Back to it...

Well, after a bit of a delay with settling into our house here in West Wyalong, we're almost fully unpacked. Once I find my notes for Kristen Alexander's wonderful latest work, Jack Davenport Beaufighter Leader, I'll write the review. Steve Lewis' Chasing Shadows is also ready to write so I'll be able to hit the ground running and get the blog active again with a couple of quick posts.

If you are looking for a new book to sink your teeth into, I strongly recommend both of the above. Some correlation given both pilots are Australian and flew Beaufighters but that's where the similarity ends - anti-shipping strikes and night interceptions respectively. Both books are intelligently and descriptively written - different styles - and comprehensively illustrated (CS in particular goes well beyond the norm when it comes to illustrations).

Two beautiful books about two remarkable men (and there's a good love story in each!).

On the move...

Hi all

We're currently moving to New South Wales so I'll be offline for a while. We should be back on deck by mid-August. Hope this finds you all well.

Cheers

Andy

Clive Caldwell, Air Ace - Kristen Alexander

Clive Caldwell. Heard of him? Well, if you’re here because you’re an avid reader of the type of books I review, chances are you’ve heard of him. If you haven’t, don’t feel too bad. He’s Australia’s highest scoring ace of the Second World War and most Australians have not heard of him. It is safe to say, however, that in the past few years that number of Australians has become smaller thanks to the subject of this review. What might stir your interest further is the author of Clive Caldwell, Air Ace, prior to initial research, had not heard of our hero either. He simply had not popped up on her reading radar. It’s not as odd as it sounds. If you have not read this or any other book on CRC, how much do you know about him off the top of your head? Let’s go with what’s generally known (and, sadly, about the sum total of my knowledge retention pre-CCAA): Australia’s highest scoring ace; flew Tomahawks and Kittyhawks in North Africa; had the nickname ‘Killer’; developed shadow-shooting; flew a Spitfire with CR-C as squadron codes; and was part of the infamous ‘Morotai Mutiny’. Not a lot there but, at the same time, there is if you screw down into each statement. However, up until CCAA no one bothered to get into the gritty detail and the majority of written work on this remarkable man was limited to rather generalist articles. Fortunately, this is no longer the case.

In 2002, Kristen Alexander and her husband purchased at auction some papers that had belonged to Clive Caldwell. Their original intention had been to sell them on but Kristen sat down and read the letters and became enthralled with the “vibrancy of writing, the immediacy of action and the almost breathless thrill of an operation, written as they were so soon after the actual incidents.” She was hooked and used the documents as the basis for a presentation to her local branch of the Military Historical Society of Australia. This she did to some acclaim including comments about there being a “book in there”. With further research and support from Mrs Caldwell herself and former colleagues of Caldwell’s - such as fellow ace, desert veteran and fighter leader Bobby Gibbes – Kristen’s first book became a reality.

Clive Caldwell the man challenges the reader within the first few pages of the book. While there is no reference to him doing so, he advocated shooting downed enemy airmen in their parachutes. Now, this is something we usually associate with those dastardly Germans and barbaric Japanese (stereotypes intended) and not ‘our’ boys. But, this was Clive Caldwell and was part of the reason for his public, but personally disliked, nickname (he had also witnessed a close friend meet that fate ... see, you can’t jump to conclusions with this man). Older than other pilots during training and squadron life, Caldwell was the loner with a job to do. After a patrol he invariably flew home at low-level looking for ground targets. He was always on the hunt and, to some extent, alienated himself from his fellow 250 Squadron pilots. Always looking for ways to improve his natural fighting ability, Caldwell discovered he could practice deflection shooting (aiming for where the enemy would be) by shooting for his aircraft’s shadow on the desert floor. What became a widely-accepted training method was just one of the many skills that saw Caldwell grow into a leader. His initiative, experience and, of course, survival led to an ever-increasing score and desire to pass on what he had learned the hard way. He was often accused of regular, glorious ‘line-shooting’ in the Mess but he saw few other ways to pass on his experience. Command of the legendary 112 Squadron and pioneering another seminal desert development – the Kittybomber – precedes War Bond and flying tours of the US before an eventual return to an Australia that, well, lauds him while at the same time trying to cut his legs out from under him.

