Brian Sanders (British, B. 1937) "Lord Arthur William Tedder and the Hawker Typhoon" Original Watercolor painting. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the Great Britain 22p Lord Tedder/Typhoon stamp issued September 16, 1986. Considered by Allied leaders as the world's most skilled officer in the use of the airplane as a tactical weapon, Lord Arthur William Tedder helped bring the Axis Powers to their knees in World War II. At the start of the war, Tedder was appointed Deputy Air Officer Commander-in-Chief for the Middle East. In 1941, he became full air officer of the Middle East Command, which covered the area from Malta to the Persian Gulf and extended south all the way to Madagascar. In this post, Tedder mercilessly bombed the Axis warships in the Mediterranean as well as Axis-held cities. In 1942, he aided Malta and later that same year, used the RAF as a front-line artillery against Axis forces operating out of Libya. Without question Lord Tedder's leadership helped defeat the Axis in Italy, Sicily and North Africa. So impressed was General Eisenhower with Lord Tedder's performance that he made him his deputy when he organized his top team for the invasion of Europe. One of the aircraft which is forever linked with the name Arthur W. Tedder is the Hawker Typhoon which was developed as the successor to the Hurricane and was planned from the start to carry twelve guns. Although it had problems in development, the Typhoon was nevertheless the fastest Allied fighter at low level in 1941. The aircraft proved ideal for the "cab rank" fighting technique in which standing patrols of Typhoons could be called down by ground forces to strike any target that lay in the path of Allied troops. Image Size: 11.75 x 14 in. Overall Size: 14.25 x 18.5 in. Unframed. (B10534)