Author: Duncan Smith
Publisher: John Murray Pubs Limited
ISBN: 9780719554841
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 235
Book Description
Group Captain Duncan Smith flew and fought in front-line operations continuously from the Battle of Britain through the struggle for Malta, the invasion of Italy and the liberation of France. This account presents his dramatic story of the air war from the cockpit of the now legendary spitfire. As a pre-war RAFVR pilot Duncan Smith completed his training during the first year of war. From contact with pilots seasoned over France and in the Battle of Britain, 'Smithy', as he was popularly known, became convinced that effective air fighting required a combination of strong leadership and teamwork. This is the thrilling account if his experiences, flying in formation and solo, written with an immediacy that places the reader in the cockpit along with him.
Spitfire Into Battle
Author: Duncan Smith
Publisher: John Murray Pubs Limited
ISBN: 9780719554841
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 235
Book Description
Group Captain Duncan Smith flew and fought in front-line operations continuously from the Battle of Britain through the struggle for Malta, the invasion of Italy and the liberation of France. This account presents his dramatic story of the air war from the cockpit of the now legendary spitfire. As a pre-war RAFVR pilot Duncan Smith completed his training during the first year of war. From contact with pilots seasoned over France and in the Battle of Britain, 'Smithy', as he was popularly known, became convinced that effective air fighting required a combination of strong leadership and teamwork. This is the thrilling account if his experiences, flying in formation and solo, written with an immediacy that places the reader in the cockpit along with him.
Publisher: John Murray Pubs Limited
ISBN: 9780719554841
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 235
Book Description
Group Captain Duncan Smith flew and fought in front-line operations continuously from the Battle of Britain through the struggle for Malta, the invasion of Italy and the liberation of France. This account presents his dramatic story of the air war from the cockpit of the now legendary spitfire. As a pre-war RAFVR pilot Duncan Smith completed his training during the first year of war. From contact with pilots seasoned over France and in the Battle of Britain, 'Smithy', as he was popularly known, became convinced that effective air fighting required a combination of strong leadership and teamwork. This is the thrilling account if his experiences, flying in formation and solo, written with an immediacy that places the reader in the cockpit along with him.
Spitfire Pilot
Author: David Crook
Publisher: Grub Street Publishers
ISBN: 1909808792
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 111
Book Description
“A brilliant first-hand account of the life of a fighter pilot” in World War II (The Spectator). Spitfire Pilot was written in 1940 in the heat of battle, when the RAF stood alone against the might of Hitler’s Third Reich. It is a tremendous personal account of one of the fiercest and most idealized air conflicts—the Battle of Britain—seen through the eyes of a pilot of the famous 609 Squadron, which shot down over one hundred planes in that epic contest. Often hopelessly outnumbered, David Crook and his colleagues, in their state-of-the-art Spitfires, committed acts of unimaginable bravery against the Messerschmitts and the Junkers. Many did not make it—and Crook describes the absence they leave in the squadron with great poignancy. Includes an introduction by historian Richard Overy
Publisher: Grub Street Publishers
ISBN: 1909808792
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 111
Book Description
“A brilliant first-hand account of the life of a fighter pilot” in World War II (The Spectator). Spitfire Pilot was written in 1940 in the heat of battle, when the RAF stood alone against the might of Hitler’s Third Reich. It is a tremendous personal account of one of the fiercest and most idealized air conflicts—the Battle of Britain—seen through the eyes of a pilot of the famous 609 Squadron, which shot down over one hundred planes in that epic contest. Often hopelessly outnumbered, David Crook and his colleagues, in their state-of-the-art Spitfires, committed acts of unimaginable bravery against the Messerschmitts and the Junkers. Many did not make it—and Crook describes the absence they leave in the squadron with great poignancy. Includes an introduction by historian Richard Overy
Spitfire on My Tail
Author: Ulrich Steinhilper
Publisher: Crecy Publishing
ISBN: 9781872836003
Category : Britain, Battle of, Great Britain, 1940
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Ulrich describes his 150 grueling missions as a fighter pilot par excellence, until being shot down and captured over England in October 1940.
