Bomber Command Churchill’s Greatest Triumph

Bomber Command Churchill’s Greatest Triumph written by Roddy MacKenzie

and published by Air World Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 368

Roddy MacKenzie’s father served in Bomber Command during the Second World War,

but like so many brave veterans who had survived the war, he spoke little of his exploits.

So, when Roddy started on his personal journey to discover something of what his father

had achieved, he uncovered a great deal about the devastating effectiveness of Bomber

Command and the vital role it played in the defeat of Third Reich. He realised that the true

story of Bomber Command’s achievements has never been told nor fully acknowledged.

Roddy became a man on a mission, and this startlingly revealing, and often personal study, is the result. Bomber Command: Churchill's Greatest Triumph takes the reader through the early days of the Second World War and introduces all the key individuals who turned the Command into the war-winning weapon it eventually became, as well as detailing the men and machines which flew night after night into the heart of Hitler’s Germany.

The main focus of his book is the destruction and dislocation wrought by the bombing to reduce, and ultimately destroy, Germany’s ability to make war. In his analysis, Roddy dug deep into German archival material to uncover facts rarely presented to either German or English language readers. These demonstrate that Bomber Command’s continual efforts, at appalling cost in aircrew casualties and aircraft losses, did far more damage to the Reich than the Allies knew.

Roddy’s father served with the Royal Canadian Air Force and Roddy naturally highlights its contribution to Bomber Command’s successes, another aspect of this fascinating story which the author believes has not been duly recognised.

Bomber Command: Churchill's Greatest Triumph will certainly raise the debate on the controversial strategy adopted by ‘Bomber’ Harris and how he was perceived by many to have over-stepped his remit. But most of all, this book will revise people’s understanding of just how important the endeavours were of those men who flew through the dark and through the searchlights, the flak, and the enemy night fighters, to bring the Second World War in Europe to its crushing conclusion.

This book is a fascinating book by a man whose father served for Bomber Command during the war, the book looks at a number of things from the role of Bomber Command, the men involved, the men who flew the planes and bombed Germany to how the men in control were perceived. It’s quite an honest book and tries to tell the story of what went on within Bomber Command, but actually what people thought of those in control. I can actually agree with this point in that my father too was in the RAF, although after WW2. The image of those outside of an organisation will always have a rosier picture, it’s often only when your within it that you know the truth or certainly here more of the going ons. It was nice to read about how the German records saw the bombing and the results of how their public were suffering under the constant bombing campaigns. This book is a very well researched book and credit should go to the author who has written a great book. Being from an RAF family I would happily recommend this book which had a bit extra and was well worth the read.

Hurricanes in Action Worldwide

Hurricanes in Action Worldwide written by Adrian Stewart and published by

Pen & Sword Books - £22 - Hardback - Pages 224

The Hawker Hurricane was the RAF’s most valuable fighter asset in the Second World

War, yet even today is relatively under-appreciated by the general public. Yet from the

early months of the war it was the single engine fighter most often encountered by the

Luftwaffe and during the Battle of Britain it made 80% of the successful interdictions of

enemy formations.

As this superbly researched book written by a leading authority on the air war reveals, this was only the start of the Hurricane’s war service. Its reliability and versatility ensured that variants saw action in more war theatres worldwide than any other fighter. Indeed, as the RAF’s Official History recalls ‘Everywhere the Ubiquitous Hurricane was to be seen’.

This book follows the ‘Hurri’ to Russia, Malta, North Africa and as far afield as Burma, Sumatra and Java.

Seaborne versions fought in the Battle of the Atlantic and defended the Mediterranean convoys. In the ground attack role Hurricane fighter bombers made countless sweeps over occupied Europe. Pilots’ first-hand accounts supplement the text.

Readers are left in no doubt as to the massive contribution that the Hurricane made to ultimate victory.

As the blurb says on the back of the book, the hurricanes were the planes of the RAF that were doing the donkey work of the flying rather than the ‘glorious’ Spitfire that gets all the praise. This book intends to sell the hurricane to the reader which it does do a great job in doing, as it talks about the heroes, the dogfights and we hear all the stories from around the world where the hurricanes had a strong influence. But there was a minor point for me in the book and that was that it seemed to be missing something, maybe there was a lack of characters, or maybe it was just me and all we wallow in is the glories of the Spitfire. But other than that this was a good read, and it was nice to read about the Hurricane rather than the Spitfire. The book has enough good pictures, and those who are big fans of the Hurricane will enjoy this book.