I’ve come across a few circumstances of senior Australian airmen returning home from Europe only to discover incompetence and jealousy from staff officers senior to them. Caldwell experienced some of this on his return but was back in the thick of it in command of The Spitfire Wing in Darwin after a very short stint instructing. The Australian government had been screaming out for Spitfires to defend the top end. When they finally did arrive, there was little support and ground crews had to make do. With Caldwell in command and adding to his personal score, the Spitfire defence was effective but, because of the high profile, very open to criticism if there was a sniff of a failure. Raid 54 on Darwin, the day the Spitfires ‘all fell into the sea’, is the perfect example. What became a very difficult tactical situation was exacerbated by General MacArthur’s Melbourne headquarters releasing a communiqué after the fact blaming a non-existent weather factor and poor strategy. This was latched onto by all and sundry during the war and since and, unfairly, heaped blame on Caldwell. The resulting analysis of the events and actual truth is a masterpiece of research and interpretation.

The Americans had a further hand in Caldwell’s war when General Kenney, and a complicit Australian government, side-lined the Spitfires of 80 Fighter Wing when based on Morotai. After a proper stint instructing, Caldwell had taken command of the Wing but had little to do. The move to Morotai suggested more worthwhile duties but it brought a whole lot of additional problems. The Spitfires continued to struggle for parts and basic supplies to keep a squadron running and quartered were hard to come by. Warned of the RAAF’s inability to meet the demand, Caldwell was advised to acquire a stock of liquor for trading with the well-supplied Americans. Let down by hierarchy, Caldwell’s hand was forced in order to keep his Wing at readiness and the morale of his men high. This same hierarchy then charged Caldwell with illegal liquor trading and the subsequent inquiry rolled into a ball the issues surrounding Caldwell’s involvement in the co-ordinated resignation of senior front-line RAAF officers protesting over the lack of worthwhile assignments.

The terms of reference and proceedings of The Barry Inquiry are very well handled by the author and lose none of their impact despite being made easy to read and understand. One might think of the subject as dry but having followed Caldwell this far, you’ll want to see him come out the other side. As suggested above, a more comprehensive study of the man has not been attempted and, it can be argued, might as well not be. Everything, it seems, is here. The writing is honest, to the point and without pretension – the perfect reflection of Caldwell’s character. Numerous direct quotes are used but these fit seamlessly into the main body of text. I found the style a tiny bit clunky at first but, as Kristen must have as she wrote, I found my feet and sailed through the text. By the way, she writes like a girl. Funny I should say this, you ask? Well, yes and no. Who else would have bothered to provide well-written details of Jean Caldwell’s wedding attire? This level of detail is also evident throughout with the copious annotations and extensive bibliography. This style developed by Kristen works well so it will be good to see her let it loose on a lesser-known RAAF personality in the future.

Clive Caldwell deserves to be regarded and recognised alongside other Australian aviation greats such as Charles Kingsford Smith, Bert Hinkler and the Reverend John Flynn. To the greater Australian public, I don’t think he is but this book can certainly change that. Here we have a comprehensive biography written by an expert researcher with an eye for detail and the ability to keep things simple and enjoyable.

I bought my paperback copy of this book a couple of years ago during a 50% off everything sale at a bookshop in Perth. It is readily available online and in bookstores or you can order it direct - signed and affordable - from the author at her Canberra store - www.alexanderfaxbooks.com.au

A good, solid paperback of more than 300 pages, there are three photo sections which ably illustrate Caldwell's entire life including post-war which many biographies seem to peter out on. Wait till you see the endnotes and bibliography!

Alexander Fax Booksellers

Kristen Alexander and David Fax run a well known military bookshop in Canberra. While their website features their stock, among other things, they've also just started up a blog - http://alexanderfaxbooks.blogspot.com/

Links to the bookshop have been featured several times on here and reviews for Kristen's two books - Clive Caldwell, Air Ace and Jack Davenport, Beaufighter Leader will be posted shortly.

If you love books and the life that comes with them, keep an eye on the AF blog.

Night After Night: New Zealanders In Bomber Command - Max Lambert

The great melting pot that was the RAF during the war has always, to me, been a strong indicator of how people from different countries and backgrounds can work closely together to achieve a common goal. Sure, the Commonwealth countries that contributed the majority of international aircrew for Bomber Command (Canada, Australia and New Zealand) had very firm ties to Britain (as did all contributing nations), but as established societies they naturally developed their own way of seeing the world. Throw them together in a, to use a modern cliché, work hard/play hard environment in a strange country with different weather, customs, and the sobering task of risking their lives regularly, and you can’t help but marvel how well so many ‘strangers from strange lands’ bonded and got the job done. There’s a few people around today who could learn a lot from that sort of co-operation and acceptance.

The quiet achievers of Bomber Command (and better drinkers than the Australians apparently, they just didn’t broadcast it as much!) were the New Zealanders. Of the 6000-odd Kiwis that served in Bomber Command, almost one third (1,850) were lost; it's a sobering statistic at any time, but even more so when you consider the population of New Zealand at the time was roughly 1.6 million. Since we’re talking statistics, just what did this less-than-six-per-cent of Bomber Command’s personnel actually contribute? Well, it is Bomber Command so you can easily imagine their struggle for survival, but for the ultimate narrative you cannot go past Max Lambert’s superlative Night After Night.

