DOWDING HUGH: (1882-1970) British Air Chief Marshal, Commander of RAF Fighter Command during the Bat

DOWDING HUGH: (1882-1970) British Air Chief Marshal, Commander of RAF Fighter Command during the Bat

Dowding receives messages from deceased airmen

DOWDING HUGH: (1882-1970) British Air Chief Marshal, Commander of RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. An extraordinary war date A.L.S., H. C. T. Dowding, two pages, 8vo, Wimbledon, London, 25th April 1943, to Lord Beaverbrook. Dowding thanks his correspondent for their birthday telegram and continues to refer to his Spiritualist experiences, 'If you have an hour to spare one day soon I wonder if you would like to see a number of messages from men killed on the battlefield in this war. They are extraordinarily vivid & interesting. They came from men killed in Greece, Crete & Libya, in the Malay Jungle & on the high seas, they also include messages from airmen killed in action & there is one from a Battle of Britain pilot addressed to me personally', further remarking 'This is definitely not an attempt to involve you in plans for publication, only I feel sure that you would share my own intense interest in reading them'. A letter of remarkable content and good association. Two file holes to the left edge, only very slightly affecting a couple of letters of text, otherwise VG Max Aitken (1879-1964) 1st Baron Beaverbrook. Canadian-British newspaper publisher who served as Minister of Aircraft Production 1940-41. Dowding's interest in Spiritualism is well documented, however autograph letters on the subject are extremely rare (see also following lot). At the time of the present letter Dowding was writing his first book on the subject, Many Mansions, and described meeting dead 'RAF boys' in his sleep - spirits who flew fighters from mountain-top runways made of light.