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Royal Flying Corps   35 Books
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No. 2 Squadron R.F.C. Mosaic Q. 28.12.17. Photographically reproduced map & aerial mosaic, consisting of twelve 14x14cm plates joined together, total size 56x41cm approx. Photographically Reproduced & Printed by No. 1 Advanced Section, Army Printing & Stationary Services. Contemp.  #66064
[HLMainPic] The Front at Auchy lez-la-Bassee & south for some 3000 yards: the left hand side being a detailed trench map with the German trench systems & various posts identified; the right hand side a matching series of overlaid (or mosaic) aerial photos. of the same locations, providing an excellent comparison. Note: No. 2 Squadron was one of the original RFC squadrons formed in 1912. It spent the entire First World War on the Western Front flying photo. reconnaissance ops. Rear joints neatly repaired with brown tape, VG thus & a rare & interesting item. See illustrations on our website.   £125
"NIGHTHAWK" MC [Pseud. of HARVEY (W.J., MC)] Rovers of the Night Sky. 1st Ed., viii+204pp. Cassell. 1919  #65350
[HLMainPic] Personal account of service in France 1917-18 as an Observer with a night-bomber squadron, having previously been a footslogger (or 'gravel-crasher') in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Atmospheric account of various sorties over the Ypres Salient &c. Orig. dec. blue cloth, litle rubbed & worn, about VG. See illustration on our website.   £45
[BELL (Capt. D.H., MC)] A Soldier's Diary of the Great War. 1st Ed., xx+252pp. VG in dw. Faber & Gwyer. 1929  #64450
[HLMainPic] Ed. & intro. by Henry Williamson, who had been to school with Bell & served with him in the LRB 1914-15. Bell was commissioned in the Seaforth Highlanders in April 1915 & quickly wounded at Hill 60. Returned to the front for Loos & the Somme, awarded MC, & later transferred to the RFC as a pilot. In 1926, when HW attended the reunion dinner of the original LRB men who had sailed for France in November 1914 per the troopship "Chyabassa" he remet Douglas Bell, who was then writing his war memoirs. HW was a reasonably well known published author by this time & Bell asked for his help which was evidently willingly forthcoming as HW wrote the Introduction to his book. Orig. red cloth, gilt, VG in chipped dw with red ink ownership inscrip. "Henry Williamson Georgeham 1928" plus a few light pencilled annotations to his Introduction, suggesting amendments, & one interesting marginal note to Bell's text referencing "P" i.e. Phillip Maddison. See illustrations on our website.   £325

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[BELL (Capt. D.H., MC)] A Soldier's Diary of the Great War. Pre-publication proof, xxi+252 & [6]pp. Faber & Gwyer. 1929  #64452
[HLMainPic] Ed. & intro. by Henry Williamson, who had been to school with Bell & served with him in the LRB 1914-15. Bell was commissioned in the Seaforth Highlanders in April 1915 & quickly wounded at Hill 60. Returned to the front for Loos & the Somme, awarded MC, & later transferred to the RFC as a pilot. In 1926, when HW attended the reunion dinner of the original LRB men who had sailed for France in November 1914 per the troopship "Chyabassa" he remet Douglas Bell, who was then writing his war memoirs. HW was a reasonably well known published author by this time & Bell asked for his help which was evidently willingly forthcoming as HW wrote the Introduction to his book. Pre-publication proof copy sent to HW who has made numerous annotations & suggested changes to his Introduction. Curiously he wanted to call his Introduction 'Inscription' - but this was not adopted by the publishers. This copy also includes two versions of the Epigraph. The longer version appeared in the published version: a shorter version was struck through by HW in green ink & it may well be that his opinion determined the final published version. Issued with plain grey paper wraps., the upper one now lacking, loosely bound & semi-derelict but bibliographically important. See illustrations on our website.   £350
[BELL (Capt. D.H., MC)] A Soldier's Diary of the Great War. 2nd Imp., xx+252pp. VG in dw. Faber & Gwyer. 1929  #64728
[HLMainPic] Ed. & intro. by Henry Williamson, who had been to school with Bell & served with him in the LRB 1914-15. Bell was commissioned in the Seaforth Highlanders in April 1915 & quickly wounded at Hill 60. Returned to the front for Loos & the Somme, awarded MC, & later transferred to the RFC as a pilot. Orig. red cloth, gilt, VG in dw. See illustration on our website.   £60