Publisher: Crecy Publishing
ISBN: 9781872836003
Category : Britain, Battle of, Great Britain, 1940
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Ulrich describes his 150 grueling missions as a fighter pilot par excellence, until being shot down and captured over England in October 1940.
Spitfire Pilot
Author: Roger Hall
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781445605579
Category : Britain, Battle of, Great Britain, 1940
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The intensely evocative memoir of one of 'the Few', Spitfire pilot Roger Hall. The Battle of Britain memoir of Roger Hall, a Spitfire pilot in 152 Squadron based in the South East of England, the heart of the fighting during the epic battle. Roger recounts in exhaustive detail his own experience of air-to-air combat with Me109s and Me110s (he shot down three enemy aircraft during the Battle of Britain), and that of his fellow pilots. Hall had no compunction in revealing his fear of wartime flying. He strips away the veneer of glory, smart uniforms and wild parties and uncovers the ordinary, very human young men who lived a life in which there was no tomorrow. There is no nostalgia here.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781445605579
Category : Britain, Battle of, Great Britain, 1940
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The intensely evocative memoir of one of 'the Few', Spitfire pilot Roger Hall. The Battle of Britain memoir of Roger Hall, a Spitfire pilot in 152 Squadron based in the South East of England, the heart of the fighting during the epic battle. Roger recounts in exhaustive detail his own experience of air-to-air combat with Me109s and Me110s (he shot down three enemy aircraft during the Battle of Britain), and that of his fellow pilots. Hall had no compunction in revealing his fear of wartime flying. He strips away the veneer of glory, smart uniforms and wild parties and uncovers the ordinary, very human young men who lived a life in which there was no tomorrow. There is no nostalgia here.
Spitfire Voices
Author: Dilip Sarkar
Publisher: Amberley Publishing Limited
ISBN: 1445624575
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 534
Book Description
Spitfire fighter pilots tell their extraordinary stories of combat during the Second World War.
Publisher: Amberley Publishing Limited
ISBN: 1445624575
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 534
Book Description
Spitfire fighter pilots tell their extraordinary stories of combat during the Second World War.
Sailor' Malan—Freedom Fighter
Author: Dilip Sarkar MBE
Publisher: Air World
ISBN: 1526795272
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 362
Book Description
Adolph Gysbert Malan was born in Wellington, South Africa. A natural leader and driven individual with a totally positive outlook, aged fourteen Malan became an officer cadet in the South African Merchant Navy, before being commissioned into the Royal Navy Reserve. Well-travelled and worldly-wise, aged twenty-five the intrepid adventurer applied for a Short Service Commission in the RAF. Universally known as ‘Sailor’ in the RAF, Malan became a fighter pilot. Shortly after war was declared, Malan was involved in the infamous ‘Battle of Barking Creek’, in which 74 Squadron mistakenly destroyed friendly Hurricanes. Then, over Dunkirk in May 1940, Malan’s exceptional ability was immediately demonstrated in combat and a string of confirmed aerial victories rapidly accumulated. The following month, Malan scored the Spitfire’s first nocturnal kill. By August 1940 he was commanding 74 Squadron, which he led with great distinction during the Battle of Britain. In March 1941, Malan was promoted and became the first Wing Commander (Flying) at Biggin Hill, leading the three-squadron-strong Spitfire wing during operations over northern France. After a break from operations, Malan went on to command a succession of fighter training units, passing on his tactical genius and experience, and producing his famous ‘Ten Rules of Air Fighting’ which are still cited today. By the war’s end, Group Captain Malan was the RAF’s tenth top-scoring fighter pilot. Leaving the RAF in 1945 and returning to South Africa, he was disgusted by Apartheid and founded the ‘Torch Commando’ of ex-servicemen against this appalling racist policy. This part of Malan’s life is equally as inspirational, in fact, as his wartime service, and actually tells us more about the man than just his RAF record. Tragically, in 1963, he died, prematurely, aged just fifty-three, of Parkinson’s. Written with the support of the Malan family, this biography is the full story of a remarkable airman and politician.
