PAGE GEOFFREY: (1920-2000)

PAGE GEOFFREY: (1920-2000) British Wing Commander, a fighter pilot of World War II and flying ace credited with 15 victories who participated in the Battle of Britain. Page was a founding member of the Guinea Pig Club. D.S., A. G. Page, two pages, 4to, n.p. (Advanced Landing Ground B.14 Amblie, Normandy, France), 1st July 1944. The partially printed document, completed and signed by Page, is a Personal Combat Report providing details of Page´s aerial engagement whilst flying a Spitfire ten miles east of Argentan, the personal narrative stating, in part, ´12 E/A were sighted approaching us head on. I led my section (Red) in a climbing turn to starboard, and then dived on E/A from astern. E/A broke as we dived, but I managed to hit one just before he broke. Strike observed at starboard wing root. E/A went into a series of stall turns & tight turns in an endeavour to get on my tail, but was unable to do so, owing to superior manoouverability of the Spitfire over the F.W.190. He eventually half rolled & dived for the ground. It was then a matter of shooting almost dead line astern.....Several strikes were observed, and E/A slowed down considerably. I then ordered Red 2 to have a shot at him, which he did. E/A hit a house & disintegrated in a blaze of burning petrol. Claim 1 F.W. 190 destroyed´. Countersigned (twice) by Flight Sergeant W. G. Thom, once beneath an autograph statement, ´I was flying No.2 to S/L Page and confirm his report as above´. Two file holes to the upper left corner, only very slightly affecting a couple of words of text, and not the signatures. VG