Drawing on countless interviews with veterans and families, the author blends the individual stories together with considerable skill, walking the reader through the entire war from the early, disorganised days of operations to the eventual cessation of hostilities. The main text of the book is separated into sections (one per year) and each is introduced with an overview of the war’s progress and Bomber Command’s situation and evolving tactics and campaigns. This necessary context ably supports the chronological recording of stories ranging from training, adventures, narrow escapes, deaths and imprisonment to the rewarding journeys home to New Zealand. Lambert, through the multitude of interviews obviously performed for this book, has clearly understood the images and memories shared with him and writes with immense detail and empathy. First-hand accounts of life in Bomber Command are certainly not rare, but to have a large number from a variety of personalities at your fingertips is an effective way to help develop or add to a deep understanding (lots of value if your budget is limited or, like me, you've commenced another self-imposed book-buying ban). The peril faced by these brave airmen will have you shaking your head in disbelief at their survival one moment and then swallowing the lump in your throat upon reading of their loss the next.

This is a wonderful-looking book with a simple, but beautifully illustrated, cover. The thick card cover of this original edition is a little different to the norm, kind of like a cross between a paperback and a dust-jacket if that makes sense. In this case the quality presentation equals the content inside including the range of photographs (featuring one of the saddest images I have ever seen: a pilot, looking for all the world as though he’s asleep, still strapped to his seat as the mangled remains of his Wellington are recovered from the sea the day after his ditching, I get emotional just thinking about it) which span the entire course of the war. Easy to read, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can devour 450+ pages of what can be confronting experiences.

This is an extremely valuable account of just part of Bomber Command's war and a fitting, and overdue, literary memorial to the contributions of a small, but proud, country to that campaign.

I bought my copy off Ebay in Australia, but the book is widely available from other sources including Amazon etc. It’s a heavy bit of gear so watch the postage if you’re buying online from somewhere that doesn’t have set rates. Having said that, my copy is a paperback so it’s certainly not as heavy as some of the hardbacks out there.

Night After Night would be a nice companion for Hank Nelson’s Chased By The Sun (Australians in BC). I hope to prove that one day as I’m still kicking myself for not buying CBTS when it was widely available in the big department store chains!

Reviewed copy published by HarpersCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited in 2005.

ISBN 978-1-86950-5-424

A Thousand Shall Fall - Murray Peden

Remember all the things your parents used to say? “Eat your vegetables”, “You get what you pay for” and “You can’t judge a book by its cover”. Well, as we all know, our parents are invariably right and, as much as we hate it, at some stage in our lives, we will catch ourselves saying the same things. Having a book fetish as I do no matter how hard I try I do find myself “judging a book by its cover.” After all, that’s the whole point when it comes to selling books, isn’t it? Call to the potential buyer siren-like with a great looking book and hope for the best. As you will have read in the previous review, this can back-fire on the gentle reader but for this review, it works. However, wrapping A Thousand Shall Fall in brown paper would not matter a damn – it is truly the mother of all classic war memoirs.

Murray Peden is a Canadian who joins the RCAF the day after his 18th birthday in October 1941. He progresses through Initial Training School, Elementary Flying Training School (where he discovers the joys of flying Tiger Moths ) and Service Flying Training School (Cessna Cranes) before embarkation to England in November 1942. Pretty standard stuff for someone training to be a pilot but more of that later. Arrival in England brings leave in Bournemouth prior to blowing the cobwebs out on Tigers again at EFTS and then joining an Advanced Flying Unit and getting to grips with the Airspeed Oxford. Crewing-up, Wellingtons at OTU and then Stirlings and joining a Main Force squadron – 214 – follow in natural progression and I know this process is probably old hat to most of you. The thing, however, is that by the time Peden’s crew go on their first Main Force trip, you are already more than 230 pages into the book. The detail is phenomenal, some of Peden’s adventures (and misadventures) are epic and it is all just so easy to read. By page two I had chuckled to myself and by page four, I had laughed out loud. This sense of humour and keen observation prevails throughout but I digress.

