LEIGH-MALLORY TRAFFORD: (1892-1944)

LEIGH-MALLORY TRAFFORD: (1892-1944) British Air Chief Marshal of World War II, Air Officer Commanding No. 12 (Fighter) Group during the Battle of Britain and Commander-in-Chief Fighter Command 1942-43. A rare D.S., T. Leigh-Mallory, one page, folio, n.p. ( ´In the Field´, France), 28th May 1918. The partially printed document, completed in typescript, is a Combat Report (headed Combats in the Air) relating to Captain O. E. Carter's probable aerial victory of a Junker Scout over Fricourt, the narrative stating, in full, ´3 E[nemy] A[ircraft] attacked formation over Fricourt, coming from the West. 2 EA machines were engaged by observer [Lt. A. Carter] but the other EA singled out the machine on the right and drove it down firing at it with front gun. Lt. Carter fired 200 rds. at it, but the fight concluded in a long dive westwards, so the pilot dived at EA with his front gun and managed to get a burst of about 50 rounds into it. The EA was evidently hit and disappeared in a sharp dive eastwards. It was not observed to crash by pilot or observer as another EA claimed their attention, but was driven off by Observer´. Signed by Leigh-Mallory at the conclusion in his capacity as Major, Commanding No. 8 Squadron, R.A.F. Three file holes to the left (one only very slightly affecting one word of text) and with a couple of light creases, otherwise VG