Military Aviation Art
On October 27, 1918 Maj. William Barker, one of the highest scoring Allied
aces of WW1, took off from Beugnatre on what would become one of the
controversial flights of the war. Flying a new type of aircraft, the
Sopwith Snipe, Barker crossed over the lines in an attempt to score
another victory before returning to England. He found what he was looking
for near the town of Valenciennes, scoring a high altitude victory over a
two seat reconnaissance aircraft high above the Mormal Forest. In the
process, however, Barker himself was attacked from below by Fokker DVIIs
from an unknown German Jasta. Wounded and disoriented, Barker lapsed in
and out of consciousness as his plane fell from the sky. As he fought for
his life among an unknown number of German aircraft he even attempted to
ram one of the Germans. In the end, Barker managed to bring his Snipe down
inside of the Allied lines. William Barker was awarded the Victoria Cross
for his actions that day
Printed on acid free rag
paper, this is the second print in the "Legendary Encounters "
series. The edition consists of 200 prints. each of which is signed and
numbered by Russell Smith. |
