Virtual Museum - Documents and Booklets

Ref. No. 795. TIPTHORP Peter (Editor), BATTLE OF BRITAIN, 1969, 32pp., illus., A4 format, soft cover.  This is THE booklet produced for the film “Battle of Britain”.  A classic collectors item, it includes foreword by the Duke of Edinburgh, introduction by Lord Dowding, actual war and film photos, and details of cast, producers, director and how the film was made.  Film credits are given at rear of booklet.

Ref. No. 1071, "BAG THE HUN" Estimation of Range & Angle Off training Aid. Air Ministry publication A.P. 2580. includes a transparent disc in envelope at rear for use as a sight, as well as a riveted disc to calculate range. An amazing and unusual authentic period training aid. 
Ref. No. 794. KARRANT MAX (Ed), FLYING AND POPULAR FLYING – VOLUME XXIX NUMBER 3, SEPTEMBER 1941- SPECIAL U. S. ARMY AIR FORCES, Sep 1941, Ziff-Davis Publishing Co., 282pp., illus., soft cover, spine a bit tatty.  Includes colour poster of P-38 Lightning. Excellent pre Pearl Harbor publication, which includes 61 page section called "Winged Warfare" written by Major General H. H. Arnold and Colonel Ira C. Eaker.

Ref No. 26c RNZAF AIR CREW ISSUES OF EQUIPMENT CARD.  Issued to F/Sgt William (Bill) Heslop NZ432300.  Heslop flew F4U Corair fighters for No. 22 Squadron RNZAF.  Shows equipment issued to be: Helmet, tropical, RNZAF Type, complete; Headset, USN Type, complete; Microphone, Throat, USAAF Type; Mask, Oxygen, RCAF Type; Mae West, RAF Type, complete; Goggles, Flying, RAF Type; Gloves, Flying, light weight, USN Type; Suit, Flying, summer, USN Type; Holster, Revolver; Revolver, .384; Knife, c/w Sheath, RNZAF Type; Kit, Jungle, USA or RNZAF Type; Kit, First-aid, USA or RNZAF Type; Parachute, Pilot, RAF Type; Dinghy, Seat, RAF, Type K; Glasses, Sun; ??? Kit, complete; Goggles Mk VIII; Shark Repellant.
Ref. No. 41. FLYING LOGBOOK FOR AIRCREW OTHER THAN PILOT.  Previously owned by F/O George Herbert Sanders RNZAF. NZ424242. Navigator. First entry 19.3.43 flying in Anson in Canada. Includes war operations on Lancasters with No. 75 Squadron. Last flight on 28.7.44 "Stuttgart" - reported missing in Lancaster III 'H'.  Signed by Wing Commander R. J. A. Leslie, DSO, AFC and Flying Officer G. Kennedy, OC of 'A' Flight. 

Sanders went missing on operations during the night of 28 July 1944 while flying aboard a 75 (NZ) Squadron Lancaster 1 NE148 AA-H.  The aircraft, which had departed Mepal, Cambridgeshire at 2155, and was part of 3 Group, was on a bombing operation, along with 493 other Lancasters and two Mosquito aircraft, to Stuttgart in southern Germany. Shortly after crossing the lower Rheine, NE148 was attacked by a night-fighter. During the attack, cannon shells ripped through the length of the fuselage, one shell going through the mid-upper turret and cutting Flight Sergeant M. K. P. Drummond’s helmet off at the ear and burning a line across his head.  The rear gunner, Sergeant N. V. Wilding, an RAF aircrewman from Monmouthshire, was killed during the attack. 

With the port inner engine on fire, the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Noel Alfred Deal Stokes (born Christchurch 31 December 1918) turned the crippled Lancaster around and jettisoned the bomb load.  The bomber then began to dive steeply and a fire started in the bomb bay, filling the aircraft with acrid smoke.  It took the combined strength of Stokes and the second pilot, Flying Officer J. M. Morris, both of whom had their feet on the instrument panel, to pull the aircraft out of the dive. 

