Asterperious. 319th Heavy Bombardment Squadron in the South-West Pacific Area

Sidney: Angus and Robertson Ltd., 1944. First Edition. Very good. First edition; 9 3/4 x 7 1/4; pp. [6], 1-62, [4]; pictorial cloth over boards; a few small, slight worn spots to bottom edge; mild wear to tips of spine; illustrated with numerous photographs; very good condition.A scarce book with a striking cover art, it documented two years of the service of Asterperious - 319th Squadron of the 90th Bombardment Group, the latter known as the Jolly Rogers. One of four squadrons, the 319th was first organized at Key Field in Mississippi in April 1942. It flew out of bases in Australia and New Guinea until VJ Day and after that transported Allied prisoners from Okinawa to Manila, until November 1945, when it ceased operations. The mascot of the 319th - the "Asterperious," was the aboriginal cartoon figure of the cover art, holding a bomb. The members of the group defined the made-up word as a "superior attitude in an inferior environment," or, in other words - "confidence in a seriously mucked-up situation."