WWII RAF Battle Of Britain Hurricane Fighter Ace Paul Richey DSO DFC Signed
Item History & Price
'FIGHTER PILOT'
Wing Commander Paul Richey DSO DFC*
The first classic account of a fighter pilot in World War Two. Written during the war from the author's own journals. Will appeal to anyone interested in the Second World War or Air War in general. The book has been republished eight times since 1941.
Paul Richey landed his Hawker Hurricane in France in 1939. He was 23 years old and, like the rest of RAF 1 Squadron, he believed in the principles of the Great War: mercy and respe...ct. But Richey and his comrades were savagely confronted with the new realities of war. Shocked by the horror of the Luftwaffe's callous attacks on refugees, the skills of the RAF's premier fighter squadron were deployed to devastating effect. The result was an outstanding combat record. By the time the Squadron was withdrawn it had destroyed a total of 155 enemy aircraft - for the loss of just three pilots. Richey began his journal the day he arrived in France and all the thrills, adrenaline-rushes and sheer terror of dog-fighting are captured by a man discovering for himself the true nature of the deadly combat in which he is engaged.
You are looking at a very good condition published by Hutchinson, London 1st reprint revised 1956 edition hard back copy of this great book, and comes with a dust cover that has some creasing but is now in a removable plastic protective cover.
This book is extra special as it has been autographed by the following two late great RAF Spitfire & Hurricane fighter aces of WWII.
Wing Commander Paul Richey DSO DFC*:
Joined the RAF in 1937 and was posted to 1 Squadron, flying Hawker Furies. After finishing his training, he joined 1 Squadron in March 1939 based at RAF Tangmere, flying Hawker Hurricanes. On September 8th, 1 squadron were sent to Vassincourt in France where they flew counter-air patrols in the Metz area. On May 10th, 1940 with the start of the German Blitzkrieg began a time of fierce fighting. He shot down a Do215 on his first sortie of the day and a Do17 on his 5th. A day later, on May 11th, he managed to shoot down two enemy planes before he was shot down and had to bail out. He suffered a concussion but recovered to fly again four days later on the 15th, when he shot down two more enemy aircraft, but was again hit by the Germans and forced to bail out. Again, after only four days recovery, on the 19th, he was back in the air. He shot down an enemy aircraft but was hit by enemy fire taking a bullet wound to the neck. He crash landed, and was rescued and taken to a hospital in Paris, where the bullet was removed. He spent the rest of the Battle of France in the hospital and returned to the UK in June 1940.
Unfit for flying, he wrote up his memoirs under the title Fighter Pilot . Published in September 1941, Paul Richey's Fighter Pilot was a first of its kind memoir to describe the war in the air and was popular with the public. By January 1942, the book would already be in its sixth impression.
He returned to flying in the Spring of 1941, when he joined 609 Squadron as a flight commander, flying Spitfires under his brother-in-law, Squadron Leader Michael Robinson and flew 53 missions across the English Channel. He then became C/O of 74 Squadron, but returned to 609 as C/O in May 1942. On October 12, 1942 Squadron Leader Richey was promoted to Wing Commander, Fighter Ops, at Headquarters, Bengal Command, in India. Then he became C/O of 165 Wing Comilla and finally 188 Wing at Palel in the Imphal Valley. In February 1944, he was invalided back to the United Kingdom and did not return to operational flying. After the war, he became a journalist, and joined the RAuxAF. In 1950, at the time of the Korean War, he was called up for three months and commanded 601 Squadron.
He ended WWII with 11+ air to air victories.
He passed away February 23rd 1989 at the age of 72, at which time the tenth edition of Fighter Pilot was about to be published.
