A Pictorial History of Hornchurch Aerodrome Through Two World Wars and Beyond, 1915-1962.

Drawn from a variety of collections, this unique and largely unpublished archive of 250 photographs with explanatory text, documents the entire history of the famous fighter station. The book is one of a limited edition of just 30 copies carrying the original signatures of 20 distinguished veteran RAF pilots on two bookplates. This particular copy is also signed by the author Richard C Smith plus a further 14 veterans. The book is supplied in its own luxury blue cloth slipcase.

Bookplates signed by: Wg Cdre G C Unwin DSO DFM, Wg Cdre R W Foster DFC, Sqn Ldr D L Armitage DFC, Capt N L D Kemp DFC, Gp Capt G H Westlake DSO DFC, Flt Lt R L Jones, Wg Cdre J Rose CMG MBE DFC, Sqn Ldr B G Stapleton DFC, Wg Cdre R C Fumerton DFC, Sqn Ldr K N T Lee DFC, Sqn Ldr M P Morfill DFM, Wg Cdre G L Sinclair OBE DFM, Wg Cdre P W Dunning-White DFC AE, Sqn Ldr T Draper-Williams DFC, Wg Cdre P Olver DFC, Gp Capt JRA Peel DSO DFC, Air Cdr Sir A Winskill KCVO CBE DFC, Flt Lt M E Croskell, Air Cdre J L W Ellacombe CB DFC, Sqn Ldr C S Bamberger DFC.

The book itself has additionally bee signed by: Sqn Ldr B G 'Stapme' Stapleton DFC 603 Sqn, Sqn Ldr Peter Brown AFC 41 Sqn, Capt Nigel Kemp DFC 242 Sqn, Sqn Ldr Stann Duff DFC 25 Sqn, Flt Lt Len Davis 151, John Cox - Hornchurch Post War, Gordon Braidwood Flt Lt 222 Sqn, Sgt Pilot Harold Bennett 603 Sqn, Flt Lt Mervin Young 129 Sqn, John Gill - Air Frame Rigger 74 Sqn, Joy Caldwell - Hornchurch WAAF Ops Room 1940, Stan Reynolds - RAF Regiment 1944, Flt Mech William Bird 229 Sqn, Roy Little - 289 Parachute Light Regiment RHA. 

Pages: 160, including 250 period photos.

Condition: the book is in superb 'as new' order and comes with a cloth slipcase and a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

Author: Richard C Smith