The Pathfinders

The Pathfinders written by Sean Feast and published by Key Publishing

- £25 - Hardback - Pages 320

This definitive history of the Pathfinders and the role they played in World War Two takes

an in-depth look at the elite unit, from its initial inception, and less than spectacular start,

to its development as a precision instrument that transformed bomber operations. The

aircraft, technology and weapons used are covered in full, as are the characters involved

with the unit. The author also details the training and techniques deployed, in particular

the emergence of the Master Bomber and Long-Stop systems. Finally, the Pathfinder

Force’s contribution to victory is assessed. This comprehensive look at one of the war’s

most fascinating units will give the reader a greater understanding of the unit’s vital

contribution to the war and show how some of the techniques developed are still in use

today.

In this book we get the story of an elite unit, part of the RAF or in particular, Bomber

Command and the Pathfinders. This book takes you from the inception of the unit

through to the fact that it became an elite unit despite all the ups and downs or

conflicts that were faced in between. This particular part of the war that took part in

the RAF was contested by some mercurial characters, such as Aussie Donald

Bennett, his rival in the group Sir Ralph Cochrane and on top of that you had the

forceful Sir Arthur ‘Bomber’ Harris, a group of very strong and determined characters

who had to try and work together. The book also takes a look at the crews used, the

training and plans, and the various operations that took place that went from tragedy

to triumph. This book has been written very well and it is written in an easy-to-read

manner which makes the ‘difficult’ areas easier to understand. This was a thoroughly

good read and one I would happily recommend to anyone who was a fan of Bomber

Command.

Avro Vulcan: The Early Years 1947–64

Avro Vulcan: The Early Years 1947–64 written by David W Fildes and published

by Key Publishing - £15.99 - Softcover - Pages 96

Advances in aerodynamics and jet engine technology after World War Two led to the

RAF Air Staff producing an Operating Requirement (OR229) for a bomber that could

use these new technologies. To meet this requirement, the Avro Initial Projects team

adopted a Delta wing design. This was a major change in aircraft design, as little was

known about the Delta wing. The design of the Delta wing Vulcan was a major gamble

by all concerned. However, it proved an incredibly valuable asset, especially during

the Cold War. It was used in both high- and low-level roles and performed some of the

longest bombing and anti-radar missions by the RAF during the Falklands War in 1982.

After serving over three decades with the RAF, the Vulcan was retired in1984, but it

continued display flying with the Vulcan to the Sky Trust until 2015, delighting the

public with its noise and maneuverability. Fully illustrated with over 150 images, this

book explores the history of the Vulcan, from concept to manufacture to service,

providing insight from those who developed, designed, and flew it.

The Avro Vulcan, surely this has to be everyone’s favourite post war plane, a giant swooping through the skies and the roaring thunder sound as it went overhead. As former RAF brat, when you got to see these at an RAF camp they were always the centre of attention, and they would always get the crowds in when they fly in or take off. 

Avro Vulcan The Early Years, 1947-64 takes a yearly look at the Vulcan right from the first initial thoughts, designs and drawings. In this beautiful and nifty little book, the book shows the reader through the whole process of drawings, designs, models and full sized prototypes. We even get to see the actual factories, people and workforces involved in a very good number of photographs, and I think this helps get across the emotion and love that many aviation fans love about this plane. As the book goes along we can see the various design changes, upgrades and the evolution of the Vulcan, this book is very high on the technical aspects such as measurements & design which will appeal to your real technical fan, but for small book it has such a lot of excellent photos of the Vulcan in flight which will appeal to the reader who just loves the beauty and design.

This was such a fascinating book and I loved the comprehensive detail and data that

you don’t often get in some books. I found this book would appeal to all fans no matter

how much detail they would want because there is something for all in these books.

Certainly a book I enjoyed and would happily recommend to other aviation fans. 

