Description (Space and Aviation Firsts © 2017-2023).

Give Us This Day [B-17G ] Limited Edition Print Signed by William S. Phillips 398th Bomb Group 602nd Squadron.

This classic B-17 aviation art illustrates a stunning red tailed B-17G of the 338th Bomb Group departing on its way on a mission into Europe. It is personally hand signed by William S. Phillips and comes with its own numbered Certificate of Authenticity [CoA]. 

Here are a few words by William S. Phillips about this magnificent art:

"In England during World War II, each dawn brought the sounds of young men headed off to war. As daylight spreads across the tranquil countryside on this mist-shrouded summer morning, the aircraft of the 8th Air Force once again take to the air as they head for the dangerous skies of occupied Europe.

Representing not only an overt symbol of Allied might, the B-17G is also a more subtle indication as to the direction of the war. The plane carries no camouflage paint, since paint added weight, which cost speed and fuel. Stationed in Northamsted between April '44 and June '45, this B-17G is from the 398th Bomb Group, 602nd Bomb Squadron. Along with most others, the crew members ardent prayer was ". . . give us this day."

Note:  Nuthampstead is the 20th Century and World War Two name known by the 398th Bombardment Group.  The town was also known, as mentioned above, as Northamstead during the 19th Century and is often interchangeable. 

There were only 550 of these stunningly beautiful Give Us This Day [B-17G ] Limited Edition Print signed by William Phillips created for the Worldwide market!   Each comes with its own numbered Certificate of Authenticity [CoA]. 

The ‘hallmark’ of a Master Aviation Artist is in their ability to show aircraft from different flight angles and in their different elements.  This art is beautiful in photo realism of the B-17G low on its final approach with the Sun streaming through the cloud formation.  The detail in the bridge work and the white flowers next to the river bank are simply outstanding.  The exceptional construct of this art is the artist putting you right into this moment as another observer of the B-17G Crew returning home safely from one of the required 25 missions over Europe.

This Give Us This Day [B-17G ] Limited Edition Print Signed by William S. Phillips 398th Bomb Group 602nd Squadron captures all the vivid color and brilliance of the original William S. Phillips work of art. At 26w" x 19 1/2"h, this is stunning 'Landscape across your wall art', that outstandingly captures the inspiring B-17G of the 338th Bomb Group 602nd Squadron returning home.

There are many moments of courage by Military Forces around the World when required and many are never recorded. This magnificent art, powerful in its presentation, honours the courage and heroism of the US 8th Air Force [USAAF] Bomber Crews who served in World War Two.

William S. Phillips Masterwork Aviation Art sells!  Please order now so that you do not miss out on this very restricted opportunity! 

Mission Profile (source Wikipedia)

The 398th Bombardment Group

During World War II, its predecessor unit, the 398th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was an Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England, stationed at RAF Nuthampstead. The group flew 195 combat missions, the last being on 25 April 1945.

[The 398th Bombardment Group is now the Air Expeditionary Group in modern times and is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe. The 398 AEG may be activated or inactivated at any time.]

The group was constituted as the 398th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 15 February 1943, and equipped with the B-17 Flying Fortress. It was activated 1 March 1943 at Ephrata Army Air Base, Wash., with the 600th, 601st, 602d, and 603d Bombardment Squadrons. 

The group moved to England in April 1944 and assigned to Eighth AF. The 398th BG entered combat in May 1944, and until V-E Day operated primarily against strategic objectives in Germany, attacking targets such as factories in Berlin, warehouses in Munich, marshalling yards in Saarbrücken, shipping facilities in Kiel, oil refineries in Merseburg, and aircraft plants in Münster.

The group temporarily suspended strategic missions to attack coastal defenses and enemy troops on the Cotentin Peninsula during the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944. The group struck gun positions near Eindhoven in support of the air attack on Holland in September 1944, and raided power stations, railroads, and bridges during the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944-January 1945. The group flew missions attacking airfields to aid the Allied assault across the Rhine in March 1945.

The 398th flew its last combat mission, attacking an airfield in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, on 25 April 1945. After V-E Day the group transported liberated prisoners from Germany to France.

From Nuthampstead, the 398th Bomb Group flew 195 combat missions and redeployed to the USA in May/June 1945. 

Post Cold War: The 398th BG was reactivated in 1992 as 398th Operations Group. Assigned first to 340th Air Refueling Wing, later to 97th Air Mobility Wing as a KC-135 air refueling group. From 1 June 1992-31 March 1995 the 93d Air Refueling Squadron was part of the group. 

During Operation Iraqi Freedom the title 398th Air Expeditionary Group was given to a collection of units and personnel operating from Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Greece.

Later in 2003, the unit participated in Operation Shining Express in Liberia, a rescue operation directed by United States European Command to evacuate civilians from parts of Liberia affected by the Second Liberian Civil War. Among the groups contributions was delivering a United States Marine Corps security forces team.

