A unique autograph book featuring illustrations, pictures and autographs from the historic ‘Dambusters’ squadron has sold for £5,800 at auction in Newark.
The collection belonged to Jim Brown, 82, who met the sqaudron in the 1940s as a young boy.
Jim’s father was a medical officer who worked in the same squadron and took his son to meet the RAF heroes in the mess room at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire.
He encouraged him to collect their signatures and the drawings they would do to pass the time.
They were sold at Nicholas Mellors Auctioneers to an anonymous phone bidder.
Jim said: “He used to take me along on Sundays and I would bring my autograph book with me and everyone without exception was happy to sign the book because they hadn’t seen a precocious child in the mess before.”
Picture: The book includes signatures and illustrations from the squadron
The most significant autograph is that of Melvin “Dinghy” Young who got his name after being twice rescued in a dinghy after crashing into the sea.
Mr Young was the second in command and was the first pilot to attack the German dams.
The book includes all the signatures of the famous Squadron 617 who became known as the Dambusters after they famously destroyed German dams with bouncing bombs in 1943.
The book is the only one of its kind in the world.
Mr Brown added: “I was worried people might not have known the significance of it and it might have ended up in a car boot. It’s not really about the money it was more about a safe home for all the unique items.”
Picture: Jim Brown said he wanted the items to go to a good home
