TOMMY LEADER

Signed at Duxford, July 2008

Signed in pencil on the title page by 4 of ‘The Few’

Billy Drake ~ 213 Squadron
Keith Lawrence ~ 234 Squadron
Tom Neil ~ 249 Squadron
Leopold Heimes ~ 235 Squadron

Laid in limited edition photograph 179/200 signed by Tom Dalton-Morgan, CO 43 Squadron 1940-41

Published by Griffon International. First edition 2007.  208 pages and well illustrated with photographs.

Very Fine condition hardback book and dustjacket. Clean, tight and bright. As new.

This is the biography of Tom Dalton-Morgan, a man who was determined to fly and achieved his ambition when he was accepted for pilot training by the RAF in 1934. He flew with 43 Squadron in the Battle of Britain taking command on 16th September 1940 a week after he was awarded his first DFC. In May 1941 he shot down 3 Luftwaffe bombers at night in a single-engine day fighter and was awarded another DFC.

Tom subsequently flew many missions over Occupied Europe as leader of the Ibsley Wing and was shot down on four occasions. He finished the war with 14+ victories and nine British and foreign decorations. Retiring from the RAF in 1952, he moved to Australia to join the Weapons Research Establishment in Adelaide, eventually becoming the Range Controller at the Missile Testing Ground, Woomera. Tom reluctantly retired in 1982 alternating between Australia and England where he continued to attend many veterans reunions. He passed away in Australia in 2004 after spending much time with the author in preparing this book which was published nearly three years later along with the magnificent Robert Taylor painting which graces the dustjacket.

An excellent copy of a surprisingly scarce signed Battle of Britain memoir.