Wing Commander John Freeborn DFC*
Joined the RAF in 1938, in March 1938 he was commissioned in the RAFO, and on the 9th of April 1938 went to Montrose and joined 8 FTS, where he finished his training before joining 74 "Tiger" Squadron at Hornchurch on 29th October. He relinquished his RAFO commission after being granted a short service one in the RAF in January 1939. He flew Spitfires with 74 Squadron over Dunkirk, and claimed a probable Ju88 on May 21st 1940. On the 22nd of May 1940 he shot down a Ju88, and a probable Me109 on the 24th of May followed soon after on the 27th by a Me 109 shot down and another probably destroyed. On one occasion his Spitfire was badly damaged over Dunkirk and he was forced to crash-land on the beach near Calais but managed to get a lift home in a returning aircraft. His squadron flew relentlessly during the Battle of Britain. In one 8 hour period, the squadrons pilots flew into combat on four occasions, shooting down 23 enemy aircraft (three shot down by John Freeborn) and damaging 14 more. By the end of the Battle of Britain, John Freeborn had seven air victories to his name. He shot down a Me109 on 10th July, shared a probable Do17 on the 24th, shot down a Me109 on the 28th, shot down two Me110s, a Me109 and probably another on 11th August, shot down a Do 17 on the 13th, shot down another on 11th September and damaged an He 111 on the 14th. He was made a Flight Commander on 28th August. He shared a Me109 on 17th November, shot down two Me109s, shared another and damaged a fourth on 5th December, and damaged a Do17 on 5th February and 4th March 1941. John Freeborn had been with his squadron longer, and flown more hours, than any other Battle of Britain pilot. In January, 1942 he was posted to the USA where he helped test fly various aircraft, including the new fighters the P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang. He returned to the UK in December 1942 and went to Harrowbear, Exeter, and then to Bolt Head as Station Commander. He joined 602 Squadron in 1942, and became C/O of 118 Squadron in June 1943 at Coltishall, leading it until January 1944. In June 1944 he was promoted Wing Commander (the youngest Wing Commander in the RAF) of 286 Wing in Italy. His final score was 17 air to air victories and he left the RAF in 1946.
He passed away on 28th August 2010.
This is a very rare chance to own such a sought after book with the rare autograph of its author and fighter ace Wing Commander Paul Richey DSO DFC*.
International bidders please note any item(s) purchased for over £20 must pay for and be posted by international signed for postage only.
Wing Commander Paul Richey DSO DFC*
The first classic account of a fighter pilot in World War Two. Written during the war from the author's own journals. Will appeal to anyone interested in the Second World War or Air War in general. The book has been republished eight times since 1941.
Paul Richey landed his Hawker Hurricane in France in 1939. He was 23 years old and, like the rest of RAF 1 Squadron, he believed in the principles of the Great War: mercy and respe...ct. But Richey and his comrades were savagely confronted with the new realities of war. Shocked by the horror of the Luftwaffe's callous attacks on refugees, the skills of the RAF's premier fighter squadron were deployed to devastating effect. The result was an outstanding combat record. By the time the Squadron was withdrawn it had destroyed a total of 155 enemy aircraft - for the loss of just three pilots. Richey began his journal the day he arrived in France and all the thrills, adrenaline-rushes and sheer terror of dog-fighting are captured by a man discovering for himself the true nature of the deadly combat in which he is engaged.
You are looking at a very good condition published by Hutchinson, London 1st reprint revised 1956 edition hard back copy of this great book, and comes with a dust cover that has some creasing but is now in a removable plastic protective cover.
This book is extra special as it has been autographed by the following two late great RAF Spitfire & Hurricane fighter aces of WWII.
Wing Commander Paul Richey DSO DFC*:
Joined the RAF in 1937 and was posted to 1 Squadron, flying Hawker Furies. After finishing his training, he joined 1 Squadron in March 1939 based at RAF Tangmere, flying Hawker Hurricanes. On September 8th, 1 squadron were sent to Vassincourt in France where they flew counter-air patrols in the Metz area. On May 10th, 1940 with the start of the German Blitzkrieg began a time of fierce fighting. He shot down a Do215 on his first sortie of the day and a Do17 on his 5th. A day later, on May 11th, he managed to shoot down two enemy planes before he was shot down and had to bail out. He suffered a concussion but recovered to fly again four days later on the 15th, when he shot down two more enemy aircraft, but was again hit by the Germans and forced to bail out. Again, after only four days recovery, on the 19th, he was back in the air. He shot down an enemy aircraft but was hit by enemy fire taking a bullet wound to the neck. He crash landed, and was rescued and taken to a hospital in Paris, where the bullet was removed. He spent the rest of the Battle of France in the hospital and returned to the UK in June 1940.
