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Flying Officer Frank Wheeler DFC
Frank Wheeler joined the RAF in 1941, training in England as a pilot after which he completed a period of instructing. In January 1944 he was posted to join 174 Typhoon Fighter Squadron at Westhampnett, his first operation being as an escort to the Mosquitos taking part in Operation Jericho, the Amiens Jailbreak. He stayed with 174 Squadron for the remainder of the War, serving throughout occupied Europe, and in 1945, at the end of his tour of operations, he was awarded the DFC. We have learned that Frank Wheeler sadly passed away in early 2013.
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| Distinguished Flying Cross |
| Flying Officer Frank Wheeler DFC - Signed Aviation Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings Pilot and Aircrew Signatures |
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Typhoon! by Ivan Berryman. So often overshadowed by its own achievements as a ground attack aircraft, Hawkers mighty Typhoon also proved itself a formidable adversary in air to air combat as demonstrated by the successes of F/Lt (later Wing Commander) J R Baldwin who claimed no fewer than three Bf.109G4s in the skies above Kent on 20th January 1943 in a single sortie. Baldwin finished the war as the highest-scoring Typhoon pilot of all with 15 confirmed victories, one shared, one probable and four damaged. He was tragically lost over Korea in 1952 whilst on an exchange posting with the USAF, but is depicted here at the peak of his powers, flying Typhoon 1B DN360 (PR-A) of 609 Sqn. |
Bombs Away by Ivan Berryman. On 20th June 1944, Hawker Typhoons of 146 Wing, 84 Group, were detailed to attack a railway tunnel that was being used by the Germans as a supplies store. Leading the raid in MN934 (ZH-Z), Wing Commander J R Baldwin and his men successfully sealed the tunnel at both ends, thus depriving the retreating German infantry of essential provisions and ammunition. |
Sledgehammer by Ivan Berryman. Regarded by some in the Air Ministry as a failed fighter, the mighty Hawker Typhoon was unrivalled as a ground attack aircraft, especially in the crucial months immediately prior to - and after - D-Day when squadrons of Typhoons operated in 'cab ranks' to smash the German infrastructure and smooth the passage of the invading allied force. This aircraft is Mk.1B (MN570) of Wing Commander R E P Brooker of 123 Wing based at Thorney Island. |
Foob Fairbanks - The Terror of the Rhine by Ivan Berryman. Flying his last mission with his old mount, Hawker Tempest EJ762, fresh from repair after being damaged by flak, David Fairbanks found himself embroiled in a fierce battle with Messerschmitt Bf109s on 17th December 1944. In the course of the combat, Fairbanks shot down two of the enemy aircraft and damaged another before returning safely. |
Bug Killer by Ivan Berryman. Equipped with the experimental Monica IIIE detection device, Hawker Tempest EJ535 was deployed to the Fighter Interception Unit at Newchurch for evaluation in July 1944. Originally developed as the AN/APS 13, Monica had been intended as a rear-looking device to warn crews of attacks from behind. Now modified to face forward, it became a valuable aid in the battle against Hitler's terror weapons, notably the V-1 Flying Bomb. In the hands of the Fighter Interception Unit's then Commanding Officer Joseph Berry, this became a winning combination with no fewer than 52 Doodlebugs falling to Berry's guns - on one occasion, seven V1s being shot down by Berry in a single night. |
Tribute to Sqn Ldr David Fairbanks by Ivan Berryman. Whilst flying with other Hawker Tempests of 274 Sqn on 11th February 1945, Sqn Ldr David Fairbanks spotted a lone Arado Ar234 of the Kommando Sperling 1 (F) / 123 flown by Hauptmann Hans Felde returning to its base at Rheine. A desperate chase commenced through the cloudbase until the German jet prepared to land, whereupon Fairbanks sent 4U+DH down in flames after a single short burst of his four 20mm cannon. |
Tempest Moon by Ivan Berryman. Three 501 Sqn Hawker Tempests roar low across the North Sea outbound from Bradwell Bay, Essex, on their way to attack a German airfield at Bad Zwischehhan and nearby rail yards on the night of 2nd October 1944. The trio comprised of Sqn Ldr Joseph Berry, flying EJ600 (SD-F), Flt Lt E L 'Willy' Williams (SD-L) and Flt Lt C A 'Horry' Hansen. Berry was to lose his life on this mission, his aircraft being hit by ground fire from soldiers manning a radar station east of Veendam. |
