REINER POTTGEN (d. ca. 1995) Luftwaffe fighter ace and wingman to Hans-Joachim Marseille, he accumulated six kills himself with 3/JG27 from at least June 1, 1942 to Oct. 1, 1943. A fine grouping of material, including: eight second generation photographs, 3.5 x 5.5 in. b/w, all scenes from North Africa showing Pottgen, Marseilles, Franzisket, Neumann, Kugelbauer, Stahlschmidt, Rodel, Braune, Schroer, and others in tropical uniform in candid images; and three candid photos of Pottgen post-war. Also present are eight T.Ls.S. totalling approx. 109pp. 4to., Cologne, 1968, in German. Content discusses E.H. Sims (former Mustang fighter pilot; US counsel in Cologne) and his book on fighter pilots particularly Marseille and North Africa, mentions meetings of Fighter Pilot Associations with various aces present including Rudi Rothenfelder, former member of the Richthofen squadron, alonmg with Marseille's mother and Group Captain Peter Townsend. He is pleased about the US moon landing and the safe return of the astronauts. Was invited to a meeting of fighter pilots in London. Met 50- 60 RAF pilots who flew in Africa. The occasion was the pub- lication of "Fighters over the Desert" by Christopher Shores: 'The book is very good. It records who shot down whom...For 14 years I lived together with Hans Joachim Marseille and did my duty as a fighter pilot...just as American pilots in Vietnam are doing, although the latter are not defending their homeland... I was very lucky to have survived I was just a year older than Marseille...' Encloses photos he took of Marseille and associates (including himself). Discusses Fritz Dettmann's book 'My Friend Marseille' and a book about Marseille by J.M.S. Martin, a South African pilot: '...he (Martin) was shot down by Marseille in Africa on June 3, 1942. I described this air battle precisely in my report. Mrs. Marseille was also very pleased by his (Martin's) book. I myself participated in that aerial combat. Mr. Martin and I had a very pleasant chat...' Overall very good.