The Puttalam Elephants

Commissioned by one of the Corsair pilots stationed at HMS Rajaliya in 1942, Robert Taylor’s superb painting Puttalam Elephants is one of many originals by Robert hanging in the wonderful art collection of the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton. Much admired by tens of thousands of visitors each year, this painting depicts the unusual tactics as employed at Puttalam in order to keep the land based naval fighters flying. Operating happily in conditions where towing tractors became quickly bogged down, the Puttalam Elephants provided an invaluable service, and became much loved by the pilots and ground crews.

Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm fighter pilots who flew the F4U Corsair have added further significance by signing each print in the edition.

Limited Edition:

• 400 signed and numbered
• 350 Fleet Air Arm Folio Proofs
• 25 Fleet Air Arm Artist's Proofs

Lieutenant ERIC BEECHINOR RN
Sub Lieutenant (A) GORDON DUNNELL RNVR
Sub Lieutenant TONY MAYLETT

Fleet Air Arm Folio Edition
Additionally signed by five of the Royal Navy’s most distinguished fighter pilots. There are a total of EIGHT signatures in this edition.
Captain ERIC ‘WINKLE’ BROWN CBE, DSC, FRAeS, RN
Sub-Lieutenant VICTOR KAIRIS RN
Lieutenant CYRIL PRICE RN
Lieutenant PETER TWISS OBE, DSC*, RN
Lieutenant Commander BRUCE VIBERT RN