This is a rare 1947 copy of Geoffrey, the story of Major John Geoffrey Appleyard DSO, MC & Bar, MA. Appleyard first joined the commandos, then the Small Scale Raiding Force. SSRF was disbanded in April 1943, but many of its members were transferred to Algeria, where they formed the nucleus of Bill Stirling's new 2nd Special Air Service, of which Appleyard was appointed second-in-command. On the night of 12/13 July 1943, during the Allied invasion of Sicily, Appleyard supervised the dropping of a group of SAS paratroopers north of Randazzo in Operation Chestnut. The Albemarle aircraft disappeared on the return flight over the Mediterranean, and Appleyard was declared missing presumed dead. It had probably been shot down by friendly fire. His father published the book as a tribute to his son. It is widely acclaimed that Appleyard was the person who Ian Fleming based his James Bond character on. Whilst the book has no dustjacket it is an extremely rare edition featuring one of the earliest mentions of the SAS post war. The book has been enhanced with an original drawing by Steve Teasdale of George Jellicoe. Jellicoe is mentioned in the book by Appleyard ( see photo). A genuine Jellicoe signature has been professionally mounted underneath the drawing. A highly collectable copy with some bumps to the spine and corners with light staining to the front cover. Slight browning to the page edges but no spotting. There is a dedication on the inside of the first board which is contemporary to the book launch of 1947.