Peden’s crew, after their captain does two second dickey trips (one decidedly dodgy and the other thoroughly professional), gets through their ‘Gardening’ (mine-laying) op and then gets stuck into their tour with raids on Germany and Occupied Europe. They certainly gel as a team and there is a firm sense of complete trust in each other. Yes, they have their scrapes but it comes as no surprise when they are seconded to 161 Squadron at Tempsford for training in supply-dropping to resistance forces in occupied France. There is an interesting but brief insight into these operations before a return to 214, further ops and then, joy of joys, 214 is taken out of Main Force, joins 100 Group and receives Flying Fortresses for use in ‘spoof’ raids and other electronic countermeasures to hopefully confuse the German radar and night-fighter defences. I say “joy of joys” simply because reading about Fortresses in the RAF is not a regular occurrence and combining them with 100 Group operations is just out of the ordinary for this type of book.

The conversion from Stirlings is smooth and the comparisons between the two aircraft (I’ll probably regret saying this) in the text must surely be unique in this genre. Peden, who is an above-average pilot (and writer) throughout, adjusts well and he and his crew continue their tour into 1945. I have to admit I found myself thinking they had a better chance of surviving by not being in Main Force. However, their work, by necessity, drew night-fighters to them (away from Main Force) or involved flying within the bomber stream to make life difficult for the defenders. Numerous countermeasures are used and Peden gives an excellent overview of the tactics of both sides in this most deadly of cat-and-mouse games.

Finally, the Peden crew completes their tour in early 1945 and after a short while of them all instructing new Fortress crews at 1699 HCU, they go their separate ways but not before flying their ground crew over past targets. The family is split up and the big adventure is over.

This book is pure, unadulterated brilliance. It is written by someone who is clearly very well read and has a delightful and accurate turn of phrase. Full of numerous laugh out loud escapades and typical aircrew hi-jinks, Peden’s writing is equally moving and emotional. He loses a number of very good friends (the book is partly dedicated to them) and, on one occasion during training in Canada, escorts the coffin containing his best mate back to the mourning family in the US. I challenge you not to get at least a lump in your throat. It is truly beautiful writing from a very talented author. An infinitely better writer than me could make it a lot clearer with reference to other clever writers but you know the feeling you get when you read a good book – that light-headedness and general sense of nirvana (maybe it’s just me)? With ATSF, you’ve got it by the second page.

This book is just over four years of Peden’s life in well over 400 pages. It’s a cast of hundreds and like Shakespeare’s world stage, the players have their entrances and, sadly in many cases, their exits. Peden weaves it all together and ... I’ve said enough. Want more proof as to how good this is? I’ll leave that to Sir Arthur Harris who read the first edition in 1979 and was compelled to write a letter to the author (which he starts with "Dear Peden"):

"I consider it not only the best and most true to life ‘war’ book I’ve read about this war, but the best about all the wars of my lifetime."

I stumbled across this book on Amazon early last year. It is a paperback with a thin card cover and a general feeling of being a cheaper production but this is reflected in the price and, overall, you get so much more than you pay for anyway. There’s an excellent array of photos but these are printed on the same paper as the text which is a tiny let-down but, again, it all combines to be a very affordable book and most impressive read. By far the best memoir I have read - superb.

The book is easily available on Amazon. I have not seen it in shops in Australia but I imagine it is easily found in Canada of course.

Reviewed copy published by Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited in 2000.
ISBN 1-5500-2454-X

Desert Flyer - Martyn R Ford-Jones

As I mentioned in the review for Caine’s Spitfires, Thunderbolts and Warm Beer, the use of a wartime diary is often the genesis for an insightful and personal memoir. A diary on its own can make for interesting reading but add some context, stir in some other characters and provide a generous dollop of illustrations and you’ve got the perfect recipe ... if you can cook it right. Desert Flyer has all the ingredients for a five star dish but it should have been left in the oven a bit longer.

The subject of the story is F/O William Marsh – a working class lad with a green thumb developed from working a market garden. He joins the RAF and trains in Canada before being posted to 605 Squadron but ultimately ends up with 274 in March 1942 (after sailing in convoy and witnessing the loss of HMS Ark Royal – interesting photos here). Marsh remains with the squadron for well over a year before leaving for his ‘rest’ tour as an instructor. Throughout his time with 274 (and before and after) Marsh provides a window to his experiences through numerous candid diary entries that offer insight into life in the desert. The diary entries and main body of text are ably supported by more than 200 of Marsh's photos. To my knowledge, none of these photos had been published before and they are a truly remarkable record of one man’s war from the frozen airfields of Canada to the hot landing grounds of North Africa. Every facet of his life is contained in these photos and all are printed on high quality paper so their reproduction is superb.

However, I am not at all impressed with the writing and editing. The bibliography contains just five sources which surprised me a great deal. The grammar is average (not that mine is perfect) with regular errors and I encountered several incomplete sentences which made no sense (not to mention the repeat of an incomplete sentence in a paragraph about a combat - took the 'rush' away!). There is also the apparent need to insert extra words into some of the diary/log excerpts. This lessens the feel and originality of Marsh's writing. Over-clarification also prevails. When "Spits” are mentioned by Marsh, for example, the author or publisher (I suspect the latter) felt the need to put "Spitfires" in brackets. Seriously. Perhaps I’m being a little sensitive on this last point but [Spitfires] could have easily replaced “Spits” altogether (which is how I was taught to use square brackets).

