This is a specially produced bookplate featuring a highly detailed original pencil portrait of Hugh ‘Stuffy’ Dowding by Steve Teasdale. The portrait has been signed in pencil by the artist and Battle of Britain Spitfire fighter pilot P/O Norman Edward Hancock. Hancock’s signature is not easily obtainable. 
The bookplate measures roughly 19x13 cm and would fit most books on the Battle of Britain.
 Norman Edward Hancock was born on 12th May 1920 in Burgess Hill and joined the RAFVR about July 1939 as an Airman u/t Pilot.
Called up on 1st September 1939, he went to No. 1 ITW at Cambridge on 5th September, moved to 12 EFTS Prestwick on 26th March 1940 and then to 5 FTS Sealand on 26th May.
With his training completed he went to 7 OTU Hawarden on 11th August to convert to Spitfires. He joined 65 Squadron at Turnhouse on 2nd September, moving on to 152 Squadron at Warmwell on 11th October.
Hancock probably destroyed a Me110 off the Isle of Wight on 28th November.
He was posted to 56 OTU Sutton Bridge on 22nd October 1941 as an instructor and went to 55 OTU Usworth on 2nd February 1942.
Hancock next went to Northern Ireland on 11th July to instruct the 52nd Pursuit Group USAAF on Spifires. He returned to operations on 18th October 1942 when he joined 128 Squadron at Hastings, Sierra Leone, as a Flight Commander.
Back in the UK, Hancock was posted to 198 Squadron at Matlask on 27th April 1943 and was serving with it until 15th July when he went to 56 Squadron at Martlesham Heath as a Flight Commander.
Tour-expired on 31st May 1944, Hancock was posted to 85 Group and awarded the DFC (gazetted 23rd June 1944).