GREAT BRITAIN #745 PARACHUTE CVR FLT LT D.S.A. LORD VC SIGNED + TEXTS/PHOTO 1976

Description

GREAT BRITAIN #745/NETHERLANDS #405 PARACHUTE COVER HONORING FLIGHT LIEUTENANT D.S.A. LORD VC SIGNED + TEXTS/PHOTO -  -  You are bidding on one cacheted and addressed cover franked with Great Britain #745, the 7p Dinghies tied by British Forces 1518 Postal Service 1 July 76 Disbandment of 14 Air Despatch Regiment Commemorative Cancellation plus Netherlands #405, the 5c Orange Numeral and tied by Vliegbasis(Airbase) Deelen Cancellation. This cover was originally dropped from a Hercules aircraft as the last mission of 14 Air Despatch Regiment before the unit's disbandment. Front of cover also bears a description of the flown cover. It commemorated the forerunners of the group in 223 Company of which Flight Lieutenant D.S.A. Lord (text card enclosed) who was awarded the Victoria Cross(VC) and four others were who were killed on a mission near Arnhem in WWII.
It is signed by Henry King (text card enclosed) who was the only survivor of the aircraft as he was miraculously thrown out and held as a POW. It is also signed by US Ace Captain Urban Drew (text card enclosed) who was the only pilot to shoot down two ME262 jet aircraft.
Backstamped with the following cancellations:
Received by air-drop at 14 Air Despatch Regiment 8 JUN 1976 Royal Corps of Transport
Air Dropped by 47 Air Despatch Regiment 7 SEPT 76 Royal Corps of Transport
Veteranen Legionen Nederland 12.9.76
Arnhem 18.IX.76
Royal Air Force Museum Hendon Certified Number 901 of 1253 signed By T.M. Bastick.
Subsequently a movie entitled A Bridge Too Far was scheduled to use the RAF and Parachute Brigade near Arnhem as part of reenactment of Operation Market Garden. At the time Chief Technician Tom Bastick was involved in a Royal Air Force Museum project on "Famous Pilots" and he arranged for parachuting the same covers during the filming in circumstances very similar to the operation.
Also included is a photo showing Lieutenant Lord in a DC-3 as well as a magazine article involving the covers and filming.
Cover and stamp and photo and text cards all in sound condition.
Scans at 1.5X shows the entire lot.
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