I have a severe feeling this book was written for the American market and was simplified so RAF ops in North Africa could be easily understood. I don't think American enthusiasts were given enough credit here.

Now for my big ‘but, hang on’. If I am completely honest the impact of the errors/lack of research/treating the reader a little like an idiot are lessened by a bit of sentimentality and empathy. Sure, the issues I have with this book were greatly frustrating - a classic example being a pilot recorded in the text as having pranged his Spitfire but was referred to in the end notes as having pranged his Hurricane ... and the caption of the relevant photo also said Hurricane - but, as I read about Marsh's time with 71 OTU at Ismailia, I realised I would miss this pilot whose life had been laid out in front of me over 300+ pages. His loss, as with all losses in our readings, was sobering and I felt it keenly.

So, despite the frustrations that are clearly evident, consider this book if you ever come across it. Sure, it's a bit light on for detailed research (depends what you’re after) and there are all manner of things you'll pick up as wrong etc but it is an insight into ‘one of the many’ - the fighter pilots who were not aces but were bloody good at their jobs and who should have had the chance to live a longer life. You could also buy this book for its 200+ photos alone. They are astounding and the perfect condiment for a book that is slightly underdone.

I realise this is a somewhat negative review but it is how I saw DF. While I haven’t written a book yet, I obviously appreciate the effort made by authors. We can all get passed errors etc but considering how much we can pay for books I think we deserve value for money.

I bought my hardcover copy of DF off Ebay and was quite taken by the cover and overall ‘feel’ of the book – nice and heavy and printed on good paper stock. I’m a sucker for anything in North Africa.

Reviewed copy published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd in 2004.

ISBN 0-7643-0347-3

Beyond Courage - Norman Franks

Without knowing about the author’s earlier work on the subject - Another Kind Of Courage – you’d have little chance of guessing the subject of the book. One look at the cover though is enough to make the title clear of course. Not a lot has been written about the Walrus Air Sea Rescue squadrons of the RAF and rarely have I come across their memories - written or otherwise. Naturally, that’s not to say they’re not out there (Graham Pitchfork’s Shot Down And In The Drink is a good companion for AKOC and BC). It’s just that in a world of dashing fighter pilots and determined bomber captains, the men who risk their lives, and aircraft, to save others tend to get overlooked. Fortunately, one of the pioneers of RAF record research has had the foresight to address this imbalance.

As is well known, the Walrus was a single-engine, biplane amphibian that flew with a crew of two or three. Perfectly suited to being catapulted from cruisers and battleships, she was necessarily smaller than you’d expect but, as discovered within the pages of this book, possessed a big heart. The book chronologically follows the rescues by Walrus aircraft operating from North Africa and, as the war moved on to Italy, from bases that could cover the far northern reaches of that country’s waters.

Far from being picture-postcard perfect, the Mediterranean proves to be a constant challenge for the Walrus crews with the outcome of a successful landing and recovery often being a taxi to shore or being placed under tow by a vessel such as an ASR high-speed launch. The crews knew the weight limitations of their aircraft but with a bomber crew in the water below and night falling, for example, the decision was regularly made to alight on the surface to provide some comfort for the downed airmen. The result of such a commitment sometimes led to a night on the open water manning the bilge pumps to prevent the Walrus from sinking. If the sea was rough, the structure of the aircraft – wing floats etc – could be damaged. So, knowing these conditions, the RAF and Commonwealth crews of 283, 284, 293 and 294 Squadrons, scrambled time and time again to conduct searches for missing aircrew. I think it is pretty clear where the title of the book earned its inspiration.

Details of squadron and detachment formation and movements are presented against the backdrop of the war in the MTO as a whole. The writing can seem a little stilted in these sections but that’s only because the escapades of the Walrus crews and those they save are so riveting. Franks covers a good portion of the rescues effected often with extensive (and typically understated) comment from those involved. I was fascinated by long-termers such as F/O Arnold Divers DFM RNZAF of 283 Squadron. Their insights into being part-aviator and part-mariner are a joy to read (Divers, amazingly, went on to fly Mosquitoes over Europe). Similarly, Franks sets up each featured rescue well with reference to the downed airman/airmen and how they end up in the ‘drink’. American aircrew obviously feature as heavily as those of the RAF etc and one wonders what they thought when they saw a decidedly quaint-looking Walrus heading their way. Something tells me all they saw was rescue and the strong arms waiting to pull them aboard to safety.

