Bidspirit auction | Unique Rare WW2 Air War

Unique Rare WW2 Air War Book signed by 67 WW2 RAF USAAF Luftwaffe Veterans. The Air War 1939-1945” by R J Overy, hard back book with dust cover, published 1980, both book & cover in good condition. This copy has been signed across three pages by the following 67 WW2 RAF, USAAF & Luftwaffe Veterans. Includes Dambusters, Battle of Britain fighter aces, Tirpitz raiders and more. First page - W/O Steve Badcock - 166 Sqd, W/O Phil Bates - 149 Sqd, W/O W G ”Billy” Bell - 103/166 Sqd, Flt Lt Jack Collins DFC - 57 Sqd, W/O Frank Etherington - 166/153 Sqd, Corporal Alex Gray BEM - 19 Sqd, Battle of Britain Ground Crew, ATC Hazel Gregory - RAF Uxbridge 1940, W/O George Hart - 358 Sqd, Flt Lt Matt Holliday DFC - 10/77 Sqd, Sqd, Ldr Tony Iveson DFC - 616/617 Sqd, W/O Fred Maltas - 35 Sqd, W/O Alan Morgan - 49 Sqd, Flt Lt Bluey Mottershead DFC - 158 Sqd, Wg Cmdr Tom Neil DFC* AFC - 249 Sqd, F/O Tom Sayer DFM - 102 Sqd, Flt Lt W Kenneth Thomas DFC - 622 Sqd, Flt Lt Dennis Thorpe - 626 Sqd, W/O Frank Tolley - 625 Sqd, Sqd, Ldr Frank Williamson AFC - 10/102 Sqd. Second page - F/O Mike Bayon DFC - 128/139 Sqd, Sqd, Ldr Tom Bennett DFM - 49/617 Sqd, Flt Lt Eric Clarke MiD - 49 Sqd, W/O Colin Cole - 617 Sqd, Air Cmdr John Ellacombe CB DFC* - 151/487/253 Sqd, Sqd, F/O John Evans - 158 Sqd, Flt Sgt Peter Freeman-Pannett - 605 Sqd, Ground Crew Aero Engine Fitter, W/O Bob Hollinrake - 10 Sqd, W/O Stan ”Paddy” Hope 540 PRU, W/O Ron Houghton - 49 Sqd, LAC Reg Howard - 74 Sqd, Ground Crew Merlin Engine Specialist, Flt Lt Freddie Johnson DFC - 36/78/314 Sqd, W/O Ron Lamb - 32 Sqd, W/O Dick Maywood - 608/692 Sqd, W/O Joe Musgrove - 214 Sqd, Flt Lt Dick Starkey - 106 Sqd, Flt Lt Wilfred Tunstall DFC - 158 Sqd, Sqd, Ldr Michael Wainwright - 64 Sqd, F/O Ken Wilkinson - 616 Sqd, W/O Emrys Williams - 65 Sqd, Flt Lt Tom Wingham - 76/102 Sqd, W/O Bert Winwood - 235 Sqd. Third page - Flt Lt Ron ”Bram” Bramley AE - 22/144 Sqd, Flt Lt Roger Calvert - 141 Sqd, Lt Colonel Clyde B East - RAF 414 Sqd, Photo Recon Unit/USAAF Tactical Recon Sqd, Wg Cmdr Tim Elkington - 1 Sqd, Sqd, Ldr Harry Glendinning - 115 Sqd, Flt Lt John Hall DFC - 106/44 Sqd, Sqd, Ldr George ”Johnny” Johnson DFM - 617 Sqd Dambuster, W/O Ken Johnson - 61/9 Sqd, Wg Cmdr E Gwyn Jones DFC AFC - 115/38/139/162 Sqd, (matted signature), Flt Lt Bert Kirtland DFC - 76 Sqd, Captain John Lee - USAAF 79th FS, 20th FG. Fahnrich Manfred Leisebien - Luftwaffe JG52, Flt Sgt Rudolf Leksinsky - 300 Sqd, W/O Jack Linaker - 9 Sqd, Sgt Ken Lucas - 49/617 Sqd, Ground Crew - Involved in all the major servicing of the aircraft before the Dambusters raid including fitting the motors that drove the belt that spun the bomb, and attaching the critical lamps to the underside of the aircraft, Flt Sgt Grant McDonald Dambuster. Colonel Charles McGee - USAAF 302nd FS, 332nd FG Tuskegee Airman, W/O John Morrison - 78/51/35 Sqd, P/O Bill North - 61 Sqd, W/O Ernie Patterson DFM - 635 Sqd, Flt Lt Harold Riding - 617 Sqd, W/O Les Sargent - 619 Sqd, W/O Ron Smith DFC - 617 Sqd, W/O Sam Thompson - 103/9 Sqd, W/O Frank Tilley - 617 Sqd, Flt Lt Bert Whittaker DFC - 76 Sqd. The best one-volume aerial history of World War II, Richard Overy's classic work remains profound and highly original. Far from just an account of the various air battles, Professor Overy treats the air war as a complex and fascinating historical web, woven out of grand strategy, economic mobilization, the recruitment of science, and the nature of leadership and training. Analysing the achievements and failures of the aerial component of the war, he places it in perspective by explaining the role aviation played in the overall conflict. He points out that while the Axis powers tended to limit their use of air power to one major role, such as support of ground forces, the Allies exploited all aspects of aerial doctrine: air defence, strategic bombardment, air-naval cooperation, and ground support. He also demonstrates how aircraft ensured that the Second World War became a people's war and how success in the air war was, in a very real sense, a test of a nation's modernity. The air war was won and lost not only in the skies but also in the factories and the research institutes. Finally, the author dispels many popular myths and in particular reveals that although air power in the form of strategic bombing by itself did not deter-mine the war's final outcome, its use dramatically illustrated the complexities of managing modern war. Richard Overy's The Air War thus deepens our under-standing not only of World War II but of military history in general. Good condition. All autographs come with a Certificate of Authenticity. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide. UK postage from £5.99, EU from £7.99, Rest of World from £9.99