Robert Bob Knights Tirplitz WW2 LIMITED TO 25 Hand Signed FDC

STB022 This is stunning Buckingham collectors official limited Frank Wootton Sinking Of The Tirplitz first day cover hand signed by D-Day Veteran Sir Robert Knights where the signature rests perfectly accompanying the special hand commemorative franks.  This comes with full lifetime COA as the signing has been officially certified by the publishers with full hallmarking and authenticity of the series which was just 25 signed and hand numbered 7 of 25 in absolute brand new mint condition. You wont source better.

In June 1943 Knights joined No 619 Squadron flying the Lancaster. Soon afterwards the Battle of Berlin began, and Knights made eight attacks against the Big City Bomber Commands losses were particularly high. On another occasion he was en route to bomb Hamburg when one of his engines failed shortly after reaching the Dutch coast, and he would have been justified in turning back; but he pressed on and bombed the target successfully. Within six months he had completed his tour of 30 operations and was awarded the DFC.  He and his crew were due for a six-month rest, but decided that they wanted to do something more challenging. They volunteered for service with No 617 (Dam Busters) Squadron, and, after an interview with Leonard Cheshire, No 617s CO, they were taken on.

Cheshire had developed low-level target-marking techniques with No 617 and, with the arrival of Barnes Walliss new Tallboy bomb, the squadron specialised in attacking pinpoint targets such as concrete U-boat and E-boat shelters, aero-engines works and the V1 flying bomb sites.
During the lead-up to the Normandy invasion, Knights bombed tunnels, rail marshalling yards and bridges to block German reinforcement routes to the invasion area. The Tallboys, dropped with great accuracy on the target markers by Cheshire and his fellow marker-crews, caused devastating damage. Once the Allies were firmly established in north-west Europe, No 617 turned its attention to the Tirpitz.
After flying 67 bombing operations, Knights was rested, and in June 1945 he was seconded to BOAC to fly converted Lancasters on routes to the Middle East and Australia, which the airline was re-establishing.
Knights left the RAF at the end of 1946 to join BOAC, and over the next few years he flew the Argonaut and the Boeing Stratocruiser, the latter on the North Atlantic route. After a spell on the Britannia, Knights converted to jets; he flew the inaugural VC 10 flight to Montreal in 1966. Later he flew the Boeing 747 and was one of the fleets training captains. He retired from British Airways in 1976.