ebay Pathfinder bargain

Martin Bull · #1 (**permalink**) April 10th, 2003, 04:41 PM

Just got something nice on ebay.

Advertised as a copy of 'Donald Bennett - Master Airman' for £1 which you can usually find at airshows for a tenner or so. Put in a bid at £1, it was the only bid, so got the book for less than two pounds including postage.

Opened it up to find, on the title page, it's signed as a presentation copy by both Bennett himself and by 'Hamish Mahaddie - The PFF Horse Thief'.

Now that's a nice Pathfinder bargain.....

Stevin · #2 (**permalink**) April 10th, 2003, 08:16 PM

Geez, congrats Martin! For one pound! That's TREASURE!

Good for you....

What would you say of an autobiography, signed by Martin Drewes...???

[img]tongue.gif[/img]

BTW; your last remark reminds my of the Dandy Dealer David Dickinson....'Was that a bargain? I think you know the score, Bargainhunters!'

Erich · #3 (**permalink**) April 10th, 2003, 08:21 PM

Those little unknowns are always sweet ! Good for you......

congrats Martin !

E

Martin Bull · #4 (**permalink**) April 10th, 2003, 08:50 PM

A Martin Drewes signed autobiography....that does sound nice !

It was a lucky ebay shot - from a specialist aviation dealer, something signed by Bennett & Mahaddie would be £35 minimum.... [img]smile.gif[/img]

sommecourt · #5 (**permalink**) April 10th, 2003, 09:32 PM

Nice one Martin; amazing what WW2 book bargins can be found on Ebay. I recently got a very rare 1946 history of 8th Armoured Brigade in NW Europe, with lovely pull out colour maps for less than a tenner. One wonders how longer it will last - I fear that 2004, with all the anniversaries that year, will see a dramatic rise in WW2 collecting on places like Ebay. Buy while you can!

Martin Bull · #6 (**permalink**) April 11th, 2003, 06:14 AM

Nice one indeed, Sommecourt. Those privately-published British unit histories from 1945/46 are very hard to find and when they do turn up at specialized bookfairs the dealer usually looks down his nose at you and in an upper-crust drawl says : 'That one is sixty - fiiive ' and he sure doesn't mean pence......

Erich · #7 (**permalink**) April 11th, 2003, 01:28 PM

Martin :

Have you come across any RAF bomb group histories ? I've heard of the general bombing campaign books but nothing of the former....

E

Martin Bull · #8 (**permalink**) April 11th, 2003, 05:02 PM

Difficult. Some have been published, but usually in very small print runs.

Examples ; 'To See The Dawn Breaking : 76 Squadron Operations ' by W R Chorley, and particularly good is 'They Led The Way - The Story Of Pathfinder Squadron 156 ' by Michael P Wadsworth. You just need to grab them as they are published.

Now, here's one that's just been published ; ' Lancaster Operations - One Squadron's Contribution To The Bomber Offensive ' by Ian Reid. This large-format book is the full story of 100 Squadron in incredible detail with plenty of photos, personal accounts, listings of every single aircraft and operation, colour drawings etc etc etc.

A superb effort and shows how it should be done. Contact the author at ; -

ian.reid6@ntlworld.com

You won't be disappointed....