Aircrew Book Review: The SAAF at war

09 January 2010

The SAAF at war

Just received three books from South Africa:

1. The Aegean Pirates - The History of 15 Squadron SAAF in WW2 by Dr Stefaan Bouwer and Dr Gerald Thompson,

2. The Men Who Went To Warsaw by Lawrence Isemonger and

3. Springbok Fighter Victory - Volume One, East Africa, 1940-1941 by Michael Schoeman.

All three, especially TAP, are well-presented. TAP appears a most comprehensive effort at around 250 pages (A4 format) and is loaded with photos and even colour plates of the various colour schemes worn by the aircraft operated by the squadron (Ju 86, Battle, Blenheim, Bisley and Baltimores ... there's A LOT of Baltimore profiles). Superb stuff. I'll certainly be reviewing this book this year.

TMWWTW, which I keep calling The Men Who Flew To Warsaw, is Volume 12 of the African Aviation Series (SFV is Vol 11 but Vol 1 of, er, a series within a series) and I have yet to see a book that has more pics of RAF-style Libs in it (happy to be proven wrong!). The author was a member of 31 Squadron's ground crew and has written the book as a tribute to the men of the squadron particularly those who gave their lives trying to supply the Warsaw Uprising. The appendices are a joy to behold with details of crew and aircraft.

Finally, SFV (published in 2002) delves into a forgotten part of the air war on the African continent - East Africa. Active over Somalia, Abyssinia etc, the South Africans found their Furies (oh my!), Gauntlets, Gladiators and very early Hurricanes up against the slightly more modern Italian Air Force. Loaded with some amazing photos that most of us certainly won't have seen, this book also includes an appendix giving a brief service bio of each pilot who flew in the campaign. Pen and Sword published Air War In East Africa 1940-1941 (by Canwell and Sutherland) earlier last year and while this would no doubt include some of the detail in SFV it would certainly make a good companion for the South African book. Above all else it is very pleasing to see this much-neglected campaign, and the men involved, receive the attention it, and they, deserve.

If anyone can let me know of other books on the SAAF during the war I would be most grateful. These are the first ones in my collection. The above books were bought from the The Airforce Shop in SA - http://www.saairforce.co.za/shop/index.php

The They Gave Me A Seafire review is coming. Honestly!

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Welcome

Welcome to one of my silly ideas. I have been an avid reader of aircrew memoirs from the Second World War for as long as I can remember (not counting the various other interests that I have flitted to over time). I started collecting titles as found on Amazon but in the past few years have concentrated on books about the members of the RAF, FAA and Commonwealth air forces. I still maintain an interest in the operations of the USAAF, USN, Luftwaffe and Japanese forces but, as an Australian, you can probably understand where my heart lies!

Around about 2000, when I started collecting in earnest, I stuggled to find vast amounts of books on the subject. For those of you in the know this is a ridiculous thing to say as there are thousands of titles on the RAF alone.

In the past four or five years I have been fortunate to make some excellent friends in the UK and Australia who have helped broaden my knowledge of what's available and, in some cases, spend my money for me. In doing so, I have also corresponded with and met several authors and gained some insight into what it takes to put a well-researched book together. One of these days I hope to do the same but for the time being writing reviews and the occasional article will see me through as I gather what I need.

I have worked as a journalist in the past and run my own online magazine which was very time consuming and eventually led to another blog which is much easier to maintain. My interest in the aviation of the Second World War began with a school library book on The Battle of Britain when I was nine. Numerous plastic models, museum visits, magazine subscriptions, movies and Commando comics later I branched out into books like Squadron Signal's 'In Action' series (cheap for a teenager) and generalist titles covering certain aircraft. My first memory of a memoir (ha) was an oldish, secondhand copy of Alex Henshaw's superlative Sigh for a Merlin bought at a primary school market - incidentally, still the best Spitfire book I have ever read. I devoured it and although I haven't read it since (early 1990s) I can still vividly remember many of Alex's adventures testing this greatest of aircraft. One of these days I'll read it again.

My time as a journalist proper was short-lived as I had to make some decent money but it followed time as an accountant, truck driver and recruitment researcher. As of March 2010, I have stepped into commercial accounting which is a different kettle of fish and certainly not all spreadsheets and numbers (to be honest, the best job I have ever had).

Throughout my various incarnations I have maintained a fascination for what aircrew experienced during the war. I have been fortunate enough to meet several veterans and have even worked alongside some on a couple of major aircraft restorations down here in Australia. To a man I have found them friendly, modest and, at times, wondering what all the fuss is about. A gross generalisation perhaps but any variance would be understandable considering what they lived through. I know I could certainly not have done what they did in their late teens/early 20s. Fortunately, I have not had the opportunity to prove this otherwise and that's largely because of what these men (and women) sacrificed for what we have today.

Each book is a pleasure to read (even the not-so-great ones) and I try to convey what each is like to read without giving the game away too much. I also endeavour to let you know when or where I bought my copy and where it is available now as I try to review a mix of old and new titles (basically whatever takes my fancy at the time although when review copies come in, these take precedence). Honesty is at the core of everything I write on here so if something doesn't sit right with me or I feel it affects the 'experience' of the book, I will mention it.

Please feel free to recommend titles I may not be aware of or that you think would complement a reviewed title.

Cheers

Andy Wright

09 January 2010

The SAAF at war

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