ID: 1761
Royal Air Force No 1 Parachute Training School: Visitors Book 1941-1945.
WORLD WAR TWO: Group Captain Maurice Newnham, officer commanding

Category: Autograph Letters/Manuscripts, Second World War

Place/Publisher/Date:
Ringway, Manchester. 1941-1945.

Description: Oblong 8vo; original morocco boards, gilt ruled and lettered, all edges gilt. Approximately 80 pages, including numerous inscriptions from visting servicemen and dignitaries, photographs, newspapers cuttings and a record of Newnham's own parachute descents. There is also a photographic record of the first descent into water - Rothermere Mere - on the 21st October 1941. The photographs record visits by King George VI, Winston and Clementine Churchill and Major General Roy Urquart, who commanded the British First Airborne Division at Arnhem in 1944. Important signatories include George Duke of Kent (later killed in an air crash) Alan Brooke, shortly before he became Chief of the Imperial General Staff and Churchill's chief military advisor and William P Yarborough who designed the American parachutist badge, paratrooper or 'jump' boots, and the airborne jump uniform. He is known as the 'Father ' of the Modern Green Berets. Between June 1940 and early 1946, No.1 PTS provided initial training to all 60,000 allied paratroopers who volunteered or were recruited for that role in Europe. In addition to British troops, men from many nationalities trained to jump at RAF Ringway and nearby Tatton Park including Americans, Belgians, Canadians, Czechs, Dutch, French, Norwegian and Poles. Agents of the Special Operations Executive, both men and women were also trained before being parachuted into occupied Europe. Very good, rubbing to the extremities and a 30cm crack to the outer hinge.

Price £1,750.00