The Allied Air Campaign Against Hitler's U-boats

The Allied Air Campaign Against Hitler's U-boats written by

Timothy S. Good and published by Frontline Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 256

No weapon platform sank more U-boats in the Second World War than the Allied aircraft.

Whether it was an American plane operating from American escort carriers, US aircraft

from Royal Air Force bases, or British aircraft from bases throughout the world, these

officers and men became the most decisive factor in turning the tide of the Battle of the

Atlantic against the German submarine threat. While the German crews could threaten

escort vessels with torpedoes, or avoid them by remaining submerged, their leaders

never developed an effective strategy against aircraft.

However, the Allied aircraft did not enjoy much early success. British, Canadian and Australian air crews that fought the U-boats from 1939 until 1941 achieved few triumphs. They possessed neither the aircraft nor the bases necessary to deliver consistent lethal attacks against German submarines.

In 1941, the Royal Air Force finally began implementing an effective aircraft response when it initiated training on the American-built Consolidated B-24 Liberators. Supported by other types then in service, these four-engine bombers would prove to be decisive. With America’s entry into the war, the United States Navy and the United States Army Air Forces also began employing Liberators against the U-boats so that by mid-1943, the Admiral Karl Dönitz, commander of U-boat forces, withdrew his submarines from the North Atlantic in recognition of the Allied aircraft’s new dominance.

From Dönitz’s retreat to the end of the war, Allied aircraft continued to dominate the U-boat battle as it shifted to other areas including the Bay of Biscay. Dönitz eventually ordered his U-boats to remain on the surface and engage Allied aircraft as opposed to submerging. This approach did lead to the demise of some Allied aircraft, but it also resulted in even more U-boat being sunk. Most critically, Dönitz acknowledged with his new policy that he knew of no tactics or weapons that would defend his submarines from Allied aircraft. In the end, it was a matter of choosing whether his submariners would die submerged or die surfaced. Either way, Allied aircraft prevailed.

This book The Allied Air Campaign Against Hitler’s U-Boats was a book I was quite interested to read, mainly because its not a subject I have read too many books about. But this book can certainly be said to be a very comprehensive book full of much detail and knowledge, the author Timothy S. Good certainly knows quite a bit about this subject. The book was written in chronological order and we learn a lot about the planes, communications, various operations and fighting between the two sides and the locations of war in the Atlantic. The only downside I found really to the book was that it was very US-centric and coming from an area that was heavily involved in the campaign on the Atlantic, I was hoping to learn a little more about my area. But other than that it was a very comprehensive and detailed read, and one I will pick up and read again soon.

Allied Air Operations 1939–1940 - The War Over France and the Low Countries

Allied Air Operations 1939–1940 - The War Over France and the Low Countries

written by Jerry Murland and published by Pen & Sword Books - £20 -

Hardback - Pages 192

While much has been written about the Battle of Britain, the air war over France and

the Low Countries from September 1939 to June 1940 has been largely neglected –

until now. As expert aviation author Jerry Murland reveals in this fascinating book,

there may have been little ground action until May 1940 but the war in the air was far

from ‘phoney’.

In contrast to their adversaries, the Allied air forces on the mainland of Europe were poorly equipped, regardless of increased development from 1934 onwards. But in spite of this, when the German invasion began, the Low Countries of Holland and Belgium fought back tenaciously. While development of the Spitfire, Blenheim and Wellington was continuing at a pace, the RAF with only four squadrons of Hurricanes among a force of outdated bi-planes, was a little more prepared than the French, but still woefully outgunned by the Luftwaffe.

While the Allied air forces of Britain, France and the Low Countries may have been inferior, the gallantry and tenacity of their pilots makes for inspiring reading.

This is a work that will enthral and inform all those interested in the history of the Second World War, particularly aviation enthusiasts.

Allied Air Operations Over France and the Low Countries is an often missed or

forgotten part of the war, but it actually is the front piece of the war in which France,

Belgium & Holland had to take on the brunt of Germany and the Luftwaffe. Jerry

Murland has written an excellent book here, which is very good indeed in its detailed

and comprehensive research and chronological look at events and air battles at the

start of World War Two. While we hear very little about how the low countries acted or

fared during the early part of the war, a lot was actually learnt and the likes of Holland

and Belgium put up a big fight against the Luftwaffe. I enjoyed the way the book was

laid out and Murland writes a good book, which is complimented by some good

photographs. I really enjoyed this book and would happily recommend this book to

others.

