315 Flight and flew up to Japan with the occupation forces. 

Flt. Lt. Ron Clark DFC  100 Sqn. Lancaster  ("Phantom of the Ruhr") pilot volunteered for flying duties in 1941 and after interviews completed initial training in Paignton. Several courses preceded his arrival at Lindholme heavy conversion unit before joining the "Battle of the Ruhr" with No 100 Squadron based at Waltham near Grimsby. He and his crew were assigned a brand new Lancaster III EE139 which they almost did for on their twenty-fourth trip with her to Manheim, but she went on to complete 120 operations before being unceremoniously scrapped.  After a period of instructing Ron was then posted to No 7 Sqn for deployment to the Far East, which was stymied by the dropping of the atomic bomb, I did a lot more instructing before applying for a secondment to BOAC.

Sqn. Ldr. Lawrence "Benny" Goodman (Pilot) volunteered for aircrew at 18 years of age and was called up in 1940. After basic training he went to RAF Abingdon - a Whitley O.T.U - for what he was told would be 'straight through' training. This did not materialise and he found himself in the role of a Ground Gunner. In 1941, a posting eventually came through to the Initial Training Wing followed by Elementary Flying School at Peterborough and an instructor's course at Woodley, Reading; then to Clyffe Pyparde, a holding unit. A sea journey to Canada followed and Service Flying Training School on Ansons. On completion he was posted to Kingston, Ontario, to instruct Acting Leading Naval Airmen on the Royal Navy tactics of the time. e.g. jinking after take-off, dive bombing etc.  "However, I had to learn everything first, so I was just about one step ahead of the students! said Benny.

W/O Mark Mead (Pilot) joined the RAF in 1941. After training Mark was posted to No. 12 Squadron flying Whitleys on which he completed three operations.
Then posted to No. 103 Squadron flying Halifaxes. Completed seven operations. Shot down on his eighth trip over Belgium. P.O.W. in Stalag 8B.
As the Russians advanced the P.O.W's were marched 600 miles in to Germany. Mark stayed there until January 1945.

Flt. Lt.  Ted Dunford DFC, (Pilot) joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve in January 1939 at the age of 19. He was mobilised September 1, 1939. Ted spent the next year training in the UK culminating in receiving his wings in September 1940.  he was sent to Southern Rhodesia as a flying instructor, then returned to the UK to join the Mosquitoes of 608 Sqdn. in the Light Night Striking Force (based at Downham Market, Norfolk) , flying fast high level raids, navigated by Flt/Sgt. Bill Read (RCAF) and carrying 4 500lb bombs, and later re-equipped to deliver the 4000lb "cookie".

On one raid, flak over Berlin caused serious damage, including total loss of aileron control. The subsequent return flight and successful landing (at the third attempt) was recognised by the award of a DFC. On completion of the tour of 55 raids (including 27 to Berlin), navigator Flt/Sgt. Bill Read was awarded the DFM. After the war Ted flew for another 28 years as an airline captain.

Wally Harris;  Holder of the Military Medal, Light Aid Detachment, whose first contact with the enemy was when he caught a downed Me109 pilot in Kent. He went on to become one of the first ashore on D-Day. 

Philip West with his superb "Attack on the Tirpitz" original oil painting
at the same show.

Frequently Asked questions

You may find the following information of help when selecting the print(s) of your choice. If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email us.

Limited Eition Prints
A predetermined number of prints published from an original piece of art. The quantity of prints published can vary from edition to edition and publisher to publisher. Typically, an edition will be 500 or less. The fewer there are the rarer the print. Each print is individually numbered. e.g. 15/850

The signature.
Every limited edition print bears the unique signature of the artist. This signature is the artist’s seal of approval that the print is a faithful and accurate reproduction of his original painting. Over the years collectors have demonstrated their enthusiasm for prints countersigned by pilots and/or crew members. Wherever possible we try to accommodate this preference, but sometimes it is either impractical or prohibitively expensive. e.g. when the relevant people live overseas.

Remarque
This is a small original drawing or sketch made by the artist in the lower white margin/border of the print, either to the right or left of the print title and caption. Generally, an artist would not Remarque more than 50 prints in an edition, each one of which attracts a premium price because of its uniqueness. i.e. no two drawings will ever be exactly the same. Remarqued prints tend to be the most valuable and prized of any edition.

Two examples of Stephen Brown’s Remarques.

Three examples of Philip West’s Remarques.

Artist Proofs
These are published in addition to the main edition and signed as Artist Proof or A/P. Traditionally these prints are reserved for the artist’s personal use, and usually do not exceed more than 10% of any one edition. Nowadays, most publishers and artists make this allocation available to collectors at a slight premium.

Paper quality
We use 300-gram (350 gram since June 2003) acid free paper of the finest quality (in accordance with ISO 9706), manufactured using Elemental Chlorine Free Pulps and vegetable based lightfast inks not less than BW7 on the lightfast scale Printing process. We use four-colour Offset Lithography, the most widely used form of printing today.

Secondary Market
Once an edition has sold out, the prints normally begin to attract a higher value, based on how quickly the edition sold out and the present demand for the print in question. Collectors will sometimes offer such prints for sale through an advertisement at a price they feel the print is now worth; this is known as the ‘Secondary Market’. It is always worth giving the artist’s publisher a call to see if they might know where you can find a specific print.

Sold Out
When this term is used by SWA Fine Art Publishers it indicates we have sold out of that particular print. It is possible, though, that one of our retailers or distributors may still have a copy in stock and we will always be happy to put you in touch with the one nearest you. Please contact us in the first instance.

Framing / Mounting
We recommend that prints are “Conservation Mounted.” This will help preserve the life as well as the value of your limited edition print. If you take your print to a framer be sure to take your time over the selection of both the mount and frame, keeping in mind the décor of the room where you propose to hang the picture. Cost’s vary enormously depending on the size of the print, quality of frame chose, your location, etc. For one of our standard sized prints the frame could cost upward of £50. Due to the difficulty in shipping framed pictures we regret we are unable to provide prints already framed.

US$ etc prices.
Due to the constant change in exchange rates we are gradually removing US$ prices from our web site. If you would like to find out how much one of our prints is in your local currency you might like to use this web site for
a quick and easy comparison.  http://www.xe.com/ucc/