Red Section Scramble by Ivan Berryman. 609 Sqn Hawker Typhoons are shown taking off from Manson in Kent in February 1943. Nearest aircraft, R7872 (PR-S) is that of Sgt John Johnny Wiseman, the other, DN294 (PR-O) being the mount of Fl Sgt Alan Babe Haddon. Both aircraft were tragically lost during an action on 14th February, the pair being taken by surprise by Focke-Wulf 190s over the Channel, Wiseman losing his life in the incident. |
Wing Commander J R Baldwin - The Spoils of War by Ivan Berryman. Britain's highest scoring Typhoon ace, Wing Commander J R Baldwin climbs from the cockpit of his personalised Typhoon at a makeshift airfield in northern France after a sortie in support of the Allied forces' drive into mainland Europe following D-Day in June 1944. Baldwin was instrumental in the capture of a German General's Mercedes, a prize which he employed as his personal transport for the duration of his time in France. |
Hard Hitter by Ivan Berryman. Whilst in command of 609 Sqn in January 1944, F/Lt (later Wing Commander) J R Baldwin, leading a small formation of Hawker Typhoon 1Bs, encountered thirty Focke-Wulf Fw190s and engaged them in a furious battle. Nine enemy aircraft were shot down in the action, Baldwin accounting for two of them himself. He went on to finish the war as the highest-scoring Typhoon pilot of all with 15 confirmed victories, one shared, one probable and four damaged. He is depicted here, flying DN360 with the codes PR-A. |
Airborne in JB1 by Ivan Berryman. Squadron Leader J R Baldwin gets airborne from a makeshift airfield in northern France flying one of his personalised Hawker Typhoons, JB-1. |
F/Lt J R Baldwin by Ivan Berryman. F/Lt (later Wing Commander) Baldwin was to become the highest-scoring Typhoon pilot of all with 15 confirmed victories, one shared, one probable and four damaged. He is depicted here downing a Bf.109 in Typhoon 1B, DN360 (PR-A) of 609 Sqn over Beachy Head. |
Typhoon Season by Ivan Berryman. Typhoon IBs of No.181 Squadron attack a German supply vessel off the coast of northern France during the run up to D-Day in 1944 using cannon and 60lb rockets. This unique aircraft's amazing speed at low level and awesome fire-power proved formidable and, after a shaky start to its service career, proved itself beyond all doubt to be an essential tool in the softening-up operations against German defences prior to allied invasion in June 1944. |
A Busy Day at the Office by Ivan Berryman. The leadership qualities and grim determination of Squadron Leader J R Baldwin was seldom better demonstrated that when he led a small flight of Hawker Typhoons against a force of some thirty Focke-Wulf Fw.190s in January 1944. Nine of the German aircraft were shot down that day, Baldwin himself being responsible for two of them. He is shown here in Typhoon PR-A of No.609 Squadron. |
JBII - Hawker Typhoon of Wing Commander J R Baldwin by Ivan Berryman. Squadron Leader J R Baldwin passes above a section of Mulberry Harbour near Arromanches, late in June 1944, his personalised Hawker Typhoon bearing the codes JBII. |
Winter Warriors by Ivan Berryman. The Winter of 1943-44 saw Hawker Typhoons operating from Tangmere, equipped with 500lb or 1000lb bombs against radar installations and V1 sites in northern France. Wing Commander J R Baldwin is depicted getting airborne with others of his squadron for just such a mission early in 1944, before the squadron moved to Needs Oar Point in readiness for the D-Day landings. |
| Flying Officer Frank Wheeler DFC Aircraft details |
 Typhoon Manufacturer : Hawker Built : 3330 | Typhoon Single engine fighter with a maximum speed of 412 mph at 19,000 feet and a ceiling of 35,200 feet. range 510 miles. The Typhoon was armed with twelve browning .303inch machine guns in the wings (MK1A) Four 20mm Hispano cannon in wings (MK!B) Two 1000ilb bombs or eight 3-inch rockets under wings. The first proto type flew in February 1940, but due to production problems the first production model flew in May 1941. with The Royal Air Force receiving their first aircraft in September 1941. Due to accidents due to engine problems (Sabre engine) The Hawker Typhoon started front line service in December 1941.The Hawker Typhoon started life in the role of interceptor around the cost of England but soon found its real role as a ground attack aircraft. especially with its 20mm cannon and rockets. This role was proved during the Normandy landings and the period after. The total number of Hawker typhoons built was 3,330. |
| Flying Officer Frank Wheeler DFC Squadron details |
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