Lot 342

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Description:

WINSTON CHURCHILL YALTA CONFERENCE PHOTO ALBUM
A superbly decorated hardcover photo album that was once the property of RAF pilot Walter J. Pickard. Pickard was group captain during World War II, and was responsible for V.I.P. flights, most notably transporting Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Yalta Conference in 1945. The album is titled 'Saki' which was the name of a staging post on the Crimea peninsula used by the Western powers on their way to the historic meeting. The first page is inscribed by British Prime Minister WINSTON CHURCHILL (1874-1965) and dated 1947, and inside the cover a transmittal letter from Churchill's secretary Nina Sturdee is mounted. The album contains approx. 49 original photographs of varying sizes, many with captions, depicting Pickard, members of his squadron, Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, Vyacheslav Molotov, and a variety of other diplomats and military officers such as Henry Wilson, Ernest J. King, George Marshall, and more arriving at Saki air field and conversing, with many other scenes from the historic conference. In addition to the photographs, also contained are inlaid or tipped documents and letters including the official report on 'Operation Argonaut' (Allied codename for the meeting), a map of the Crimean peninsula, Pickard's squadron flight regulations, a document showing how the entire Conference was almost canceled due to severe weather that could have affected the travel of some dignitaries, the Yalta Conference Menu, five short snorter bills signed by lesser personnel present, Pickard's incredibly rare British and Soviet Yalta passes, and three T.L.S.s addressed to Pickard congratulating him on his mission from U.S. general JAMES STOWELL (1900 - 1978), Churchill's chief military assistant HASTINGS ISMAY (1887-1965), RAF officer FRANCIS FRESSANGES (1902-1975), with two others unsigned from Charles Portal (1893-1971) and Ralph Cochrane (1895-1977). Another T.L.S. marked 'Top Secret- Most Urgent', 1p. 4to., Malta, February 1, 1945, sent to Pickard by Air Commodore WHITNEY STRAIGHT (1912-1979) reads in part: '...I am enclosing herewith two copies of the Flight Plan and Passenger lists as they stand at the present time...There may be amendments but I don't think so...I hope you will send us arrival signals as quickly as possible ...We are on our side arranging a very rapid method of despatch for departure signals and there will certainly be no delay here...' Binding completely absent causing the covers to be loose and partially detached. Pages are toned with scattered stains while some photos and documents are lightly creased. Pickard's brother was RAF Group Captain Percy Pickard (1915-1944) who commanded OPERATION JERICHO, the bold bombing of a German prison in Amiens in an effort to free British prisoners held there. He was shot down and killed during the successful raid. An important record of a historic meeting of the war's most powerful leaders.

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December 7, 2021 10:00 AM EST
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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$100 $499 $20
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$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000