Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 26, 2006 1:01:36 GMT 12
I picked up another interesting gem this week second hand. I almost passed it by on the shelf as first glance it seems like a tatty old magazine with the cover missing.
however it is actually a one-off special called "Battle of Britain 25th Anniversary Souvenir Book 1965"
As mentioned the cover is missing but inside it states the editor, publisher and designer was John P. Milford Reid, and the staff artist was Group Captain Norman E. Hoad AFC RAF.
It's a collection of articles, all lavishly illustrated with black and white photos (some colour too) and lovely pen sketches, with a mix of history on the battle itself, and the 'modern' 1965 RAF. Articles include:
- The Royal Air Force: The Chief of Air Staff on it's Future by Air Chief Marshall Sir Charles Elworthy, GCB, CBE, MVO, DFC, AFC, MA
(wasn't he a Kiwi or was that another Lord Elworthy?)
- The Benevolent Fund's Greatest Vice-President by Lord Knollys (about Churchill who'd just died)
- Winston Churchill - The Greatest War Leader in British History by Sir Arthur Bryant
- The NAAFI Salutes the Air Force by anon (probably editor)
- The Royal New Zealand Air Force - A Brief historical Survey by Sqn Ldr G. Bentley MBE RNZAF (the reason I bought it, I love Geoff Bentley's work. This inculdes a photo of Geoff, one of Ian Morrison, and one of a very young John Lanham in Dec 64 after recieving the Sword of Honour at Cranwell)
- A Fighting Airman PORTRAIT by AVM W. Carter CB DFC about a pilot called Embry
- Leader of the Few by AB 'Sandy' Austin on Dowding
- 25 Years After The Battle of Britain a review of the history by Air Marshall Sir Robert Saundby
- Sheila Van Damm Remembers - memoirs of a Windmill Girl turned WAAF
- The Ceremonial Sword by Major J W Latham
- Floating on Air Les Colquhoun on hovercraft development at Vickers
- Diplomatic Occasion by Flt J R Bushby
- Atlantic Roundtrip by Obs G W Brunt ROC (about airship R.34)
- Shadow Service by Miss M I Horton ROC
- The Best of the Year's Air Books Reviewed by Humphrey Wynn
This seems to be a special publication by Royal Air Force News, the RAF's own magazine. It is full of great photos (many from the Battle, some of postwar BofB commemorations too) and has poems, articles and other things that are noted as competition winners. There are some lovely paintings too.
And there's a lot of advertising from the aviation industry from manufacturers of aircraft and componentry to airlines, most in colour.
All in all, a really neat find and special to me in having the RNZAF connection.
however it is actually a one-off special called "Battle of Britain 25th Anniversary Souvenir Book 1965"
As mentioned the cover is missing but inside it states the editor, publisher and designer was John P. Milford Reid, and the staff artist was Group Captain Norman E. Hoad AFC RAF.
It's a collection of articles, all lavishly illustrated with black and white photos (some colour too) and lovely pen sketches, with a mix of history on the battle itself, and the 'modern' 1965 RAF. Articles include:
- The Royal Air Force: The Chief of Air Staff on it's Future by Air Chief Marshall Sir Charles Elworthy, GCB, CBE, MVO, DFC, AFC, MA
(wasn't he a Kiwi or was that another Lord Elworthy?)
- The Benevolent Fund's Greatest Vice-President by Lord Knollys (about Churchill who'd just died)
- Winston Churchill - The Greatest War Leader in British History by Sir Arthur Bryant
- The NAAFI Salutes the Air Force by anon (probably editor)
- The Royal New Zealand Air Force - A Brief historical Survey by Sqn Ldr G. Bentley MBE RNZAF (the reason I bought it, I love Geoff Bentley's work. This inculdes a photo of Geoff, one of Ian Morrison, and one of a very young John Lanham in Dec 64 after recieving the Sword of Honour at Cranwell)
- A Fighting Airman PORTRAIT by AVM W. Carter CB DFC about a pilot called Embry
- Leader of the Few by AB 'Sandy' Austin on Dowding
- 25 Years After The Battle of Britain a review of the history by Air Marshall Sir Robert Saundby
- Sheila Van Damm Remembers - memoirs of a Windmill Girl turned WAAF
- The Ceremonial Sword by Major J W Latham
- Floating on Air Les Colquhoun on hovercraft development at Vickers
- Diplomatic Occasion by Flt J R Bushby
- Atlantic Roundtrip by Obs G W Brunt ROC (about airship R.34)
- Shadow Service by Miss M I Horton ROC
- The Best of the Year's Air Books Reviewed by Humphrey Wynn
This seems to be a special publication by Royal Air Force News, the RAF's own magazine. It is full of great photos (many from the Battle, some of postwar BofB commemorations too) and has poems, articles and other things that are noted as competition winners. There are some lovely paintings too.
And there's a lot of advertising from the aviation industry from manufacturers of aircraft and componentry to airlines, most in colour.
All in all, a really neat find and special to me in having the RNZAF connection.