[BELL (Capt. D.H., MC)] A Soldier's Diary of the Great War. 2nd Imp., xx+252pp. Faber & Gwyer. 1929  #64729
[HLMainPic] Ed. & intro. by Henry Williamson, who had been to school with Bell & served with him in the LRB 1914-15. Bell was commissioned in the Seaforth Highlanders in April 1915 & quickly wounded at Hill 60. Returned to the front for Loos & the Somme, awarded MC, & later transferred to the RFC as a pilot. Orig. red cloth, gilt. See illustration on our website.   £45
[BELL (Capt. D.H., MC)] In Spite of All Rejoicing: A Soldier's Diary of the Great War. With an Introduction by Henry Williamson. 1st USA Ed. of "A Soldier's Diary of the Great War," xx+260pp. VG in worn dw. NY: Duffield & Co. 1930  #64453
[HLMainPic] Ed. & intro. by Henry Williamson, who had been to school with Bell & served with him in the LRB 1914-15. Bell was commissioned in the Seaforth Highlanders in April 1915 & quickly wounded at Hill 60. Returned to the front for Loos & the Somme, awarded MC, & later transferred to the RFC as a pilot. In 1926, when HW attended the reunion dinner of the original LRB men who had sailed for France in November 1914 per the troopship "Chyabassa" he remet Douglas Bell, who was then writing his war memoirs. HW was a reasonably well known published author by this time & Bell asked for his help which was evidently willingly forthcoming as HW wrote the Introduction to his book. The 1st American edition, orig. red cloth, a little stained, complete with somewhat worn/stained dw, with ink presentation inscrip. from the author "To Henry Williamson with grateful thanks from Douglas H. Bell. 1930." A nice association inscription between author & editor, & this USA edition is rare in any form, especially with dw. See illustrations on our website.   £350
[STEWART (Major Oliver, MC, AFC)] Cinquante-Quatre. France 1917. 1st Ed., [ii]+16pp. (rectos only), 7 tipped-in plates. No imprint. [1917]  #62968
[HLMainPic] Rare privately published first edition of a series of popular song tunes rewritten by Stewart with RFC themes. A small trade edition was published by Bowes of Cambridge in 1918 with subtitle "Flying Corps Songs." The author was son a of Thomas Gibson Bowles, founder of The Lady & Vanity Fair magazines. His mother was Rita Shell, who was Bowles' mistress after the death of his wife, & later editor of The Lady. She later changed her surname to Stewart. Oliver Stewart was commissioned in the Middlesex Regt. but transferred to the RFC, qualified as a pilot in 1916 & served on the Western Front from Jan. 1917, mainly flying photo. reconnaissance ops. with Sopwith Pups of 54 Squadron. He became an 'Ace', was awarded the MC (& later the AFC as a post-war test pilot). Orig. blue cloth, contents sl. loose, generally VG & rare with labels of aviation historian Chaz Bowyer & 1917 pencilled ownership inscrip. of A.J. Arkell (i.e Anthony John Arkell, MBE, MC, temp. 2nd Lt., RFC, 1916, whose personal papers &c. are held in the collection of the IWM, London). See illustrations on our website.   £225
ARNALL (Philip) [Pseud. of Lt. Oliver Stewart, MC, AFC, RFC & RAF] Portrait of an Airman. 1st USA Ed., [v]+305pp. VG in worn dw. NY: Covici Friede. 1932  #66488
[HLMainPic] Royal Flying Corps novel telling the story of a young pilot: "hurled straight from school into the war... plunged at an early age into the amazing life led by the officers of the Royal Flying Corps, & his relations with women & their effect on his emotional development are frankly treated as part of the central theme of the book. The descriptions of air-fights are remarkably well done..." The novel is based on the author Stewart's own experiences with 54 Sqdrn. Orig. black cloth, titled in black on green panels, VG in somewhat chipped & worn but scarce & attractive dw. Rare in any state or edition, but particularly with dw. See illustrations on our webste.   £145
BRADSHAW (Stanley Orton) Flying Memories. 1st Ed., 54pp., 4to, 48 plates (each facing an account of the event depicted). John Hamilton. 1936  #65429
[HLMainPic] Atmospheric drawings of incidents from RFC & RAF history; the first 28 drawings deal with the First World War. Note: Stanley Orton Bradshaw was an acclaimed artist of aerial warfare & other subjects. Orig. red cloth, titled in black, little wear, about VG. See illustration on our website.   £25

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