December 17, 1944, over the Ardennes: Lt. Ed Cottrell is in a situation he never dreamed possible. Earlier that morning, Ed and his group were bombing German armor when they were jumped by twenty Me-109s. Ed’s engine took hits. Oil sprayed. Eight cylinders were gone, but the motor kept running. Ed was limping home when two Me-109s caught up to him. “I was waiting for the bullets to come,” Ed recalled.

Then the German pilot flashed a signal—it was okay. They must have seen he was helpless, flying blind. When they reached the front lines, the Germans turned back, and Ed kissed the ground upon landing. His group had lost four pilots that day, but thanks to “those two Messerschmitts and the Pratt & Whitney engine,” he wasn’t the fifth.

This print is unframed and unmatted. Print includes an Ed Cottrell signature card, Ed's squadron and group patches, and a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Gareth Hector. 

 Print size: 31" x 19"