THE GOLDEN EAGLES

First edition, first printing. Signed and inscribed by the author to "Laddie" Lucas. Publisher's original tan cloth with titles in gilt to the spine, in dustwrapper. Illustrated endpapers. Illustrated with several black and white photographic plates. A better than very good copy, the binding square and firm with a minor bump to the foot of the spine. The contents with a little dust-soiling to the top edge of the textblock and a few pencil annotations are otherwise clean and bright throughout. Complete with the very good dustwrapper which has a little fading to the spine and some minor wear to the extremities. Not price-clipped.

Signed and inscribed by Peter Firkins in blue ink on the title page "For Laddie / with best wishes / Peter Firkins". A biography of eleven great Australian air force aces from the library of the legendary spitfire pilot Percy Belgrave "Laddie" Lucas, CBE, DSO and Bar, DFC (1915-1998). Lucas joined the RAF in June 1940, travelling to Canada to undertake flying training at the Flying Training School. On completion, he was assigned to 66 Squadron in August 1941, with whom he flew combat missions until the end of 1942. Arriving in Malta in February 1942, he commanded No. 249 Squadron during the Battle of Malta, after which he was awarded the DFC. In 1943, he took command of No. 616 Squadron, later commanding the Spitfire wing at RAF Coltishall, and then, between 1944 and 1945, serving with the RAF Second Tactical Air Force in North-West Europe. Lucas was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in January 1944, and then a bar to his DSO in October 1945 for making numerous attacks on enemy communications, often in dangerous conditions.