[Photo Album]: World War II British Flying Training School in Arizona

GIBBS, R.

Published by Mesa, Arizona, 1945

About this Item

Oblong quarto. Measuring 11½" x 7". String-tied black paper covered boards with "Photographs" stamped in green on the front board. Contains 300 black and white or sepia-toned silver gelatin photographs measuring between 2" x 3" and 5" x 7", with captions. Near fine album with some edgewear with near fine photographs. A photo album compiled by R. Gibbs from Bristol, England while training at the British Flying Training School (BFTS) in Mesa, Arizona during World War II. The album begins with the unit's arrival in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. Over 20 pages Gibb's photographs the journey as they traveled west through Canada and into the United Stated. During this trip he captured images of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Montreal, Chicago, Kansas City, New Mexico, and El Paso. They make their way over land eventually ending at the No. 4 British Flying Training School (BFTS) in Mesa. Gibbs and his company completed training from August 30th, 1944 to April 1st, 1945. The company, airfield, and vehicles are seen throughout the album beginning with large images of the airfield, control tower, and camp buildings. Other images show cadets and officers posed in uniform, "night scenes," and men at the swimming pool. One photo of note depicts a group shot of 20 men of the Royal Air Force "B Flight. Course 23", all men identified, with white ink on the image, and signatures of the men are on verso. Ten photos depict the planes in flight and nineteen photos depict scenes taken in the air. Gibbs also features scenes from around the training school near Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, Salome, and Wickenburg, Arizona. One section shows the men during a break time watching a rodeo. With the outbreak of World War II the United Kingdom was in need of facilities outside of the country to train pilots for their air force "without risk of enemy interference." The Lend-Lease Act allowed the United States to "lend or lease (rather than sell) war supplies to any nation deemed vital to the defense of the United States" including air fields. The BFTS opened seven school in the South and Southwest United States one of which was at Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona where this photo album takes place.

Seller Inventory # 453069

Bibliographic Details

• Title: [Photo Album]: World War II British Flying Training School in Arizona
• Publisher: Mesa, Arizona
• Publication Date: 1945
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Near Fine
• Seller catalogs:
  • Photography
  • Aviation
  • Ephemera