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an old us air corps service memories book with a picture of a man in a pilot ' s helmetsmiling woman in pilot ' s helmet and goggles standing in front of an airplanea black and white photo of a man with a bikea close up of a piece of paper with a drawing on itbrown leather wallet with a small hole in the middle of ita piece of paper with a piece of paper attached to itunited states army air forces flexible military school diplomaa close up of a piece of paper on a blue surfacean old document with a picture of an eagle on ita paper with a receipt on it sitting on top of a tablea close up of a piece of paper with writing on itan old document with a military seal on top of ita close up of a document with a picture of a person on itan old book with a picture of a group of people inside of ita group of men posing for a picture in front of an airplanean old photo of a couple of men standing next to an airplanean old photo of a couple and their baby in a photo albuman old photo of a small airplane on a notepadan old photo of a small airplane in the airan old photo of a small airplane on the groundan old photo of a plane flying in the skyan old photo of a small airplane on a notepadan old photo of a plane flying over a citytwo old photos of airplanes flying in the skyan old photo of a small plane flying in the skyan old photo of a plane flying in the skyan old photo of an airplane on the pagean old photo of a small airplane on a notepadan old photo of a small airplane on the runwayan old photo of a plane flying in the skyan old photo of a car parked in front of a housean old photo of a man and a woman standing in front of a barnan old photo of a man on a motorcyclean old photo of a woman sitting in a chair in a bookan old black and white photo of a group of men posing for a picturean old photo of a woman in a pilot ' s helmet and a man in a pilot ' s helmetan old photo of a man in a pilot ' s helmet and gogglesan old photo of a plane flying in the sky with a sky backgroundan old photo of a woman in a pilot ' s helmetan old photo of a plane in the skyan old photo of a group of airplanes flying over a body of wateran old photo of a couple of planes flying in the skyan old photo of an airplane flying over a body of watertwo old photos of airplanes flying in the skyan old photo of a man riding a horse next to a picture of a woman on a horsean old photo of a man riding a horse next to a woman on a horsean old photo of a group of people riding horsesan old photo of a group of men standing next to an airplanean old photo of a building on the side of the roada piece of paper with writing on it on a piece of cardboard
Maître Lydie BRIOULT

Photograph album of Technical Sergeant Matteson, 452nd Bomb …
See original version (French)

Estimate €300 - €450
Sale commission
Description
Photograph album of Technical Sergeant Matteson, 452nd Bomb Group – 8th Air Force – England (77 original photographs and aviation postcards) T/Sgt Matteson was posted to the 452nd Bomb Group as a radio operator/gunner on a B-17 with the 728th Bomb Squadron. He flew a tour of 35 missions between November 1944 and April 1945. His album is accompanied by a folder of documents containing two letters of recommendation detailing his service record, the Air Medal which he was awarded on six occasions (Air Medal plus 5 Oak Leaf Clusters marking additional awards), his gunner’s certificate dated 24 June 1944, two demobilisation certificates detailing his service record and decorations, a V-Mail, a newspaper article mentioning the name of his B-17 ‘Puddin’s Pride’ and his tour of duty in England, and a leather wallet containing a photograph of his crew (Matteson is standing, second from the right). He can be recognised from the photograph in which he is posing with his father in civilian clothes. A photograph of Matteson’s crew in England standing next to their aircraft ‘Puddin’s Pride’, adorned with a large pin-up, appears towards the end of the album. His album begins with a series of family photographs showing an officer (a lieutenant) with his wife and their child in his arms (probably his elder brother), as well as a series of official photographs from the US Air Corps (just before the USAAF) from the very start of the war, showcasing its main aircraft, beginning with the B-17 Flying Fortress, followed by the A-17, B-26, B-28, C-46, P-40, P-38, B-24, T-6… followed by T/Sgt Matteson in England in front of some barracks, with his bicycle (an essential item for any airman in England, given the vast expanse of the bases). A beautiful portrait of him in his flight uniform beneath the nose turret of a B-17G, a large-format photograph on halftone paper of their aircraft in flight, ‘Puddin’s Pride ’ (serial no. 44-6560) with the 452nd Bomb Group’s markings on the vertical stabiliser (an ‘L’ inside a square). Regarding this B-17, here is some information: https://americanarchive.iwm.org.uk/archive/aircraft/44-6560 Several photographs of B-17 Pathfinders in flight fitted with H2X airborne radar, and of B-17Gs flying in formation during a mission. One can even see a B-17G without the 452nd BG markings on the tail fin, whilst the aircraft next to it does bear them. The photographs are of very high quality. The album contains a whole series of photos showing crew members practising archery, followed by horse riding in the streets of a small town, presumably during a stay at a ‘Flak House’ – a rest home where crews were sent to recover from the post-traumatic stress associated with combat missions. We can also see a group of airmen on a station platform with light luggage, presumably setting off on leave to London. A final photograph of the Palace Hotel, bearing the inscriptions ‘American Red Cross (A.R.C.)’ and ‘U.S.A.A.F.’, confirms that Matteson’s crew stayed at the hotel whilst on leave, as indicated by Matteson’s handwritten note; he had fond memories of his stay there. (Grégory Pons Collection)
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About the sale Sale of the Grégory Pons collection and miscellaneous items (Aviation and WW2 Militaria)
Auction location
Auction time 11/14/2026 at 1:30 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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