As NE148 continued across France, the fires continued to spread and Stokes ordered his crew to abandon the aircraft.  Drummond hit his head on the tailplane while baling out and was knocked unconscious.  He came to near tree-top height and pulled his ripchord at the last second.  The opening parachute arrested his fall but he landed heavily and was badly injured.  He was picked up by patriots, who sheltered him until the Americans captured the district.

Morris was the last to exit the aircraft safely, his chute opening seconds before the bomber crashed beneath him.  Stokes, who had maintained control of the aircraft long enough to allow his crew to bail out, died in the crash.  His bravery was unrecognised by any posthumous award.

Morris, along with the F/O G. H. Sanders (navigator), F/Sgt N. T. Sampson (bomb aimer) and F/Sgt W. G. Raynel (wireless operator), managed to evade capture with the help of the French Resistance.

NE148 crashed close to the village of Yevres, 2km east of Brou and 35km south-west of Chartres.  The bodies of Stokes and Wilding were buried in a joint grave near the centre of the north wall in the Yevres Communal Cemetry, Eure-et-Loir, France. The cemetery is on the northern side of the village on the D.921 road to Illiers. 

Sanders survived the war. 

This item is now in the RNZAF Museum Collection held at Wigram, Christchurch.

Ref. No. 42. RAF IDENTITY CARD No 980076. F/O George Herbert Sanders, RNZAF. Date of birth 1.11.23. NZ424242. Dated 27 June 1944. Includes photograph of bearer.  This item is now in the RNZAF Museum Collection held at Wigram, Christchurch

 AIR MINISTRY, ROYAL AIR FORCE FLYING TRAINING MANUAL - PART 1 - FLYING INSTRUCTION, 1934 (ammended to 1937), Air Publication 129, approx. 250pp, illus., poor cond. Stamped “Sold by H.M.Stationery Office” - presumably to RNZAF. Manual used at No. 1 EFTS RNZAF Taieri. It was No.37 in the Station Library. Inside cover is written “No.75 Davey.” There is a sketch on the rear and possible scores (card game?). If the book was owned by “Davey” of 75 Squadron, it must have been taken to Britain for his name to be recorded in the book. In “Forever Strong - The Story of 75 Squaadron RNZAF” by Norman Franks, the history of Sgt Pilot C.R.Davey is as follows; Pg 67 - Sergeant Davey ran out of fuel returning from Kiel and crash landed at Lakenheath, four crew injured. Pg 240 (in reference to pg 67) - crashed 13 October 1942, crew safe although four were injured and F/gnr Sgt Redhead, J.B. died on 19 October. Pg 78 - One aircraft failed to return - Sergeant C.R. Davey. Pg 223 (in reference to pg 78) - 8 March 1943, target Nuremberg, a/c Stirling I. BF437. ‘L’ Capt. Sgt Davey, C.R. (NZ) Killed. (six other crew also killed).
AIR MINISTRY, ROYAL AIR FORCE FLYING TRAINING MANUAL - PART 1 - LANDPLANES, 1937, Air Publication 129, approx. 250pp, 116 illus., reasonable cond. Amended by Phyllis Speller (Spelen?) 1939. Manual covers theory of flight, airmanship, basic flying, service flying, formation flying, airframes & engines.

AIR MINISTRY, ROYAL AIR FORCE PILOTS’ FLYING MANUAL - VOLUME ONE, 1949 (5th Edition), Air Publication 129, approx. 250pp, illus., reasonable cond. Amended by E G Connor. Manual covers principles of flight, engines, construction, range and endurance, servicing, captaincy, physiological considerations, flight instruments, engine and ancillary instruments, regulations, ground handling, manoeuvres, instrument flight, radio aids, weather, weapons, weight and balance, carrier operations, glider and target towing, formation flying, clothing, safety equipment, survival, and rescue. This publication was previously in the Wigram Library. Note that no Volume Two was published.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE (CIVIL AVIATION BRANCH), THE AIR PILOT NEW ZEALAND - IST EDITION, 1936, approx. 200pp, screw bound with boards, good cond. This rare first edition copy of The Air Pilot gives details on air routes, maps, signals, aerodrome markings and individual aerodrome maps and date for airfields in New Zealand during 1936.
RNZAF Educational Services, RNZAF EDUCATIONAL COURSE, April 1940, Approx. 300 pages, in boards, reas condition.