Lingering Contrails of the Big Square

"No man can say how far it is to the top of the sky. But those who have fought the enemy in the blue upper levels where the vapor trails form, and where the mist between life and death is thin, believe that men like Castle fly on at that high altitude from which none return to earth." Harry Slater on Brigadier General Frederick W. Castle.







Harry E. Slater. LINGERING CONTRAILS OF THE BIG SQUARE A. A HISTORY OF THE 94TH BOMB GROUP (H).1942-1945. Carley Publishing, Tennessee 1980.

Current Prices
$220-$350/£100-£180

AVIATION /MILITARY HISTORY AND WARFARE
Much wanted by veteran campaigners (and their families) in USA and also in East Anglia (UK). Living in Suffolk as I do, I was asked for a copy by my postman and then again by a guy who came to fix the roof. Quite a poetic title for a military book. Mission by mission account by US pilot who was there. According to the one Amazon review (by a 94th veteran) I believe it is the best acount of a Bomb Group I've read and I've read many...' Amazon have no copies by the way. Mainly concerns the B17 bombers flown on audacious missions over Germany by the 94th a USAF group based at Rougham, Suffolk in WW2.

VALUE? I actually got a copy for one of these chaps and it cost a hefty $120 about 5 years ago. Since then the book has gone to ground and I suspect it is now worth more than twice that. No copies seen on ebay or the megabook malls. As I recall it's a large format paperback, not thin and well illustrated. Carley the publishers are probably a printer who took on the book, they appear to have published nothing else. The other wanted book in the WW2 ' Yanks in East Anglia' category was 'The Yoxford Boys' about the 357th group also based in Suffolk: the original Aero 1971 edition has been revised and reprinted in 2004 and prices have plummeted. [ W/Q *** ]



STOP PRESS. So unfindable is this work that an internet con man has stepped forward to offer non existent copies and pocket the money. I found this at a book discussion site:- 'Do not buy anyhing offered for sale by Daniel T----. He is a fraud. I negotiated the purchase of "Lingering Contrails of the Big Square " with him in December. After sending the payment and getting verification that he had picked it up, I heard nothing more from him. Let this be a warning to anyone dealing with this thief. Bil W---.' Someone else paid this lowly web grifter 'good money' for the book and never received it. Presumably this is going on with other hard to find the books, if the desire is strong enough a trickster is born to rip readers off. These people are worse than relisters, neither of them have the book but the relister will at least try to locate a copy and (if they want to keep relisting) will refund the money when they fail. Please post any other instances of this kind of scam in our comments field.