Size 

This historical Give Us This Day [B-17G ] PRINT Limited Edition Print Signed by William S. Phillips 398th Bomb Group 602nd Squadron has an:

Image Size: 26" width x 19 1/2" height, 

stunning in its presentation and personally hand signed by William S. Phillips, limited to 550 Worldwide and with its own numbered Certificate of Authenticity [CoA]

Upon purchase I will be pleased to provide written professional museum framing hints as an additional courtesy to you. 

This is an important signed historical art piece for any collection. 

Shipping

Shipping Worldwide is included to the purchaser, my gift to you. 

Your magnificent Limited Edition Print will be shipped directly to you from the USA.

This is a great buy and offering for International, UK, European and Asia Pacific Collectors.  

Conclusion

This Give Us This Day [B-17G ] PRINT Limited Edition Print Signed by William S. Phillips 398th Bomb Group 602nd Squadron is simply a must have 'Life Piece' of World War Two, USAAF 8th Air Force Air Crews Aviation History.  

Collectors Hints (Space and Aviation Firsts © 2017-2023).

Collectors Hint 1 - What is a 'Giclee' Limited Edition Print? 

A Limited Edition Print uses the Giclee printing technique for very high quality.   

The Term: The term "Giclee print" connotes an elevation in printmaking technology, which is exactly what it is. 

Images are generated from high resolution digital scans and printed with archival quality inks onto various substrates including canvas, fine art, and photo-base paper. The Giclee printing process provides better colour accuracy than other means of reproduction. Archival quality ensures that the prints are light-fast and non-water soluble.

The Quality: The quality of the "Giclee print" rivals traditional silver-halide and gelatine printing processes and is commonly found in museums, art galleries, and photographic galleries.

They are stunningly beautiful in their presentation and are ‘Stand Out Impressive’ upon your Wall.

Collectors’ Hint 2 - William S. Phillips

Phillips grew up loving art but never thought he could make it his livelihood. At college he majored in criminology and had been accepted into law school when four of his paintings were sold at an airport restaurant. That was all the incentive he needed to begin his work as a fine art painter. Bill Phillips is now a renowned aviation artist after one of his paintings was presented to King Hussein of Jordan, Phillips was commissioned by the Royal Jordanian Air Force. He developed sixteen major paintings, many of which now hang in the Royal Jordanian Air Force Museum in Amman. 

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum presented a one-man show of Phillips’ work in 1986. He is one of only a few artists to have been so honored. In 1988, Phillips was chosen to be a U.S. Navy combat artist. For his outstanding work, the artist was awarded the Navy’s Meritorious Public Service Award and the Air Force Sergeants Association Americanism Medal. 

At the prestigious annual fund raiser for the National Park Service, Bill’s work has been included in the Top 100 each year he has entered the competition and his work has won the Art History Award twice. Phillips was selected as the Fall 2004 Artist in Residence at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and tapped by the U.S. Postal Service to paint the stamp illustrations and header design for a pane of twenty stamps in 1997 entitled Classic American Aircraft. He was chosen again in 2005 for a pane of twenty stamps (ten designs) entitled American Advances in Aviation. Bill’s major collection of aviation art, Into the Sunlit Splendor, was published by The Greenwich Workshop Press in 2005. 

Note: This is serious and enjoyable premium quality Art Space and Aviation Collecting.  If an offer is to be made, please understand the offer needs to be very seriously 'close'! 

Photograph credits:

Photo 1  An image of the Art

Photo 2  A closer upper horizontal image of the Art - note the incredible attention to detail present in the art 

Photo 3  A closer lower central image of the Art

Photo 4  A stunning colour photograph of  the B-17 FLYING FORTRESS 44-8771; It's history is; Delivered Cheyenne 20/12/44; Hunter 1/1/45; Grenier 20/1/45; Assigned 601BS/398BG [3O-B] Nuthampstead 3/2/45; transferred 306BG Thurleigh 4/2/45; Salvaged 9AF Germany 6/11/46. [courtesy American Air Museum AAM. - Roger Freeman Collection]

Photo 5 An outstanding black and white photograph of the B-17 "Wonder Boy" 43-38627 K8-Z was assigned to 602nd Squadron, of the 398th Bomb Group, as a replacement aircraft on 17th October 1944. [courtesy 398th Bomb Group Collection via Nuthampstead Airfield Museum.]

Photo 6 A RAF photograph of the Nuthampstead Airfield taken from 6,400 feet, with its 'classic' wartime, three runways layout spreadout below.  Note the dispersal areas for aircraft parking.  [courtesy UK Heritage RAF Photography.]

Photos 7 and 8: Examples of William S. Phillips signature on two similar [Canvas] Limited Edition Prints.

Please remember to 'click' Seller Information in the top right corner of this listing to see the many other great offerings inside 'Space and Aviation Firsts'.  

'A Passion in Life is a Life Well Lived!'

Kind Regards,