In Furious Skies - Flying with Hitler's Luftwaffe in the Second World War

In Furious Skies - Flying with Hitler's Luftwaffe in the Second World War written

by Tim Heath and published by Pen & Sword Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 280

When a proud Adolf Hitler revealed his new Luftwaffe to the world in March 1935, it was

the largest, most modern military air arm the world had seen. Equipped with the latest

monoplane fighter and bomber aircraft manned by well-trained and motivated crews, it

soon became evident that the Luftwaffe also possessed a high degree of technical

superiority over Germany’s future enemies.

Yet within just nine years the once-mightiest air force in the world had reached total collapse, destroyed in part by the very people responsible for creating it. By 1944, the Luftwaffe, wearied by aerial battles on multiple fronts combined with tactical mismanagement from the highest levels of command, were unable to match their enemies in both production and manpower. By this time the Luftwaffe was fighting for its survival, and for the survival of Germany itself, above the burning cities of the Third Reich, facing odds sometimes as high as ten-to-one in the air.

Told through the eyes of the fighter and bomber crews themselves, this book explores previously unpublished first-hand accounts of the rise and fall of one of the most formidable air forces in twentieth-century military history. It paints a haunting picture of the excitement, fear, romance intertwined with the brutality, futility and wastefulness that is war.

My hopes were high with this book having read 4-5 of Tim Heath’s books, in my opinion, if you need information on German WWII history or the Third Reich, there is nobody much better than Tim Heath. This particular book looks at the world of being a German pilot or part of the bombing crews in the Luftwaffe, hailed as an air force that was becoming the best in the world. The biggest problem though wasn’t really with the planes and pilots, it was with the German high command, mainly Hermann Goering. It has since been seen by historians and writers that the weak link was Goering, and this was evidenced in this book by the pilot community, where Goering may have been a celebrated pilot in WWI his tactical planning, his need to save face and addictions caused him to fail himself and the Luftwaffe.

This book gives excellent attention to the thoughts and opinions of German flyers, and I think

this is what echoes in all of Heath’s books, the ability to get first-hand accounts of real people

who are doing the work on the ground or experiencing the realities of what is going on in the

thick of events. I should also say that the fans who love to read about the technical details of

planes, equipment and weaponry will not be disappointed with this book. This has been

another thoroughly good book to read, very well researched and written in excellent detail.

This book is a must for anyone wanting to read about the Luftwaffe. A quality book.

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.

Mosquito Intruder Pilot

Mosquito Intruder Pilot written by Jeremy Walsh and published by 
Pen & Sword Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 248

Ben Walsh lied about his age to join the RAF, determined to play his part in the Second World War. He volunteered to be an intruder pilot, flying low level operations in the dark. Initially flying ops in Douglas Boston Intruder IIs, he then converted to the legendary de Havilland Mosquito FB VI. Ben flew ops for three years, starting in the skies over with Europe with 418 (RCAF) Squadron, then ferrying one of the first Mosquito FB VIs to India before flying in the Burma campaign with 27 Squadron (under Wing Commander Nicolson VC) and finally with 45 Squadron.

The Mosquito developed problems in the severe climate it encountered in the Far East which resulted in the aircraft being temporarily grounded in November 1944. This saw Ben undertaking thirteen operational sorties in venerable Tiger Moths in the Arakan.

Although Ben survived belly landings, crashes, enemy fire and engine failures, the strain of combat operations took its toll on the still-young pilot. He and his navigator asked to be removed from operations, but their request was denied, both being threatened with court martial.

By the end of the war when still only 21 years old, Ben was suffering from a nervous condition known as ‘the twitch’. His confidence and health were restored by the young woman who had been his penfriend through the war, who became his wife and the mother of the man who has compiled this dramatic and moving story – Jeremy Walsh.