Publisher: Air World
ISBN: 1526795272
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 362
Book Description
Adolph Gysbert Malan was born in Wellington, South Africa. A natural leader and driven individual with a totally positive outlook, aged fourteen Malan became an officer cadet in the South African Merchant Navy, before being commissioned into the Royal Navy Reserve. Well-travelled and worldly-wise, aged twenty-five the intrepid adventurer applied for a Short Service Commission in the RAF. Universally known as ‘Sailor’ in the RAF, Malan became a fighter pilot. Shortly after war was declared, Malan was involved in the infamous ‘Battle of Barking Creek’, in which 74 Squadron mistakenly destroyed friendly Hurricanes. Then, over Dunkirk in May 1940, Malan’s exceptional ability was immediately demonstrated in combat and a string of confirmed aerial victories rapidly accumulated. The following month, Malan scored the Spitfire’s first nocturnal kill. By August 1940 he was commanding 74 Squadron, which he led with great distinction during the Battle of Britain. In March 1941, Malan was promoted and became the first Wing Commander (Flying) at Biggin Hill, leading the three-squadron-strong Spitfire wing during operations over northern France. After a break from operations, Malan went on to command a succession of fighter training units, passing on his tactical genius and experience, and producing his famous ‘Ten Rules of Air Fighting’ which are still cited today. By the war’s end, Group Captain Malan was the RAF’s tenth top-scoring fighter pilot. Leaving the RAF in 1945 and returning to South Africa, he was disgusted by Apartheid and founded the ‘Torch Commando’ of ex-servicemen against this appalling racist policy. This part of Malan’s life is equally as inspirational, in fact, as his wartime service, and actually tells us more about the man than just his RAF record. Tragically, in 1963, he died, prematurely, aged just fifty-three, of Parkinson’s. Written with the support of the Malan family, this biography is the full story of a remarkable airman and politician.
The Silver Spitfire
Author: Tom Neil
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ISBN: 0297868144
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 389
Book Description
A brilliantly vivid Second World War memoir by one of 'the Few' Spitfire fighter pilots. Following the D-Day landings, Battle of Britain hero Tom Neil was assigned as an RAF liaison to an American fighter squadron. As the Allies pushed east, Neil commandeered an abandoned Spitfire as his own personal aeroplane. Erasing any evidence of its provenance and stripping it down to bare metal, it became the RAF's only silver Spitfire. Alongside his US comrades, he took the silver Spitfire into battle until, with the war's end, he was forced to make a difficult decision. Faced with too many questions about the mysterious rogue fighter, he contemplated increasingly desperate measures to offload it, including bailing out mid-Channel. He eventually left the Spitfire at Worthy Down, never to be seen again. THE SILVER SPITFIRE is the first-hand, gripping story of Neil's heroic experience as an RAF fighter pilot and his reminiscences with his very own personal Spitfire.
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ISBN: 0297868144
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 389
Book Description
A brilliantly vivid Second World War memoir by one of 'the Few' Spitfire fighter pilots. Following the D-Day landings, Battle of Britain hero Tom Neil was assigned as an RAF liaison to an American fighter squadron. As the Allies pushed east, Neil commandeered an abandoned Spitfire as his own personal aeroplane. Erasing any evidence of its provenance and stripping it down to bare metal, it became the RAF's only silver Spitfire. Alongside his US comrades, he took the silver Spitfire into battle until, with the war's end, he was forced to make a difficult decision. Faced with too many questions about the mysterious rogue fighter, he contemplated increasingly desperate measures to offload it, including bailing out mid-Channel. He eventually left the Spitfire at Worthy Down, never to be seen again. THE SILVER SPITFIRE is the first-hand, gripping story of Neil's heroic experience as an RAF fighter pilot and his reminiscences with his very own personal Spitfire.