Norman Franks’ work takes a bit of a beating from time to time mostly from occasional errors of dates and fates found by other researchers. While I have seen evidence of this secondhand, it should not diminish the attractiveness of his titles should you come across them. It would be unwise to forget that the current high level of interest, and public general knowledge, in the aircrew of the war is a relatively recent thing. Long before records were made available online or discussions could be opened up to the world, researchers like Norman Franks were shuffling vast amounts of paper records at places like Kew, writing letters to veterans and transcribing their interviews in order to make some sense of an air war so vast it will never be completely covered. Today’s ‘bibles’ and best-sellers owe a lot to the groundwork and interest generated by the likes of Norman Franks.

Reading about the RAF etc will invariably lead to accounts of ditching, days in dinghies and subsequent rescues. This book provides a detailed understanding of such things from the point of view of the ASR crews. If you are new to the genre and want to understand the courage of aircrew in the face of adversity, give BC a go. You will not be disappointed.

I came to this book after the Egles title below. He and his Wellington crew had been rescued by a Walrus and, knowing I had BC on the shelf, was inspired to find out more.

As with all Grub Street books I’ve come across, BC is well put together and features a great range of photos including some of actual rescues.

My copy of this title came in a care package from a good friend. It is, however, easily available from Amazon.

Reviewed copy published by Grub Street in 2003.
ISBN 1-904010-30-X

Charles 'Bud' Tingwell - Rest In Peace

I've just heard of the passing of this great man. Serving as a recce pilot on Spits and Mossies in the Mediterranean, he went on to become one of Australia's most loved actors. Watching him on screen is always such a joy.

Michael Veitch in his book Flak interviewed 'Bud' about his wartime experiences. He will not be forgotten.

Just One Of The Many - Dudley C Egles MID

Books come in all shapes and sizes and, lately, I’ve seen a couple that are not what you’d expect – but more of those in later reviews. Value for money is an important consideration and there’s nothing like immersing yourself in a nice, 300+ page book (although not conducive to rapid reviews). However, to use a cliché early on, good things do come in small packages and, really, when it comes to aircrew books, we are grateful any effort has been made! Just One Of The Many is one such small package. A paperback of just 120 pages, this is an easy book to devour in an afternoon or over a couple of days. If you’re new to the genre, it is a nice way to ease your way into the world according to aircrew – and in this case, a navigator.

Dudley Egles rips into his service career right from the start. At the age of 18, he signed on as an Observer in 1939 because the waiting list to commence training was shorter than for pilots. Ground school follows as expected before he embarks for Canada to begin Navigation School ... and ends up in South Africa. As it turns out he is on No. 1 Course EATS in South Africa so there’s a particularly interesting bit of history right there. He enjoys himself on Ansons before returning to the UK for bombing, gunnery and OTU. A subsequent posting to 148 Squadron involves an 11 hour daylight flight to Gibraltar by Wellington before eventually commencing operations out of Egypt.

There is little note of the passage of time as Egles has simply ‘shot from the hip’ somewhat when remembering his adventures. Every now and then you get a ‘time stamp’ – such as Egles catching a bit of flak in his rear end during a trip to Greece on his 21st birthday. In his time with 148, Egles joins the Goldfish Club - after his Wellington ditches following a raid on Benghazi – and the Late Arrivals Club when, on a later trip, he and his crew are brought down in the desert and have to walk home through enemy territory (ultimate rescue comes in the form of the Long Range Desert Group). As you can imagine these two adventures are interspersed with other experiences which make for interesting and often amusing reading.

Volunteering to navigate Liberators across the Atlantic comes to nothing besides a short, enjoyable stay in New York City. Egles eventually finds himself back in the UK instructing Canadians before being sent on a GEE course. He marries and, through the fortuitous answering of the phone in the Navigation Office, gets himself assigned to Pathfinder training which ultimately sees him posted to 462 Squadron based at Foggia, Italy. This squadron eventually becomes 614 which makes for some interesting comparisons to Tom Scotland’s Voice From The Stars. Up until now, there is little indication of Egles’ skill as a navigator (other than the stint instructing) as he understates his involvement in various escapades. A short chapter about an unfortunate but 'anonymous' Joint Squadron Navigation Officer’s chartless Pathfinding trip to Bucharest therefore comes as a pleasant surprise (and ends amusingly). I found myself thinking “Good for you, Egles”. You’ll see why.

