AVIATION IN INDIA: An unusual collection of printed ephemera, some T.Ls.S. etc., all relating to the career of ...

AVIATION IN INDIA: An unusual collection of printed ephemera, some T.Ls.S. etc., all relating to the career of Squadron Leader Walter John Pickard, largely whilst stationed in India during the early 1930s, featuring programmes, menus, invitation cards etc., including a small 4to programme for a flying display of the Aero Club of India & Burma, organised by the Delhi Flying Club, and including a competition between Moth aeroplanes, demonstrations of balloon bursting, flight aerobatics and 'bomb' dropping; an 8vo programme for Aero, Five's, a concert party presented by the Royal Air Force, Quetta in which Pickard performed as part of The Phantom Banjo sketch; an 8vo programme for a Flying Gymkhana organised by the Delhi Flying Club at the Civil Aerodrome, New Delhi, 23rd February 1930, the events including a Landing Competition, Bomb dropping for men and ladies ('Three bombs will be dropped on a moving car and the competitor, whose three bombs land on the nearest car, wins the prize'), formation flying and special evening flights over Delhi, illuminated; an 8vo menu for a banquet held in honour of His Excellency Field Marshal Sir William Birdwood, Commander-in-Chief in India, at Jamnagar, 19th March 1930, featuring a musical programme by His Highness the Maharaja Jam Saheb's Symphonic Orchestra; invitation cards to Pickard from His Excellency The Viceroy to a Garden Party, 1st March 1930; from His Highness The Maharajah of Jodhpur to dinner, 20th March 1930; the Officers of the 4th P.W.O. Gurkha Rifles to dinner, 8th October 1930 etc.; carbon copy typed programme of His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief's tour from 17th - 21st March 1930, detailing the times of arrival and departure from Delhi, Jodhpur, Ahmedabad etc.; two T.Ls.S. by the Vice President and Honorary Secretary of The Delhi Flying Club Ltd., 1st February and 28th March 1930, in one stating 'I am desired by my Committee to convey to you their great appreciation of the valuable assistance which you have rendered to the Club and I am authorised to invite you to consider yourself as an Honourary (sic) Member of the Club during your stay in Delhi' etc. Some age wear and slight traces of former mounting to some pieces, generally G, 16 Walter John Pickard (b.1906) was commissioned Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force on 16th January 1926 and was promoted Flying Officer on 16th July 1927. During World War II he was Officer Commanding No. 511 (Transport) Squadron in October 1942, based at RAF Lyneham, taking over as Station Commander there on 10th March 1943. In early 1945 Pickard was posted to Command the staging Post at Saki, in the Crimea, into which flew the British, American, and Russian delegations for the Three Power Conference at Yalta. For his services in this post Pickard was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1945 Birthday Honours' List.