Archive of Material from Key Second World War Military Figure

Arch Books is selling a group of books, photographs, presentation copies and wartime material from the library of Air Chief Marshal Lord Portal of Hungerford, Chief of the Air Staff from 1940 to 1945 and one of the most importatnt British military figures of the Second World War.

Leading the sale is General George C. Marshall’s U.S. Army Chief of Staff Report, specially bound and named in gilt to “Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Charles F. A. Portal”. Marshall was America’s principal army strategist, Portal was Britain’s principal air chief, and both operated at the highest level of Allied decision-making.

Also included is H. H. 'Hap' Arnold’s Global Mission, inscribed to Portal. Arnold was Commanding General of the U.S. Army Air Forces and one of the architects of American air power.

Other highlights include:

• General Thomas S. Power’s Design for Survival, inscribed “Keep the Free World Strong” to Portal - Power commanded B-29 operations from Guam in 1945 and later succeeded Curtis LeMay as Commander-in-Chief of Strategic Air Command
• Cross-Channel Attack, the U.S. Army’s official account of the Normandy campaign, presented to Portal
• President de Gaulle’s signed Mémoires de Guerre, with the third volume signed and dated November 7, 1959, the year de Gaulle became President of the Fifth Republic
• Destiny Can Wait: The Polish Air Force in the Second World War, specially bound and presented to Portal by Polish airmen in 1949 with the inscription “To Marshal of the Royal Air Force / The Viscount Portal of Hungerford / with gratitude / from / Polish Airmen. / 30th November 1949"
• Material relating to the Guinea Pig Club, the brotherhood of badly burned Allied aircrew treated by Sir Archibald McIndoe at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead
• the original RAF flying log book of Sgt Hugh Owen, a Halifax flight engineer with 76 Squadron, recording the Genoa raid of 7 November 1942 on which he was shot down, captured in occupied France and later imprisoned at Stalag Luft III