Secrets of what life was like for a First World War pilot have emerged thanks to one of the rarest finds a renowned militaria expert has ever made – unearthed in a Midlands barn.
A First World War Pilot’s Flying Log Book is among ‘outstanding’ militaria memorabilia which had been languishing in a box in a Leicestershire barn for decades.
Its dramatic contents include entries describing crash landings, number of rounds fired from a Lewis gun, number of bombs dropped and actions with enemy aircraft. Notes include, ‘Plane hit by machine gun fire’ or ‘Forced down due to engine trouble’.
The militaria haul, which relates to Lt Stuart Leslie, also includes aerial maps he would have had on his knee in the cockpit of his plane along with the aircraft’s pennant flags and his flying wings relating to the First World Flying Corps, forerunner to the RAF.
It has astonished Adrian Stevenson, head of Hansons Auctioneers’ Medals and Militaria Department. Such is the rarity of some of the items, the entire collection could fetch £2,000 at auction on March 20.
Mr Stevenson said: “This has to be one of the most outstanding militaria finds I’ve ever made. The Pilot’s Flying Log Book runs from November 11, 1917 to October 24, 1918 and provides insight into what life was life for a pilot during the early days of air combat.
“All of Lt Leslie’s documents and records are there. We know what planes he flew, where he trained and the dangers he faced as he took the skies to defend our country.
“He was a second lieutenant with the Royal Flying Corps which changed its name to the RAF in 1918. Pilot’s wings reflecting both names are in the collection along with a badge which tells us he was wounded. His Soldier’s Small book shows he enlisted on October 30, 1915, aged 22.
“He was posted to No 4 Squadron and saw active service until October 1918 with over 260 hours total flying time, both as a pilot and observer.”
The collection also includes his Standing Orders issued at No 5 School of Military Aeronautics, RFC, Denham Bucks, in September, 1917 and a lecture book containing all his notes with drawings detailing aircraft rigging, engines, aerial observations, map reading, instruments and bombs.
The life of a cadet was highly disciplined. One of many instructions reads, ‘Cadets must at all time keep their hair properly cut; nothing looks more slovenly and unsoldierly than long, untidy hair. There is a barber’s shop in the camp’.
Mr Stevenson said: “The entire collection is fascinating. I was also amazed by nine small rolls of gun camera photographs from 1918. Gun cameras were used during training and combat to test accuracy. But that Pilot’s Flying Log Book is particularly special. It’s incredibly rare. I have only ever seen one in a museum.”
The find was sparked by the arrival of a photo frame made out of a First World War aircraft propeller which was taken along for free valuation at Hansons’ saleroom in Etwall, near Derby.
Mr Stevenson said: “The owner told me he had more items relating to the war and returned with a large box which had been in a Leicestershire barn. He had no idea who it related to but said his mother had been the recipient of old family heirlooms. I was flabbergasted when I started pulling out the items. It was a militaria treasure trove.
“It’s a mystery how this collection has turned up in the Midlands. Lt Leslie was born in Finchley, North London, on May 19, 1893 to Henry Leslie and his wife Madeline Nora. In 1911 he was listed in the census as being 18 and an ‘Apprentice, Trimmings, Haberdashery’.
“After the Great War he returned to the family home – Cliftonville in Woodhouse Road, Finchley. In 1939 he was still living with his mother and two sisters at the family home and was listed as being ‘Manager Straw and Felt Merchant’. He never married and died in 1950 aged 57.”
“When you take wartime statistics into account, he was lucky to survive. He was flying during the early days of aviation and pilots were often killed due to plane defects and operational issues during training as well as enemy fire. This exceptional historical record is, perhaps, worthy of a museum.”
The Lt Stuart Leslie memorabilia will be sold on March 20 at a Medals and Militaria Auction at Hansons, Heage Lane, Etwall, Derbyshire, DE65 6LS. To find out more or arrange a free militaria valuation, email [email protected].