Throughout the war, Ben maintained a ‘Roll of Honour’ in his photograph album, memorializing his friends and colleagues who lost their lives. That album forms the backdrop to this important biography, which is based on Ben’s own recollections, his logbook and the notes he kept through the war. Mosquito Intruder Pilot is Ben’s story.

I have to say this book was interesting and in places very moving about a very young pilot in the RAF, Ben Walsh who joined up early because of the excitement of youth and wanting to play his part for his country. Ben was a kind of jack of all pilots, being able to fly quite prolifically a number of planes such as the De Haviland Mosquito, the Douglas Boston Intruder and even such planes as Tiger Moths. As with any young man he had eagerness and strength, but also being young, he was worked hard as a pilot and after a while developed some mental health problems which back in those days weren’t really acknowledged or even recognised properly. 

But the uplifting part of this book is that he eventually got through these with the help of a young woman who later became his wife, and what is even better as a result along came his son who would write this book and tell his father’s stories. Using diaries, chats,  information and logbooks Jeremy has written this book, and I think has done a great job of telling the story and you can tell the research and thought has gone into this book. An excellent read and I love these books where you get the actual story from someone in the know. Excellent adventures, photographs and very well told, I would recommend this book.

RAF in Camera - 100 Years on Display

RAF in Camera: 100 Years on Display written by Keith Wilson and published

by Pen & Sword Books - £50.00 - Hardback - Pages 472

In July 2018, the nation looked skyward over Buckingham Palace in awe as the Royal Air Force celebrated its first 100 years with a spectacular parade and flypast over London. This event demonstrated a very different perspective of the RAF; well away from its operational commitments.

The expertise and precision of those RAF pilots flying in some of the most famous aircraft in the world has been displayed since the very first days of military aviation. The Inter-War period was dominated by the Hendon Air Pageants; where many aircraft made their public appearance. Post-war, it was the turn of the jet display teams, with the Black Arrows and Firebirds’ laying the foundations for the aerial mastery that is today’s Red Arrows.

The various anniversaries have seen a growth in special artwork being applied to aircraft flown by squadrons celebrating key anniversaries. This is covered in considerable detail within this volume.

On the ground, the RAF is represented at major celebrations and key public events by the Queen’s Colour Squadron, which demonstrates its world-famous continuity drill routine while providing a guard of honour for visiting Heads of States. They are frequently accompanied with the Service’s own bands; which have grown from those created by its squadrons over a century ago.

From the Berlin Airlift in 1948; to flood relief in Kenya; and the international relief effort in the Caribbean following Hurricane Irma in 2017; the RAF has been deployed overseas in response to numerous international crises. But aid operations have also been mounted at home. Under the banner of ‘Military Aid to the Civil Powers’, helicopters and aircraft have airlifted food and supplies to areas cut off by severe weather; Sea King helicopters have rescued villagers stranded by flash flooding in Boscastle; while Chinook helicopters have assisted with the rebuilding of flood defences breached by severe floods across the country.

Keith Wilson takes us on a journey through the Royal Air Force’s public persona during their 100 year history. All landmark events are referenced in this thorough, well-researched and image-packed publication.

This book is a huge book, packed with many great photographs and lovely text, one of those big coffee tabled size books. Celebrating 100 years of the RAF, but this book concentrates on the PR or displays side of the RAF, celebrating such things as the Red Arrows, Air Pageants, Air Displays, the Berlin Airlift, International relief and Rescue Operations. All through the 100 years of progression, growth, design and technical advancement. Having started the book I must admit I was expecting it to just be full of Red Arrow pictures, but the book is a whole lot more. With some great photos of Air Pageants, the involvement of the jet-engined planes in the emergence and I quite enjoyed the latter part of the book that looked at how the RAF would be in the near future with the new modern planes such as the new Tornados. I found the book very well written, very informative and that’s from someone whose family was in the RAF. This book is a fantastic look at the RAF and the way in which it celebrates and promotes itself to the world.

