REMINISCENCES

Label on the inside front cover signed by

Wing Commander Peter Devitt

Privately Published First Edition 1990.  168 pages including photographs.

Fine condition card cover book. Clean, tight and bright. A super copy of a very rare book.  It comes with a 2 side hand written letter from Devitt on personal stationary to the aviation author Norman Franks which amongst references to 615 Squadron says, ‘I enclose my book for what it is worth which may well help you to write the history’.  It is signed ‘Peter.’

Peter Devitt learned to fly before the war and was a member of 600 Squadron RAuxAF. Called to full time service on the outbreak of war, he was promoted to Squadron Leader and took command of 152 (Hyderabad) Squadron in February 1940 and led it through the Battle of Britain until the end of October.  In 1942 he was in Rangoon when it was overrun by the Japanese and he led some 250 RAF personnel northwards to freedom. He stayed in the far east and led a fighter wing in Burma. Post-war, he was Commanding Officer of 615 (County of Surrey) Auxiliary Squadron. In 1940 he also had the distinction of being drawn by Cuthbert Orde. He died in 1997.

This book was privately published by Peter Devitt in 1990 and the very small print run makes it one of the most scarce of all Battle of Britain memoirs and copies are exceptionally hard to find. There is not another copy currently available.