Kameradschaft der Lüfte.

Illustrations. Reprint. 8vo., cloth, pictorial dust jacket. Zürich, Albert Müller Verlag.

Translated by Hubert Zuel from the English edition 'Wing Leader', the German title meaning 'Comradeship of the Skies', an interesting change from the distinct unfriendliness of Johnson's wartime actions as the Allies top scoring fighter ace. The change must reflect the fact that many former wartime RAF pilots became friends of their former foes, evidenced by the inscription here and the similar inscription in another item in this catalogue from Adolf Galland to Laddie Lucas, both of whom not many years before were doing their best to kill each other.

A presentation copy, inscribed on the front free endpaper 'L.A. Jarkets, Horrido! Johnnie. 17th. November 1958'.

'Horrido' is a word from the hunting tradition in Germany, adopted by pilots of the Luftwaffe, rather like the English 'Tally-Ho!', although there seems to be a debate about whether it came to be a victory cry at a kill, or a shout of 'I have seen my prey, I am going in for the kill'. The use of it in several items in this catalogue between former enemies seems rather more amiable, perhaps it became a form of recognition of the mutual respect afforded by the former adversaries to their new friends. In 1944 the Luftwaffe published a small illustrated guide called "Horrido" for neophyte pilots, teaching them fighting skills, such as how to gauge distance before firing, and so on. To keep the pilots attention, most of the illustrations feature, as well as aeroplanes, semi-naked young maidens.

Top edge of the boards faded, dust jacket rubbed, nicked and torn at the head and tail of the spine with some small loss.

Stock Code: 222442