A VERY RARE AND ORIGINAL WARTIME POSTER BILLING TONY HANCOCK (ALIAS HANK HANCOCK) APPEARING IN GANG SHOW NO.9 WHICH WAS A LEGENDARY PRODUCTION FROM 1945 ORGANISED UNDER RALPH READER'S SPECIALISED RAF GANG SHOW UNITS. DESIGNED TO ENTERTAIN ALLIED TROOPS DEPLOYED ACROSS EUROPE DURING WORLD WAR TWO, THIS SPECIFIC UNIT, NO.9, WAS HIGHLY CELEBRATED FOR LAUNCHING THE CAREER OF TONY HANCOCK.

TONY HANCOCK VOLUNTEERED FOR THE RAF REGIMENT IN 1942. AFTER INITIALLY FAILING AN AUDITION FOR ENSA DUE TO SEVERE NERVES, HE WAS SCOUTED BY RALPH READER FOR THE MILITARY VARIETY PERFORMANCES.

DURING HIS MILITARY SERVICE AND EARLY TOURING YEARS WITH THE GANG SHOW, TONY HANCOCK WAS OFTEN AFFECTIONATELY BILLED OR KNOWN BY PEERS AS HANK HANCOCK, HENCE HIS LISTING ON THIS POSTER.

THE PERFORMANCE TO WHICH THIS RARE GANG SHOW NO.9 POSTER RELATES WAS PERFORMED ON 15 JULY 1945 IN MUNICH, GERMANY, HAVING MOVED INTO LIBERATED EUROPE SHORTLY AFTER VE DAY TO ENTERTAIN THE OCCUPYING BRITISH AND ALLIED TROOPS. GANG SHOW NO.9 STAGED THIS SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE AT THE MUNICH PRINZREGENTEN THEATRER (PRINZREGENTEN THEATRE).

I SHOULD IMAGINE NOT MANY, IF ANY OTHER OF THESE POSTERS HAVE SURVIVED. IT MEASURES APPROX 25 INCHES BY 18 INCHES AND IS IN REMARKABLE CONDITION FOR ITS AGE CONSIDERING IT WAS PRINTED ON THIN BLUE PAPER. IT HAS BEEN FOLDED WITH JUST A FEW PIN HOLES TO THE TOP CORNERS AND JUST A COUPLE OF MINOR EDGE TEARS. IT MEASURES APPROX 25 INCHES BY 18 INCHES. THE POSTER WILL ESPECIALLY BE OF INTEREST TO SERIOUS COLLECTORS OF TONY HANCOCK MEMORABILIA. THE POSTER WILL BE SENT FOLDED BETWEEN THICK PIECES OF CARDBOARD. IF THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER IS FROM OUTSIDE OF THE UK, CAN YOU PLEASE WAIT BEFORE SENDING PAYMENT AS I WILL NEED TO ADVISE OF POSTAGE COSTS. PLEASE NOTE THE BUYER WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING ANY NECESSARY CUSTOMS AND IMPORT CHARGES.