Original Combat Report?

[Peter Cornwell]

Priceless - someone clearly missed their true vocation as a comedy writer. Probably also strained through a muslin bag to guarantee authenticity ?

[Andy Saunders]

I think "priceless" is also how the e-bay vendor considers this item. Starting price a mere £500.00.....although obviously that includes the Certificate of Carbon Dating.

[ian94avenge]

Fortunately there are no takers yet. To be fair to the seller he has a good record - still on 100%, but I certainly would not part with 500 notes for a combat report containing a serial number - highly unusual to say the least.

Ian

[Andy Saunders]

I note that the seller has added a statement saying that he has heard from several people suggesting the item to be a fake. He goes on to state that he has had it "verified" (as genuine) by Ray Funnel of the RAF Museum.

Notwithstanding that statement (allegedly) made by a member of the RAF Museum staff I do not feel that this pronouncement, or the document in question, has any credibility.

VoyTech's useful post on another forum about this matter seems to have helped confirm the doubtfulness of this items provenance.

[SMF144]

The ink from the typing machine looks too fresh and too consistent, and I would much prefer a full signature than just "John". Then again, I have no idea how this particular pilot signed off his reports. That being said, it is a lot of money for something questionable.

I'll wager my hard earned money elsewhere.

Stephen

[Gretza]

Comparing this report to other Combat Reports from 303 Squadron including other reports of F/O Henneberg I wouldn't pay even half of the "buy it now" price.

[Tapper]

Looks like the item has been pulled, I just hope someone hasn't done a deal!

[Andy Saunders]

I think if you look on another forum you will find a post from the vendor explaining that he has, indeed, pulled it and declined to do a "buy it now" sale either.

Notwithstanding the rather odd "carbon dating" suggestion I think he genuinely believed (believes) it to be the real deal and was selling it in good faith.

With weight of opinion seemingly suggesting there were, at the very least, some strong doubts about its originality it would appear that the vendor has willingly taken those views on board.

Whatever the position with this Combat Report might be, it is an absolute fact that there ARE forgeries of this type of document out there and this example ticked just about all of the boxes.

[Andy Saunders]

Interesting that on another forum the vendor has displayed three other Combat Reports he has. Incredibly, one of them is purporting to be the Johnny Kent Combat Report I have! It varies considerably (one side instead of two) and is certainly a very poor fake. Truly incredible coincidence that a copy of the original I posted up should appear within days!! There is virtually no similarity between the two.

View here:

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/sho...t=97015&page=3

Post #79 refers.

I rest my case!