STB042 A vintage original hand signed cover by WW2 veteran Alan Murray and limited to only 20 for worldwide distribution with official hand frank on the front authenticating his signature numbered 7 of the 20 series on reverse (see image 2) in outstanding condition.
He then joined 73 Squadron at Castle Camps on 26th September and assumed command on the 27th. Murray took the squadron from Debden to Birkenhead, for service in the Middle East, on 9th November.
After arriving the pilots began operating in the Western Desert in December, attached to 274 Squadron.
On 1st January 1941 the squadron began operating as a unit and on the 3rd Murray shared in destroying eight enemy aircraft on a landing ground. On the 21st he shot down a Fiat G50 over Tobruk, on 1st February destroyed a Caproni Ghibli on Apollonia airfield, on the 5th shared in destroying eight enemy bombers on the ground at Benina and on the 20th damaged a Ju88.
Murray was awarded the DFC (gazetted 28th March 1941) and in April was posted to Cairo, as Controller at Heliopolis.
He later had the job of locating possible new airfields in the desert, then went to Group HQ Cairo and was afterwards posted to command the Fighter Sector at Abadan, Iran.
Murray returned to the UK in March 1944 and took command of a unit at Hurn, servicing fighters for France. He later moved with it to Tangmere. From September 1944 until September 1945 Murray commanded RAF Manston, as an Acting Group Captain.
-187789-p.jpg?v=896716C9-00C2-4461-960D-EF7F3EF510B5)
