The Man Who Died

London: Secker, 1931 original blind bordered cloth, rubbed to joints, frayed at head of spine, light surface soiling, some foxing to prelims and closed edges, ex library stamps of R A F Hunsdon Station Institute to the paste down and fep as well as pp17. rear fep has a list of rubber stamped dates starting July 29 1942 and ending 12 Jan 1945. obviously in the reading room of a fighter interceptor squadron. the pages are sometimes a little grubby but not stained or torn. "RAF Hunsdon ... Work was started on the 9th of October 1940 and the airfield officially opened on the 4th of May 1941... was used as a satellite landing field for nearby North Weald and became a significant airfield for the fledgling Night fighter force of the Royal Air Force. RAF Hunsdon was home to 85 Squadron and its charismatic Leader Group Captain Peter Townsend,... 85 squadron flew Hawker Hurricanes in the early part of 1941 as a night fighter squadron, after a successful and fruitful campaign during the Battle Of Britain. The Squadron reverted to this role with their black painted Hurricanes to combat the increasing Luftwaffe raids on London and the midlands at night, guided by Ground radar with experienced controllers... Unit's known to have operated from Hunsdon: 85 squadron(Douglas Boston/Havoc) 1451 flight (turbinlite flight, Douglas Boston/Havoc) 3 squadron(F) (Hawker Hurricane 2c's) 1530 flight (Airspeed Oxford's) 157 squadron (Mosquito's) 515 squadron (Bristol Beaufighters and Boulton-Paul Defiant's) 406(RCAF) squadron (Mosquito's) 409(RCAF) squadron (Mosquito's) 410(Cougar) squadron RCAF (Mosquito's) 418(RCAF) squadron (Mosquito's) 21(City of Norwich) squadron, 464(Australia), and 487(New Zealand) (squadrons all-comprising of Mosquito's and forming 140 wing 2nd Tactical Air Force) 264 squadron (Mosquito's) 488(New Zealand) squadron (Mosquito's) 151 squadron (Mosquito's) 501(County of Gloucester) squadron (Hawker Tempest's) 611(Mustang 4's), 154 (Mustang 4's and Spitfire Mk6) squadrons forming the Hunsdon Wing, 442(RCAF) using the now disbanded 154 squadron's aircraft. Several other squadrons paid brief visits lasting only a few days, these included, 242, 56, 2, 605, 4 (B flight only), and 219 (Belgium) squadrons... On February 18th 1944, Mk 4s' from Nos. 21(City of Norwich), 464 (Australian) and 487(New Zealand) Squadrons that formed No 140 Wing (Wing Commander P.E. Pickard DSO DFC) carried out " Operation Jericho", otherwise known as the Amiens Prison Raid... Former Station Commanders were Wing Commander Harvey DFC W/Cdr Peter Townsend DFC W/Cdr Harvey DFC W/Cdr J R A Peel DSO DFC W/Cdr J S MacLean DFC W/Cdr J Hamblin W/Cdr John Cunningham DSO DFC W/Cdr H M Kerr AFC S/Ldr J G Saunders W/Cdr A L Mortimer ... The airfield was closed in 1945. First Edition. Cloth. Good/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6? - 7? tall. Ex-Library.