D-Day Landings “They came, rank after relentless rank, ten lanes wide, twenty miles across, five thousand ships of every description. There were fast new attack transports, slow rust-scarred freighters, small ocean liners, Channel steamers, hospital ships, weather-beaten tankers, coasters and swarms of fussing tugs. There were endless columns of shallow-draft landing ships, great wallowing vessels, some of them almost 350 feet long. Ahead of the convoys were processions of mine sweepers, Coast Guard cutters, buoy-layers and motor launches. Barrage balloons flew above the ships. Squadrons of fighter planes weaved below the clouds. And surrounding this fantastic cavalcade of ships packed with men, guns, tanks, motor vehicles and supplies, was a formidable array of 702 warships” The Longest Day The artist Bill Perring was commissioned by Gibsons for this special commemorative painting which now sits proudly in the Gibsons showroom. It was a long process starting from 28th November 2003 with the first meeting. Various sketches were then drawn by Bill to ensure we could get in all the details from the different landing crafts to the German traps on the beach set to pierce them at high tide (luckily the Germans got this wrong!). Planes are Bill's speciality and the detail on the Spitfire is amazing. Look out too for tiny gliders in the distance. The painting was finally completed on 19th March 2004. Spitfire AP-B, was originally assigned to 186 Squadron which reformed as 130 Sq. on 5th April 1944, based at Lympne. The Squadron was assigned the D-Day task of patrolling the landing beaches. In August of that year 130’s ageing Mk. V Spitfires were replaced with Mark fourteens and the Squadron was re-assigned to anti-V1 patrols.The Typhoons are from 245 Squadron, engaged on D-Day in attacks on beachhead gun positions. 12th Dec 2003 - the first pencil sketch First colour rough ... Finally finished on 19th March! Many thanks to Bill for his hard work and dedication! See here for Bill Perring's special feature on the Squadron Salute painting we launched as a jigsaw puzzle in 2002. Look out for two special features in the 'Best of British' magazine and the Nottingham Evening Post (featured local retailers - Brookfields Garden Centre: 01159 268200, Puzzles Plus: 01777 708628, Mail order express 08700 12 90 90) Puzzle size : 490mm x 685mm (19" x 27") Jigsaws are available to buy online from our where to buy page.