Egles soon joins the Caterpillar Club when he bales out of his burning Halifax and becomes a POW in Romania. It turns out he is the first RAF officer imprisoned in that country so his memories of this rarely reported part of the POWs in Europe is most welcome – particularly the leeway he and his fellow inmates were shown towards the end of their imprisonment. Before you know it, Egles is back in the UK, is demobbed, trains as a teacher, tries to rejoin, but fails due to hearing loss, and then casually mentions he and his wife spent time in Uganda during the reign of Idi Amin.

Okay, reading through this book, you’ll find there is enough detail to follow up on if you are so inclined, but not enough if you’re itching for an in-depth read – inquiring minds want to know etc. With so much happening in just a few years, I was left wondering what Egles could have done with another thirty pages. The chapters are largely related to one particular event or posting and some are only a couple of pages long. On the positive side, this is somewhat refreshing as you can dip in and out if you want and can get a quick ‘fix’ of adventure should you feel the urge.

The photo on the cover gives you an indication of the character of the man – that moustache is epic. The sparkling eyes of the elder Egles on the back cover are just as revealing. The writing is entertaining, light-hearted, modest and will leave you wishing for more. Anyone who is shot down three times will certainly see life in a different light to us mere mortals and this is reflected throughout the book. While I wish there was more than a sentence or two about Uganda and Idi Amin, Just One Of The Many (a nice little jibe at ‘The Few’) is a worthy addition to any collection for two main reasons – firstly, it is written by a navigator and is therefore ‘different’ and, secondly, the lucky ‘Many’ are now too few and any book, no matter how small, is a tribute to them.

I bought my copy about 18 months ago from ebay.com.au. I have not seen it pop up again since but a bit of hunting will no doubt uncover a copy. I was lucky to acquire the book for less than $10 so here's hoping you can too. Looks like there's a couple (and I emphasise 'a couple') of affordable copies on Amazon UK.

Reviewed copy published by The Pentland Press Limited in 1996.

ISBN 978-1-85821-4-016

Going Solo - Roald Dahl

I’m embarrassed to say I had completely forgotten Roald Dahl had been a pilot. Like everyone, I knew of his children’s books – Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and The BFG to name a couple – but I had not read any (Enid Blyton and CS Lewis took his place though). Looking into his work there are numerous comments about his deliciously vulgar writing which, of course, would have kids in raptures. Before beginning GS I half-expected a slightly ‘odd’ read but knew the writing would be enjoyable. That, as it turned out, was only the half of it.

The book begins with Dahl heading for the colonies, Dar-es-Salaam in Tanganyika (modern-day Tanzania) to be exact, to join Shell in 1938. He travels with a shipload of expat ‘Empire-builders’ and marvels at their bizarre ways. Some of the characters he encounters are marvellous and his descriptions are delightful. Settling into his work Dahl learns Swahili and, generally, gives a good impression of a way of life now long gone. With war looming he and his colleagues are made officers of the local militia and with no training he manages to do his job with a little drama on the way. Driving to Nairobi to join the RAF, he completes his initial training on Tiger Moths before being posted to RAF Habbaniya in Iraq for six months on Hawker Harts.

His first posting is to 80 Squadron ‘somewhere in Libya’ and he delivers a Gladiator in doing so. Having never flown such a powerful aircraft, he encounters his first frustration with what is expected of him. Nevertheless, he almost makes it but after a refuelling stop is sent in the wrong direction and crashes in the middle of the desert as night descends. Rescued by the army, Dahl is badly injured and blinded and spends considerable time, understandably, recovering in Egypt. His joy at his sight finally returning is as palpable as the re-assignment to his squadron is amazing and ridiculous. Continuing his record of epic flights in unfamiliar aircraft, Dahl is given several hours in a new Hurricane – his first monoplane – before flying almost five hours to Greece. He is sent on his way with the knowledge that if the pumps for his wing tanks don’t work, he’ll end up in the middle of the Mediterranean.

Having little idea of what he was flying into, and with less than 10 hours on type, Dahl is dumb-founded to find his new Hurricane is one of just fourteen available to hold back the Luftwaffe. Here, I believe, some details would have been written from memory and rumours at the time but we all know the desperate situation of the RAF in Greece. So, Dahl, with little flying experience, is thrown into the fight to provide air cover with little to no strategic (early warning etc) or numerical support. That he survives is remarkable. That he actually shoots down German bombers will astound you. However, the breakdown of command and the mad scramble to evacuate means Dahl’s efforts in Greece, singularly impressive, are ultimately futile. What’s left of the squadron’s aircraft is flown to Crete while Dahl and the rest of his colleagues end up back in Egypt before rejoining the squadron in Palestine in May 1941. Here they encounter the Vichy French and Dahl has further success in the air (though little is written about this side of things) and a somewhat interesting, if not slightly disturbing, encounter with a German refugee. Finally, Dahl’s injuries from the Gladiator crash catch up with him and blinding headaches force him out of the air and return him to his family in England after three years away.