POW on the Sumatra Railway

POW on the Sumatra Railway written by John Geoffrey Lee and published

by Pen & Sword Books - £20 - Hardback - Pages 224

John Geoffrey Lee (always known as Geoff) joined the RAF on his 20th birthday in

June 1941. He left Liverpool on a troop ship in December 1941, with no idea where

he was going. He eventually arrived in Java, where he was captured by the Japanese,

along with many others. During his time in captivity, he survived several camps in

Java, Ambon and Singapore and three hell ship journeys. After being washed ashore

in Sumatra, (as a ferry he was being transported on blew up), he was then recaptured

and suffered sheer hell as a slave on the Sumatra Railway. Enduring bouts of malaria,

beri beri, tropical ulcers and a starvation diet was bad enough, but this was exacerbated

by the searing heat and extreme cruelty meted out to the prisoners by the Japanese

and Korean guards. Geoff miraculously survived, weighing just 6 stone when he arrived

back in Liverpool in December 1945.

After his release he found he had difficulty in convincing people where he had been as no one had heard of the “Sumatra Railway”, only the other one, thousands of miles away in Burma. Letters to newspapers were returned as ‘Just another Burma Railway story’.

The Ministry of Defence, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and The Imperial War Museum had no records of POWs building a railway in Sumatra.

So began Geoff’s journey, his aim… to prove to the establishment what he already knew to be true. This is Geoff's story of his captivity, release, and subsequent efforts in achieving his aim.

POW on the Sumatra Railway follows the story of John Geoffrey Lee who as a young man joined the RAF, he was moved out to the Far East where unfortunately he was captured by the Japanese. Having been caught he was forced to experience a number of POW camps and the sad treatment and punishments that went on in these camps at the hands of the guards. John manages to survive his time being captured but I think he was released weighing just 7 stone. The story then follows his mission to prove he was where he was as it seems nobody seemed to know or have heard about the Sumatra Railway at the time, and then follows his journey to provide that information.

A really good read, very informative but I should say a very sad read too. The book was a quick read but I took a lot away from it and it really does give you an idea into what the men were suffering out in the Far East. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

The Men Who Flew the Heavy Bombers

The Men Who Flew the Heavy Bombers written by Martin W. Bowman and

published by Pen & Sword Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 220

Martin Bowman’s considerable experience as a military historian has spanned over

forty years, during which time he has amassed a wealth of material on the participation

by RAF and Commonwealth and US 8th and 15th Air Force crews in the series of

raids on the cities and oil transportation and industrial targets in the Third Reich,

culminating in ‘Round-the-Clock’ bombing by the RAF, operating at night on the

largely forgotten Stirling, the gamely Halifax and ultimately the more successful

Lancaster, and the US 8th Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator crews

by day on a target list so long and wide-ranging that it defies the imagination.

Hundreds of hours of painstaking and fact-finding research and interviews and correspondence with numerous airmen and women and their relatives, in Britain, America and beyond has been woven into a highly readable and emotional outpouring of life and death in combat over the Third Reich as the men of the RAF and Commonwealth and American air forces describe in their own words the compelling, gripping and thought-provoking narrative of the Combined Bomber Offensive in World War Two, which resulted from the RAF nocturnal onslaught and the American unescorted precision attacks on targets throughout the Reich until the P-51 Mustang escort fighters enabled the 8th to assume the mantle of the leading bombing partner in theatre.

Half of the U.S. Army Air Force's casualties in World War II were suffered by Eighth Air Force, with in excess of 47,000 casualties, with more than 26,000 dead. RAF Bomber Command lost 55,573 men killed out of a total of 125,000 aircrews and 8,403 wounded in action while 9,838 became prisoners of war.

RAF and American bomber crews could therefore be forgiven for thinking they had won a pyrrhic victory; one that had taken such a heavy toll that negated any true sense of achievement, though, if nothing else, the human effort spent by RAF Bomber Command and the Eighth Air Force did pave the way for the Soviet victory in the east.

The good thing about any of these ‘The Men Who Flew’ books by Martin Bowman is that you get another side of the story, rather than the battles or official details of warfare. You get the actual stories of bravery, worry and the social changes of men having to go to. Of course, these different planes all different types of pilot skills whether you're flying an English Lightning or a USAAF Heavy Bomber. What you also have in this book is the stories of the American pilots flying over here in a foreign country to them and having to learn about the new ways of being in a different country.

