The Me262 COMBAT DIARY

Special Limited Edition Bookplate no 54

Signed by the authors plus

Oberst Hermann Buchner KC ~ Me262 pilot 10/JG7
Major Urban Drew AFC DFC ~ shot down 2 Me262
Wg Cdr JB Wray CBE DFC ~ shot down 2 Me262
Sqn Ldr Rod Smith DFC ~ shot down 1 Me262
Fg Off AH Fraser ~ shot down 1 Me262

And an additional plate signed by Warrant Officer V J Rossow of 41 Sqn
who shot down Hermann Buchner’s Me262 while flying a Spitfire XIV

Air Research Publications 1990.  256 pages and well illustrated with photos. The forewords are contributed by Buchner, Drew and Wray. There are 5 excellent detailed appendices including part of General Adolf Galland’s prisoner interrogation report referring to the Me262.

Fine condition hardback book and Fine condition unclipped dustjacket. Clean, bright, tight and unread.

A very readable day by day account of the fabulous Me262 – the world’s first fully operational jet fighter – with an excellent Luftwaffe Ace signature and the signatures of the only two Allied pilots to each shoot down 2 Me262s.

‘The Messerschmitt Me 262 Combat Diary’ is an exceptional operational record of the world’s first jet fighter, meticulously compiled by Foreman and Harvey. Structured day‑by‑day, it charts every known Me 262 sortie, claim, loss, unit movement and pilot involved, cutting through decades of myth with clear, sourced data. Rather than dramatise, the authors let the facts speak — and the result is a compelling, authoritative reference that captures both the promise of the jet and the chaos of the Luftwaffe’s final months. Essential for serious Luftwaffe researchers and a standout cornerstone for any WWII aviation library.

Hermann Buchner (1919 – 2005) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross  during World War II. The Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Buchner was credited with 46 tank victories and 58 aerial victories, including 12 while flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter, accumulated in 631 combat missions.