425

R.A.F. WING COMMANDER ROLAND P. BEAMONT'S FLIGHT

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:600.00 USD Estimated At:1,200.00 - 1,500.00 USD
R.A.F. WING COMMANDER ROLAND P. BEAMONT'S FLIGHT
R.A.F. WING COMMANDER ROLAND P. BEAMONT'S FLIGHT JACKET, SWEATER, CAP AND FLIGHT BOOTS GROUPING
A historic collection including the flown leather flight jacket, wool flight sweater, blue dress pants and black flying boots owned and worn by R.A.F. Wing Commander ROLAND PROSPER "BEE" BEAMONT (1920-2001), DFC recipient, CBE, DSO, DL FRAeS, Battle of Britain "Roll of Honour," test pilot, and aeronautical acrobatic award winner and air speed record holder. Included is Beamont's sheepskin wool-lined leather Irvin flight jacket; white rolled-neck oiled wool flying sweater; R.A.F. officer's garrison cap with gold eagle, crown, and gold R.A.F. buttons at front; and his R.A.F. mid-height flight boots. Also included is a fine signed photo of Beamont in uniform, 5" x 8", nicely-signed post-war. Beamont entered the RAF on a short service commission in January 1939 and after completing elementary flying training he went on to flying training school at Drem. During the Battle of France he was credited with one victory before the his squadron was withdrawn to England on May 20, 1940. On the eve of the Battle of Britain, his 87 Squadron was based at Exeter and over the next two months Beamont was involved in the destruction of five more enemy aircraft. After flight testing Hurricanes and Typhoons for Hawker, in May 1942 he flew Typhoons operationally with 56 Squadron before moving on to command 609 Squadron. During this time he developed night intruding activities, undertaking numerous "train-busting" sorties. After another spell testing Typhoons and also Tempests, in March 1944 he was promoted acting Wing Commander and led 150 Wing during the Normandy invasion before being tasked with the interception of V-1 flying bombs, personally claiming 32. Hit by flak, he crash landed and was held at Stalag Luft II until war's end. In January 1946, he left the RAF to join Gloster Aircraft as a test pilot. Later he became Chief Test Pilot with English Electric, where he flew the prototype Canberra and the P-1, which became the Lightning Fighter. He went on to become a Director of English Electric and BAC before being appointed to Panavia Aircraft, overseeing the development of the Tornado. Provenance: From the collection of the late Malcolm Smith, the long-time assistant secretary to the Battle of Britain Association; The War Museum.