What you have is a number of very different stories, some sad, some euphoric being experienced by the American airmen. So not only were they having to participate in a war, they were having to learn to be accepted in a foreign country, where US servicemen weren’t always welcomed by everyone. I find these books fascinating and enjoy hearing from the flyers of these machines and the stories are always told in a detailed but fun way making them an easy read. An excellent book and recommended very much.

Air Power Supremo

Air Power Supremo written by William Pyke and published by

Pen & Sword Books - £25.00 - Hardback - Pages 280

Sir John Slessor was one of the twentieth century’s most distinguished wartime

commanders and incisive military thinkers, and William Pyke’s comprehensive

new biography reveals how he earned this remarkable reputation.

Slessor, a polio victim who always walked with a stick, became a First World War pilot in the Sudan and on the Western Front and a squadron and wing commander in India between the wars. When aerial warfare was still a new concept, he was one of the first to develop practical tactics and strategies in its application. In the Second World War, as the Commander-in-Chief of Coastal Command during the Battle of the Atlantic and the RAF in the Mediterranean during the Italian and Balkan campaigns, he made a remarkable contribution to the success of Allied air power. Then, after the war, as a senior commander, he established himself as one of the foremost experts on strategic bombing and nuclear deterrence. That is why this insightful biography of a great British airman and his achievements is so timely and important as we enter a new era of strategic doubts and deterrence at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

William Pyke follows each stage of Slessor’s brilliant career as a pilot and commander in vivid detail. In particular he concentrates on Slessor’s writings, from his treatise on the application of air power in support of land armies to his thinking on nuclear deterrence and Western strategy.

Well, this was a book that was full of surprises, having not read the info about the book from the back I had just gone by the front cover so I expected something detailed, dry and about an ‘office’ man. But I was quite wrong in that what this book provides us with is a story about a wily, courageous and distinguished fellow. A pilot in the first world war and during the inter-war years, he would eventually fly during the second world war and become an instrumental person in aerial tactics and the introduction of the new heavy planes of the nuclear weapon future. This was an enjoyable read and it was nice how the author took a linear approach to the book, I would certainly recommend this book about a man who had many talents and stories to tell.

Rearming the RAF for the Second World War

Rearming the RAF for the Second World War written by Adrian Phillips and

published by Pen & Sword Books - £25.00 - Hardback - Pages 368

When the RAF rearmed to meet the growing threat from Nazi Germany's remorseless expansion

in the late 1930s, it faced immense challenges. It had to manage a huge increase in size as well

as mastering rapid advances in aviation technology. To protect Britain from attack, the RAF's

commanders had to choose the right strategy and the right balance in its forces. The choices

had to be made in peacetime with no guidance from combat experience. These visions then

had to be translated into practical reality. A shifting cast of government ministers, civil servants

and industrialists with their own financial, political and military agendas brought further dynamics

into play. The RAF's readiness for war was crucial to Britain's ability to respond to Nazi

aggression before war broke out and when it did, the RAF's rearmament was put to the acid

test of battle. Adrian Phillips uses the penetrating grasp of how top level decisions are made

that he honed in his inside accounts of the abdication crisis and appeasement, to dissect

the process which shaped the RAF of 1940. He looks beyond the familiar legends of the

Battle of Britain and explores in depth the successes and failures of a vital element in British

preparations for war.

I have to say what a fascinating book and the subject I find is so interesting. Primarily this is a book that looks at the competition and infighting in and amongst the RAF, but not only that, but also the unnecessary fighting with the other arms of the armed forces and other organisations. Quite a bit of the book revolves around what the RAF stood for or what it wanted to concentrate on, for example, it was torn between infighting over whether to concentrate on prioritising small fighter aircraft of big heavy bombers. Basically, it’s like having a kitchen and someone has employed a lot of chefs and they all have to try and work together with the right menu. 

A very good book and quite thought-provoking and sometimes I was left thinking how on earth did the RAF succeed, but I really enjoyed reading it because there was lots of research and because it made me think. Plus I’m not sure the average joe in the street realises this was how the armed forces were run, we never hear about this in the mainstream media. A blinking good read by author Adrian Phillips, one I most certainly recommend.