Unfit for flying, he wrote up his memoirs under the title Fighter Pilot . Published in September 1941, Paul Richey's Fighter Pilot was a first of its kind memoir to describe the war in the air and was popular with the public. By January 1942, the book would already be in its sixth impression.
He returned to flying in the Spring of 1941, when he joined 609 Squadron as a flight commander, flying Spitfires under his brother-in-law, Squadron Leader Michael Robinson and flew 53 missions across the English Channel. He then became C/O of 74 Squadron, but returned to 609 as C/O in May 1942. On October 12, 1942 Squadron Leader Richey was promoted to Wing Commander, Fighter Ops, at Headquarters, Bengal Command, in India. Then he became C/O of 165 Wing Comilla and finally 188 Wing at Palel in the Imphal Valley. In February 1944, he was invalided back to the United Kingdom and did not return to operational flying. After the war, he became a journalist, and joined the RAuxAF. In 1950, at the time of the Korean War, he was called up for three months and commanded 601 Squadron.
He ended WWII with 11+ air to air victories.
He passed away February 23rd 1989 at the age of 72, at which time the tenth edition of Fighter Pilot was about to be published.
Wing Commander John Freeborn DFC*
Joined the RAF in 1938, in March 1938 he was commissioned in the RAFO, and on the 9th of April 1938 went to Montrose and joined 8 FTS, where he finished his training before joining 74 "Tiger" Squadron at Hornchurch on 29th October. He relinquished his RAFO commission after being granted a short service one in the RAF in January 1939. He flew Spitfires with 74 Squadron over Dunkirk, and claimed a probable Ju88 on May 21st 1940. On the 22nd of May 1940 he shot down a Ju88, and a probable Me109 on the 24th of May followed soon after on the 27th by a Me 109 shot down and another probably destroyed. On one occasion his Spitfire was badly damaged over Dunkirk and he was forced to crash-land on the beach near Calais but managed to get a lift home in a returning aircraft. His squadron flew relentlessly during the Battle of Britain. In one 8 hour period, the squadrons pilots flew into combat on four occasions, shooting down 23 enemy aircraft (three shot down by John Freeborn) and damaging 14 more. By the end of the Battle of Britain, John Freeborn had seven air victories to his name. He shot down a Me109 on 10th July, shared a probable Do17 on the 24th, shot down a Me109 on the 28th, shot down two Me110s, a Me109 and probably another on 11th August, shot down a Do 17 on the 13th, shot down another on 11th September and damaged an He 111 on the 14th. He was made a Flight Commander on 28th August. He shared a Me109 on 17th November, shot down two Me109s, shared another and damaged a fourth on 5th December, and damaged a Do17 on 5th February and 4th March 1941. John Freeborn had been with his squadron longer, and flown more hours, than any other Battle of Britain pilot. In January, 1942 he was posted to the USA where he helped test fly various aircraft, including the new fighters the P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang. He returned to the UK in December 1942 and went to Harrowbear, Exeter, and then to Bolt Head as Station Commander. He joined 602 Squadron in 1942, and became C/O of 118 Squadron in June 1943 at Coltishall, leading it until January 1944. In June 1944 he was promoted Wing Commander (the youngest Wing Commander in the RAF) of 286 Wing in Italy. His final score was 17 air to air victories and he left the RAF in 1946.
He passed away on 28th August 2010.
This is a very rare chance to own such a sought after book with the rare autograph of its author and fighter ace Wing Commander Paul Richey DSO DFC*.
International bidders please note any item(s) purchased for over £20 must pay for and be posted by international signed for postage only.
