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It was the target whose name would silence a briefing room: the Focke-Wulf factory at Bremen. Protected by more than 250 flak guns, this linchpin of the Nazi war machine was churning out eighty FW 190 “Butcher Birds” a month at its peak.
The Allies had to take it down, and the job fell to the 8th Air Force. They struck again and again, and on December 20, 1943, over Bremen, Lt. Charlie Brown and his rookie crew in the B-17 "Ye Olde Pub" were nearly blown from the sky—only to be spared in an extraordinary act of mercy by Luftwaffe ace Franz Stigler.
Our newest “Sites of Valor” sign pays tribute to Charlie, his crew, and every 8th Air Force airman who braved Bremen’s deadly defenses. Each hand-weathered aluminum sign looks as if it were pulled straight from the wreckage of the Focke-Wulf plant and bears the signatures of two 379th BG B-17 pilots who led their men into the frozen hell above: Roland Martin and Bill Purple.
Whether displayed beneath your favorite "A Higher Call" print or as a bold backdrop for your models, these signs are destined to be the centerpiece of any Man Cave. With a limited number worldwide, place your order now, before they're history.
Shipping added in checkout // size: 19.75" x 7" // ships sleeved & boxed
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MAIN EDITION
300 limited-edition signs, bearing a numbered seal of authenticity on the reverse side. Available signed by 379th BG B-17 pilots Roland Martin and Bill Purple, both of whom flew a mission over Bremen.
Extra items shown in display images not included.
OTHER EDITIONS
An Open Edition, bearing no autographs may be released by Valor Studios. A Signer Proof edition of 10 signs exists for project helpers.
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CAPTAIN ROLAND MARTIN
Joining the Air Corps in 1942, Roland became a B-17 pilot at the young age of 19 and when he was assigned to the 525th SQD., 379th BG at Kimbolton, he was the youngest B-17 pilot in the entire 8th Air Force! He and his crew completed nine missions aboard their B-17F, named "The Iron Maiden," which featured nose art of a nude woman on the side, a work-in-progress by a local Kimbolton artist that the crew had hired. The nose-art would never be finished as Roland's tenth mission was "Black Thursday." Hit by flak over Germany, "The Iron Maiden" lost both engines on the starboard side and fell out of formation. Streaming gasoline and being attacked by JU 88s, Roland decided to force land "The Iron Maiden," the best chance to save his crew. He safely put the plane down in a German farm field where he attempted to destroy the aircraft before escaping capture. He and his flight engineer spent two weeks on the run, heading for Switzerland, until they were captured. Roland was placed in Stalag Luft I where he spent the rest of the war.
CAPTAIN BILL PURPLE
As a 19-year-old B-17 pilot, Bill joined the 379th Bomb Group’s 525th Squadron in fall of 1944 piloting “Four of a Kind.” One of his most memorable missions took place on November 5th, near Frankfurt, when his #4 engine erupted in flames. Fearing that the fire would spread into the wing and explode, Bill put his B-17 in a sideslip and dropped it from 25,000 to 15,000 feet altitude where the fire was finally extinguished. His daring maneuver saved his plane and his crew. He flew missions to targets such as Berlin, as part of the famous 1,000 plane raids, and survived a flak hit to the chest thanks to his armor vest. Due to his talent in the pilot’s seat, Bill was quickly promoted to a lead pilot, then squadron lead pilot, where he even led the group on several missions. On March 11, 1945, Bill flew a mission over one of the Reich’s most infamous targets – Bremen, the 10th time the 379th BG visited that city. Several weeks later, Bill flew his last of 35 combat missions, and was rotated stateside where he continued to fly, this time ferrying “War Weary” B-17s and B-24s to their final resting place – the scrapyards at Kingman, AZ. In later years, Bill served as the President of the 379th Bomb Group Association, which included his friends Charlie Brown and Franz Stigler.
