Is this a rare and valuable book?

Defence until Dawn

I have just been able to secure a copy of Leslie Hunt’s book.
Cost about 30 quid but well worth it. I have been seeking a copy for some year now.

Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1939-1945 was published by Air Britain, but is no longer on their sales web site so must be out of print.
Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1911-1919 and Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1920-39 are both still available from Air Britain for £12 and £26 respectively and are fantastic if this is even remotely part of your interest.

I have what I assume is a 2nd edition of Vintage and Veteran Aircraft (“Enlarged Edition” with the Sea Tiger Moth on the front; it is undated – being formerly with Newton Abbot Public Library – but ‘now’ is 1967) and a 4th edition – they cost me £2 and £6.50 respectively. I was raised on the content of what must have been a 3rd edition from my own local library – it was, as I recall, between the above two for comprehensiveness.
My first edition (1989) copy of the Warbirds Worldwide Directory by John Chapman and Geoff Goodall has a dedication to Leslie Hunt in the front, for his inspiration.

Flood

This one came up on abaa.org,

Sturtivant, Ray BRITISH NAVAL AVIATION The Fleet Air Arm, 1917-1990.
Not sure if it is the right one, maybe it’s a compilation of the books.

PS. CrazyMainer

There are 8 Copies of Pacific Wrecks listed at Bookfinder.com so HURRY!

Also

The book you want is Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1939 to 1945

They are quite hard to come by but i do see them come up occasionaly at the shows in the UK

http://www.sturtivant.freeserve.co.uk/faaa.htm

There is going to be new edition sometime. Don’t know where or when

You maybe interested in Ray Sturtivant’s latest tome

Fleet Air Arm Fixed-Wing Aircraft Since 1946 as well!

http://www.sturtivant.freeserve.co.uk/fixed.htm

Ray has also been involved in documenting all RN aircraft from 1911 to 1939 in 2 other books:

Royal Navy Aircraft Serials and Units 1911-1919
Fleet Air Arm Aircraft, Units and Ships 1920 to 1939

As the introduction to his latest says ‘No other air arm has had the history of its aircraft so thoroughly documented’

Les Hunt

re: Leslie Hunt

We were taling about him… Mark 12.. 😉

And I found out about the Essex charity it in! You have a good memory!Paul

Well not quite!

I have all four volumes on the bookshelf 14.5 inches to the left of my shoulder as I sit at this PC. 🙂

These were great books then and they are great books now for verifying and tracing ownership chains.

Les Hunt was there, right at the centre of the 1960’s/70’s embryonic UK preservation movement.

Mark

re: Leslie Hunt

We were taling about him… Mark 12.. 😉

BTW I picked up my OWN signed copy of Volume 2 for £6.50 at the weekend.. No back cover but hey I am not worried..

And I found out about the Essex charity it in! You have a good memory!

Paul

Hunt’s books are great. Of course they are dated, but for me as a Warbird writer, that’s part of the use. How many Spitfires, Mustangs, Swordfish, Battles etc etc were known in 1968 or 74? Without Hunt and the other later contenders in the field, we would not know. In my comment on Philip’s recent depressed view of the British preservation story, I turned streight to Hunt. Can’t beat them. Great books, essential for the ‘who’s got what and when’ brigade…

Cheers

Dave

I bought Les Hunts’ book as a teenager [ Lancaster Cover ] and as people have said, it is very dated, but a fascinating book to look through, and a useful research tool for aircraft histories. I was always hanging out for the fifth edition, but alas that never eventuated.
Darbys’ ‘Pacific Wrecks and Relics’ is equally fascinating showing what beautiful wrecks were still around in the seventies , long out of print now though.

Dave

Rob
was it ‘Fleet Air Arm at War’ by any chance??
Cheers
Andy

Try Ray Sturtivant, and you might just get somewhere. Not an obvious spelling!

Bruce

Charles Darby’s “Pacific Wrecks” is like Hen’s Teeth – very scarce. His other book, RNZAF The First Decade is rare but does pop up from time to time, ad is usually expensive even third or fourth hand, not just 2nd hand. I heard from someone that a couple of years ago Kookaburra reprinted the RNZAF book which would make it easier to get and the value would drop on the resale market, but I don’t know if this actually occurred.

As for the Pacific Wrecks book, the only place I’ve ever seen it is in libraries. I visit second hand book shops often and have never seen it come up for sale. Nor have I seen it on ebay or anywhere. So I think you may be out of luck.

Thanks for that Mark12, so it is the same man. I beleive he was one of the few Brits in 488 Sqn. I have interviewed Ron Watts, $88’s last commander, for my Cambridge RNZAF project and he said much the same about Les Hunt. He thought very highly of him indeed. Has he written many other aviation related books? I assume he also did editions 1-3 of the aformentioned book? His 488 Sqn book is good but incredibly rare. I had to order it in from the National library. I wish I’d photocopied it now.

Hi All,

Speak ing of Books, a few years back I had a small fire at my Familys Farm which destroyed a few of my books 🙁 I have been able to replace most of them but their are two which I seem not be able to find on the net.

1 Is Charles Darbys book onthe PNG stuff.
2 Is Ray Sturvativage (spellling) FAA/RN History of every aircraft they used during WWII

Does anyone have a sorce for either if so please pm me. 😀

Thanks Crazymainer

Not sure if this is the same Leslie Hunt that you refer to, others will probably have a definitive answer (Mark12?)

Les Hunt was ex RAF and retired in 1959. He lived at Leigh on Sea, Essex. If he hasn’t ‘reached the end of the runway’ he would be 93 years old. He was a prolific writer and raiser of funds for charity including 488 NZ Squadron Association. A extremely nice bloke, who was very generous to me in my early years of surviving Spitfire research.

Mark

Thanks guys. I thought it was worth mentioning in case any of you were seeking it and it was possibly rare. Good to know its readily available. It does indeed look like a useful reference, and gives a nice historical perspective.

It had an article in it on the RAFM Hendon too I noticed as I flicked through.

Book..

Hi Dave
There are several copies available on ABE-Books.
All about the Twenty Pounds mark.
So it’s a reasonable price for a not very rare book.
Cheers
Andy