1050. CORRESPONDENCE OF WORLD WAR II ACE ROY W. EVANS A spectacular and lengthy seven-year correspondence consisting of 64 letters (approx. 195pp.), 4to., Victorville, Calif., Aug. 10, 1996 to July 12, 2003 all written to a collector describing his experiences in the Second World War as well as commentary on current events. Colonel Roy Evans volunteered with the R.A.F. in 1941 and flew a Spitfire until he transferred to the Army Air Corps in September, 1942. During his tenure, Evans was credited with 6 kills. He was captured after his plane was downed on Nov. 20, 1944. The correspondence reads in very small part: "[Aug. 10, 1996]... In regards to your remarks: At the time I thought it was the thing to do. I believe I was Way ahead of John Kennedy for what he said. I gave up a lifetime job in Engine service with the rail road and my Health and now I have to stand being a cripple... [Oct. 7, 1999]... I've been called many things but never intimated that I was a 'killer.' when I gave up a lifetime job to serve my country it never occurred to me that I was a 'killer'... When the 4th Fighter Group was formed I felt that there were people in Washington that didn't like the British because I felt that we were being repressed and I think that feeling has continued. About the score I never challenged them but felt several times I was shorted I took what ever they gave me. Many times these scores have been review[ed] but never changed. 6 destroyed (all air to air), 8 Probables 17 Damaged (untold targets during strafing missions which were many)... [Nov. 3, 1999]... Personally I would disagree on the use of chemical weapons... [Nov. 30, 1999]... there were thousands of fighter Pilots involved like cogs on a wheel there to do a job nothing else. If they did their job properly there would be very little reward but then there were the Publicity seekers that most time didn't do their job the way they were supposed to do it they ran off and did pretty much as they pleased to the expense of the Bombers. Over Europe most of the time the fighters were used to escort the Bombers if they didn't they were negligent in their Duty... [Apr. 11, 2000]... I haven't changed my opinion about killing. I take fighting a war most serious and the taking of consequences equally serious. During the entire War I was at odds with the Brass about unnecessary losses. At no time did I now go on these missions that were debatable... None of my victories would I consider easy or a piece of cake as you put it. The enemy planes I flew against were well armored and protected. At times I sat behind the enemy and shot until the particles that came off the plane looked like saw dust coming off from a table saw cutting through wood. When I got back, to my field and looked at the pictures then all I got for my efforts was a damaged [plane]... [May 1, 2000 describing his P.O.W. experience]... when I arrived at Ober Ursl the German A.F. interrogation camp just North of Frankfurt am Main. After spending 7 days of Vigorous interrogation with Many threats I was moved to another Hospital where I met another 359th Pilot that went down 1 month before I did.... After a short stay there where I was relieved of all my personal property by the inmates at this Hospital. I even had to sleep in all my close [sic] and shoes to keep form having hem stolen. during all my time in the E.T.O. I went down 2 times once in the North Sea and the second time over Germany. All my hits were from ground fire... [June 6, 2000] I will tell you a small part of my coming down in Germany. When I escorted the bombers with the 10-10th cloud cover I use[d] to fly over them and watch for their moves. They never fly a straight course because of the radar tracking. When they make a turn I would lead the Fighters straight ahead over the cloud cover. I could tell in my ear phones when the radar on the guns were tracking us. By doing this I would draw the fire away from the bombers and by going faster there the bombers the Flack would come up behind us and the bombers wouldn't get any. This only worked when the gunners couldn't see us. This day we had escorted the first B 17s over Dresden at over 30,000 feet. We made a turn after bombs away and was heading West South of Dresden when I did this little trick. We then encountered the most flack I had ever been in. Some of the gunners were women I understand so I would guess these were women ack ack gunners... I could look to the North and see the bombers proceeding without any flack at all so I had achieved what I had set out to do. After we left the area and the firing stopped I noticed my heat gage starting to rise... I reduced throttle and gradually lost altitude to slow down my engine heating up because I figured I had taken some flack... I headed in a slight South Westerly direction towards a big Eastern bend in the Rhine River. If I could make it out his big Eastern bend I knew I had it made because the Allies were on the West side... I didn't make it because my engine got so hot it nearly froze on me so I had to bail out.... when I ht the ground in my chute I had broken bones in both legs so I couldn't walk. I also turned as black as your shoes from the waist down from a back injury. I was picked up by the Home guard and went through various hands and one was a Group of S.S... [Mar 17, 2001]... The first Time I saw them [German ME-109] it was just north of Frankfurt at about 28 to 30,000 feet. We were bounced by them and the speed was so great in passing head on...it was difficult to see the details clearly. That day I had a great deal of respect for these long nosed 109s... It seemed as if the new German planes always had more and bigger guns on them and were always flown by their best pilots so it paid to be attentive... one time I was accused of shooting down a P-47 until I proved it was a F.W. 190... you should have heard the uproar this caused but when I was vindicated you could have heard a pin drop on the rug a block away... [Dec. 4, 2001] ... I could have had a bigger score than I had because I gave some that I could have shot down to others flying with me because I saw that some of the Pilots had a difficult time getting even one plane. Getting a big score wasn't important to me but doing a good job was the paramount thing. I think the 4th Fighter Group gave the best and most coverage to the bombers-- both going to the target and escorting the cripples on the return..." Much more fine content too voluminous to quote here. Should be viewed. $800-1,000