WWII WW2 4th Fighter I.O. Capt C.E. Ashcraft III Escape Map Letters Grouping RAF For Sale

This is an unbroken historical archive grouping belonging directly to Captain Charles Edward Ashcraft (O-909858), who served as a vital Intelligence Officer (MOS 9300) and Station Adjutant (MOS 2110) for the legendary 4th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force based at AAF Station 356 in Debden, England. Moving seamlessly between the 4th Headquarters Squadron and the elite 334th Fighter Squadron (the highest-scoring fighter squadron in the group), Captain Ashcraft was the operational and administrative backbone of the base command.

ARCHIVE COMPONENT DETAILS

1. Pre-WWII 27-Page Diary-Style Travelogue Letter & Envelope (1936)

• Sender: Charles E. Ashcraft III (Writing under his lifelong family nickname "Bud" / signed "C.E.A. III" on page 1).

• Recipient: Written to his father (Charles E. Ashcraft II), postmarked to the Conchas Dam project in New Mexico (a historic New Deal-era U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project).

• Contents: 27 pages total (26 sheets are densely written front-and-back, equating to 53 pages of text). Measures 11" × 8.5". It is a highly informal, humorous, and raw travelogue charting a cross-country road trip with his friend Bob starting on August 24, 1936, precisely logged at "6:57:29 2/5 AM." Includes custom hand-drawn socioeconomic town layout diagrams and cartoon caricatures.

• Condition: Excellent vintage condition. Features a minor rust stain/hole at the very top edge of a few sheets from an old storage clothespin, adding to its raw, unedited authenticity.

WWII British MI9 Tissue Escape & Evasion Map – Double-Sided Sheet A/C (Germany & Western Europe) – RAF Aircrew / Aircraft Issue

• Coverage: Central/Eastern Europe (including Hungary, Nagykanizsa, Zalaegerszeg, and the Franco-Swiss border/Mediterranean corridors). Used during Operation Frantic (the 1944 Russia Shuttle missions).

• Features: Authentic British manufacturer fabric weave watermarks ("JAL"  visible backwards through the weave under backlighting). Features original, factory-printed dark blockouts used to redact/mask classified wartime borders.

• Dimensions: 21" × 19" (Approximate).

• Condition: Good theater-used condition with expected creasing, light edge wear, a few tiny pinholes, and one small flap tear. Highly vibrant colors.

3. Top-Secret WWII Tissue Mulberry Paper Escape Map (Sheet D)

• Coverage: France and Orléans corridor. Printed on ultra-lightweight, silent fibrous mulberry paper designed for stealth evasion in enemy territory.

• Dimensions: 20" × 13 7/8" (Approximate).

• Condition: Excellent, fragile but fully intact with clean fold lines and the "D" sheet designation clearly visible.

4. Ordinance Survey of Great Britain East Anglia 2nd War Revision Air Map (Sheet 9)

• Details: Geographical Section, General Staff, No. 3957 (AIR). Published by the War Office 1943, printed October 1944 (Marked 60,000/10/44 Wa.). Scale: 1/4 inch to 1 mile.

• Dimensions: 30.25" × 23.25".

• Significance: Maps out the air defense grids and bombing paths directly over the region where the 4th Fighter Group operated.

5. Ordinance Survey Hertford & Bishop's Stortford 5th Edition Style 2nd War Revision Map (Sheet 96)

• Details: Geographical Section, General Staff, No. 3907. Published by the War Office 1941, printed August 1944 (Marked 20,000/8/44 Ch.). Features the official W.O. Cassini Grid.

• Dimensions: 29.75" × 22" (Approximate).

• Condition: Minor discoloration on the reverse side, light edge fraying, and a stubborn fold crease that prevents it from collapsing perfectly flat.

6. Original Pocket Booklet "The Authentic Map of London" with Named ID Slip

• Publisher: Geographers' Map Co. Ltd / C.S. Hammond & Co. Printed on linen/cloth.

• Dimensions: 33.6" × 23" unfolded.

• The ID Goldmine: Tucked safely inside is an official, annotated small paper slip providing his exact wartime command address: "Capt. C.E. Ashcraft / O-409858 / Hq. 4th Fighter Gp. / A.P.O. # 559 c/o PM / N.Y. N.Y." (APO 559 was the wartime post office code for AAF Station 356 in Debden, England).

7. Capt. Ashcraft's Personal Stationery Printing & Stamp Set

• Copper Press Plate: A solid metal plate featuring his name engraved in reverse: "Charles E. Ashcraft, III."

• Wooden Hand Stamp: A heavy wooden-handled desk ink stamp carved with his name: "C.E. Ashcraft." Features a Buck's Patent base mark.

• Calling Cards: Three original, finished vintage paper calling cards printed from this exact setup.

• Ink Pad Tin: An original vintage red Camel Ink-Pad tin containing dry ink residue.

8. Personal Photomatic Framed Portrait Photograph

• Details: A 3" x 2.5" metal-framed photo booth portrait capturing a young Charles E. Ashcraft III alongside a young woman (almost certainly his wife, Helen Madeleine DeMuth, whom he married on June 18, 1938).

• Reverse: Retains its authentic 1930s coin-operated backing card reading: "Taken by the Photomatic Trade Mark... International Mutoscope Reel Co., Inc. New York City."

• Condition: Image is in spectacular condition; expected aging/light rust on the metal frame borders.

9. Keuffel & Esser (K&E) Mannheim Slide Rule & Initialed Case

• Model: K&E Mannheim slide rule, Made in USA.

• Leather Case: Premium stitched leather case with his initials "C.E.A." deeply pressed into the front flap. Faintly incised lower down on the leather is a line of postwar collector provenance tracking: "Samuel Wright, Georgetown

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Intelligence Officers (I.O.s) were the backbone of the 8th Air Force's fighter commands. Capt. Ashcraft was tasked with safeguarding top-secret escape maps, managing localized tactical flight charts, issuing coordinates during high-stakes pre-flight briefings, and documenting mission outcomes. He is famously noted in historical records for giving final flight parameters to elite aces like 1st Lt. Ralph "Kidd" Hofer right before crucial operations. This archive represents the exact tools and personal effects he kept by his side at Debden Airfield.

Historical Disclaimer:

The 1936 letters contains unedited personal correspondence reflecting the unfiltered social language of the era, including period-typical derogatory terms. As historical preservationists, coinscardsandnostalgai provides these primary source documents fully intact for educational purposes. This material does not reflect our company values. In compliance with platform policies, sensitive language is digitally blurred in the listing photos only; the physical items remain completely original and unaltered.

This lot is sold 100% as-is, as a single, unbroken historical collection from the estate of Gerald Mccue in Massachusetts. Please see all photos to for references and as part of the overall item description. If you have any questions or would like more photos feel free to reach out. Thanks for looking!!!