Item #2645 Unique collection of Royal Flying Corps personal training materials from the Ruffy-Baumann aerial training school at Hendon. Flight Lieutenant C. C. GARDNER, Royal Flying Corps.
Unique collection of Royal Flying Corps personal training materials from the Ruffy-Baumann aerial training school at Hendon
Unique collection of Royal Flying Corps personal training materials from the Ruffy-Baumann aerial training school at Hendon
Unique collection of Royal Flying Corps personal training materials from the Ruffy-Baumann aerial training school at Hendon
Unique collection of Royal Flying Corps personal training materials from the Ruffy-Baumann aerial training school at Hendon
Unique collection of Royal Flying Corps personal training materials from the Ruffy-Baumann aerial training school at Hendon
Unique collection of Royal Flying Corps personal training materials from the Ruffy-Baumann aerial training school at Hendon
Unique collection of Royal Flying Corps personal training materials from the Ruffy-Baumann aerial training school at Hendon
Unique collection of Royal Flying Corps personal training materials from the Ruffy-Baumann aerial training school at Hendon
Unique collection of Royal Flying Corps personal training materials from the Ruffy-Baumann aerial training school at Hendon

Unique collection of Royal Flying Corps personal training materials from the Ruffy-Baumann aerial training school at Hendon

London: Royal Flying Corps, 1916. Collection of First World War personal training materials, comprising the following: original ring-bound notebook issued by the Royal Flying Corps with motto and insignia blocked on the front cover. The notebook measures 155 x 225 mm. and contains approximately 100 sheets within card section dividers. In addition to the notebook itself, this collection includes a suite of 15 original photographs from the Ruffy-Baumann aerial training school at Hendon; with manuscript notations to the reverse indicating the identity of the owner (see description below), and dating the training period to December of 1916. Also included are two printed maps, one of the Nancy region of north-eastern France, the other of southern England (counties of Sussex, Kent and Surry). The notebook is an original R.F.C. issued binder, filled with notes, sketches and diagrams by Flight-Lieutenant Gardner. A remarkable survival from the golden age of the Royal Flying Corps, being the hand-written notebook, personal photographs and maps of Flight-Lieutenant C. C. Gardner during his training at Hendon in late 1916. The notebook is an original R.F.C. issued binder, filled with notes, sketches and diagrams by Flight-Lieutenant Gardner.

The notebook reveals the comprehensive curriculum of pilot training at the height of the First World War. The author's hand-written notes cover a broad range of subjects commencing with mechanical detail and diagrams of three engine types (Beardmore, Gnome, and Renault), followed by four leaves of original drawings depicting the aeroplanes themselves.

This is followed by detailed notes on rigging and the theory of flight, aerial photography, pressure gauges and mechanisms of regulation, meteorology and barometric prediction, navigation and night flying, wireless communication (with lists of morse code and cyphers), aerial observation related to enemy artillery placements, and sundry other subjects. The notebook is illustrated by Gardner throughout with sketch maps and diagrams including bomb designs, airflow schematics, and myriad mechanical details.

Of particular biographical relevance are the 15 original photographs from Gardner's training at Hendon, which provide a personal insight into his experience. Of special interest are the smaller format images possibly taken by Gardner himself from the cockpit. A further two of the photographs depict a spectacular crash into a rural barn, and there is one group photograph of the officers of his cohort. The two maps themselves are marked indicative of use for aerial navigation purposes, for example, the map of southern England is marked with R.F.C. airfields, including those in the immediate vicinity of the city of London.

Original First World War training materials of this nature are increasingly uncommon on the market and represent a valuable opportunity for serious militaria collectors. Item #2645

Price (AUD): $1,200.00