Forgotten Heroes of the Battle of Britain

Forgotten Heroes of the Battle of Britain written by Dilip Sarkar MBE and

published by Air World Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 344

Lasting sixteen weeks during the momentous year of 1940, the Battle of Britain ended

with the Luftwaffe having failed to achieve the decisive victory that Hitler had demanded.

Whilst the technical details of the aircraft and weapons involved are, of course, crucial

to our understanding of the events that summer, the Battle was fought by human beings

– and it is that human experience and contribution, to this author, is the most important

thing to acknowledge, record and share.

Nearly 3,000 Fighter Command aircrew fought in the Battle of Britain, immortalised by Churchill as ‘The Few’. Of these, 544 lost their lives that blood-stained summer and 700 more would die before the Second World War ended – a victory very likely impossible had The Few not held out in 1940.

The names of some of these young men, aces such as Douglas Bader, ‘Sailor’ Malan and Eric Lock, were well-known to the free world at the time – and certainly the legless Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader remains, even today, the best-known British fighter pilot of the war. However, the vast majority of The Few remained anonymous, owing partially to Air Ministry policy and equally a desire to play down their august achievements. Since the Second World War, the memoirs of a number of the Few have been published, privately and commercially, and books have been written about others.

The record is a rich legacy, overall – and yet, if we investigate the Battle of Britain further, we find many forgotten heroes, no less deserving of recognition. This book, therefore, seeks to explore the lives and contributions made by certain of these men, to give currency back to their brave deeds. In truth, the list of deserving subjects is virtually endless; those included in this book are individuals whose stories have crossed the author’s path at some stage during his long career – and which he feels are truly ‘Forgotten Heroes'. 

Having done a lot of reading about the Battle of Britain in recent months, I was looking forward to reading this book especially as it concentrates on the less publicised pilots in the Battle of Britain. This book was a really good and fascinating read, I really enjoyed learning about new characters to me, the bravery and strength of these men is extraordinary and this book really does show how this country owes them an awful lot. The book was good in that it wasn’t just a retelling of events, I quite enjoyed all the comments and additions by the family members and friends which added love and meaning to the stories. Another part of the book I enjoyed was the coverage of tactics and flying during the battle, clearly showing the skill and thought that had to go into being a fighter pilot.

I enjoyed the book immensely and judging by the thorough bibliography at the back of the book, Dilip Sarkar MBE is clearly a leading expert on the subject, and one to take notice of. The book contains some great photos and there are lots of personal family photos throughout the book. I would most definitely recommend this book as one of the best I’ve read in a while and an easy read. This will have your attention until the end, and highlights some great characters I enjoyed learning about.