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UNIDENTIFIED : 1940s ORIGINAL, SIGNIFICANT BRITISH WWII AIR SEARCH AND RESCUE MANUSCRIPT DIARIES [6] TITLED 'THE FORTUNES AND MISFORTUNES OF No. 284 SQUADRON' HANDWRITTEN BY AN ENGLISH PILOT

8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. On offer is a most unique and rare collection of notebooks detailing the adventures of an RAF squadron in WWII. The collection consists of 6 notebooks containing a total of about 300 pages. It is 100% complete. The notebooks measure 8 inches by 5 inches. They are flip-top design and several of them have damage to the spines. Many pages are loose but all are present. The handwriting is legible. The author of the journals is unknown. Entitled The Fortunes And Misfortunes Of No. 284 Squadron, the volumes follow the squadron from shortly after it was stood up in May, 1943 until it was stood down in Sept, 1945 and then the demobilization process ending in May 194 when he was discharged. 284 Squadron was an Air Search & Rescue squadron formed at Gravesend on 7 May 1943 from various detachments of other ASR squadrons. 284 was then transferred to the Mediterranean. Leaving in June, it arrived at Hal Far in Malta in July and immediately began operations with its Walrus amphibious planes. In August. the aircraft moved to Sicily. In September the squadron relocated to Southern Italy, although it continued to operate around Sicily until November. It also covered the seas around Sardinia, Tunisia and the southern coast of France. Vickers Warwicks, a much larger plane, were added to the squadron in March 1944, The following September the Walruses were transferred to No 293 Squadron but 284 received Hurricanes in their place. The squadron disbanded in Corsica on 21 September 1945. The squadron reformed on 15 October 1956 at Nicosia in Cyprus. The squadron was disbanded in 1959 when it was re-numbered No 103 Squadron. He keeps a daily record of what is happening in the squadron, noting weather, administrative and personal details and actions against the enemy. "... this afternoon, just before tea time, Jerry was out. The guns blazed away and he cleared off, dropping nothing... " [Dec 2, 1943]; "A horrible day until just before tea time when it cleared up. We had given up all hope of the Hudsons arriving but they lobbed in just after tea and we take off tomorrow at approx. Nine. ..." [Mar 13, 1944]. The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built for the Royal Air Force. "... Received another batch of mail including a marvellous letter from my darling. ... Saw a Beau crash on landing [The Bristol Beaufighter was a heavily armed night fighter and anti-shipping strike aircraft] ... just before tea and without any warning, all the guns blazed away including a destroyer in the harbour. A Jerry was now in the clouds. The din was terrific and there was no time to reach our [ ] so we stayed indoors and watched guns on all sides blazing away. It was all over in a few minutes and Jerry made off without dropping anything...." [Nov 25, 1943]. His last entry is May 18, 1946: "Great day. Through the demob machine and finished by 12 o'clock ... Across to Waterloo and caught the 6 pm to home. Arrived home at 10:15 pm when the person I love but was waiting at the station for me. My wife." [May 18, 1946]. For a historian, this is a fabulous collection. It follows not only the career of an RAF pilot but also his squadron through the most intense years of the war. It is rich in details. A military historian would find this an excellent corroboration of the movement of other units. It paints a picture of both a constant operational tempo and the day-to-day experiences of this young Englishman at war. A reader will see both the war unfolding on his pages and the very human experiences he went through.. Illustr.: /. Manuscript. Book Condition: Fair

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