Hurricane and Spitfire Pilots at War
Author: Terence Kelly
Publisher: Pen and Sword Aviation
ISBN: 9781844150649
Category : Fighter pilots
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
This book looks at the operation the the aircraft that flew in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East throughout World War II. It includes many first-hand accounts from the pilots themselves who relive exciting memories of flying the aircraft in combat.
Publisher: Pen and Sword Aviation
ISBN: 9781844150649
Category : Fighter pilots
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
This book looks at the operation the the aircraft that flew in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East throughout World War II. It includes many first-hand accounts from the pilots themselves who relive exciting memories of flying the aircraft in combat.
Fight for the Sky
Author: Douglas Bader
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473814065
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
The only book written by the legendary “legless” ace, the double amputee World War II fighter pilot immortalized by the film Reach for the Sky. In Fight for the Sky, Douglas Bader tells the inspiring story of the Battle of Britain from the viewpoint of “The Few.” Using superb illustrations he traces the development of the Spitfire and Hurricane and describes the nail-biting actions of those who flew them against far superior numbers of enemy aircraft. As an added bonus, other well-known fighter aces including Johnnie Johnson, “Laddie” Lucas and Max Aikten contribute to Douglas’s book, no doubt out of affection and respect. This a really important contribution to RAF history by one of the greatest—and certainly the most famous—pilot of the Second World War.
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1473814065
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
The only book written by the legendary “legless” ace, the double amputee World War II fighter pilot immortalized by the film Reach for the Sky. In Fight for the Sky, Douglas Bader tells the inspiring story of the Battle of Britain from the viewpoint of “The Few.” Using superb illustrations he traces the development of the Spitfire and Hurricane and describes the nail-biting actions of those who flew them against far superior numbers of enemy aircraft. As an added bonus, other well-known fighter aces including Johnnie Johnson, “Laddie” Lucas and Max Aikten contribute to Douglas’s book, no doubt out of affection and respect. This a really important contribution to RAF history by one of the greatest—and certainly the most famous—pilot of the Second World War.
Spitfire
Author: Jonathan Glancey
Publisher: Atlantic Books Ltd
ISBN: 0857895109
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 275
Book Description
Updated edition to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. It is difficult to overestimate the excitement that accompanied the birth of the Spitfire. An aircraft imbued with balletic grace and extraordinary versatility, it was powered by a piston engine and a propeller, yet came tantalisingly close to breaking the sound barrier. First flown in 1936, the Spitfire soon came to symbolize Britain's defiance of Nazi Germany in the summer of 1940. Spitfire: The Biography is a celebration of a great British invention, of the men and women who flew it and supported its development, and of the industry that manufactured both the aircraft and the Rolls-Royce engines that powered it. It is also about the ways in which the sight, sound and fury of this lithe and legendary fighter continue to stir the public imagination worldwide more than eighty years on.
Publisher: Atlantic Books Ltd
ISBN: 0857895109
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 275
Book Description
Updated edition to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. It is difficult to overestimate the excitement that accompanied the birth of the Spitfire. An aircraft imbued with balletic grace and extraordinary versatility, it was powered by a piston engine and a propeller, yet came tantalisingly close to breaking the sound barrier. First flown in 1936, the Spitfire soon came to symbolize Britain's defiance of Nazi Germany in the summer of 1940. Spitfire: The Biography is a celebration of a great British invention, of the men and women who flew it and supported its development, and of the industry that manufactured both the aircraft and the Rolls-Royce engines that powered it. It is also about the ways in which the sight, sound and fury of this lithe and legendary fighter continue to stir the public imagination worldwide more than eighty years on.