Going Solo really is just a joy to read. It’s also the perfect book to introduce children – yours or otherwise – to the aviation of the Second World War. It reads like a well-written adventure novel and will certainly feed and fire their imagination as much as it did mine. Don’t expect a tonne of hard facts and figures. Few names of fellow pilots are mentioned (although you’ll love the ‘Pat’ Pattle reference – another insight into this somewhat ‘mysterious’ flyer). However, here is a writer who knows how to tell a story and you get the feeling he just sat down, made a brief timeline and then filled in the gaps with the most descriptive writing imaginable of some wonderful and eye-opening experiences. Self-effacing, at no stage does he think “I’m getting good at this”. Rather, it is the acceptance of his probable fate and a “Golly, I’ll be lucky to get out of this” that strikes a chord.

Without having read the ‘prequel’ Boy the adventures Dahl has within the period covered by GS clearly shape his take on life and the world. The breathtaking events and adversity he lived through served to eventually bring joy to millions of readers and for that, I think, we have a Gladiator crash and a truly talented flyer to thank!

My copy of this book is an old paperback from the mid-1980s purchased a couple of years ago at a market in Midland, Western Australia. It is easily available online for a reasonable price and will no doubt be relatively easy to find in a local bookshop. It is also available from Alexander Fax Booksellers - http://www.alexanderfaxbooks.com.au/

I hold this book in such high regard that I intend to buy a nice hardcover edition eventually and save it for my kids.

There are some interesting photos included but, in the paperback format at least, are printed on the same stock as the text.

Reviewed copy published by Penguin Books in 1986.

ISBN 0-14-010306-6

Torpedo Leader - new paperback version from Grub Street

Hannah from Grub Street Publishing has kindly let me know of a new paperback version of Patrick Gibbs' Torpedo Leader. Grub Street will be releasing the book in July this year. If you don't already have this title, this might be an affordable way to get hold of a brand new copy.

Price £8.99
Pages: 208 pages plus 8pp photos on art paper
Size: 196 x 129mm Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-906502-40-9

For more information contact Sarah Driver sarahATgrubstreet.co.uk

Spitfires, Thunderbolts and Warm Beer - Philip D. Caine

The genesis for many a memoir can be the discovery of a wartime diary. Officially frowned upon, and therefore relatively uncommon, diaries make for remarkable windows into a flyer’s mind. Many sadly end abruptly but it is the diaries that, when the surviving veterans are no longer with us, will provide one of the most realistic and open links to the war. Now, having said these things are relatively uncommon, we are fortunate many are now seeing the light of day and being shared in the form of books or even websites. One example of the former is Spitfires, Thunderbolts and Warm Beer – a most attractive and well-chosen title – which gives you access to the thoughts and emotions of ‘Yank in the RAF’ Leroy Gover. Coupled with excerpts from his letters and interviews with the author, Gover’s diary entries create a vivid picture of an ‘outsider’s’ impressions of wartime England.

A California kid, Gover learned to fly before he could drive and was an experienced pilot by the time he decided to volunteer for service in the RAF. This was before the US entered the war and is an early indication of our hero’s character. After training (in California under the 'civilian' Clayton Knight Committee), where his enthusiasm for flying new aircraft is evident, Gover and his classmates embarked on a long, hazardous journey to England via Canada. Within days, perhaps hours, of arriving in England, Gover is amazed and humbled by the resilience of the civilian population. This is a recurring theme throughout the book. We then follow him through OTU where he finally gets to fly his dream aircraft - the Spitfire - and is then posted to 66 Squadron to commence flying fighter sweeps, convoy escorts etc.

Although aware of his abilities as a flyer, Gover knows he has to be good at what he does to have a greater chance of survival. Through his writings, and the author's clarifications and additional information, Gover comes across as a humble yet ambitious fighter pilot. He knows he isn't invincible and more than once he doubts if he'll ever return home. He never ceases to be amazed at the situations he gets into and his love affairs with the Spitfire, the city of London and the girls he finds there when on leave are crystal clear.

America's entry into the war sees Gover, a little reluctantly, joining the USAAF and eventually converting to P-47s as an early member of the famed 4th Fighter Group. Here, I believe, is where Gover’s personality and combat experience really come to the fore. He grows as a leader who keeps an eye on the men who fly behind him in formation. He is responsible for their well-being and, like his time with the RAF, feels their loss strongly.

Reading this book is like talking to an old friend who has been away for a few years. The author's additional comments and context are worked into the text seamlessly so all you feel is the world of Leroy Gover. Happily unable to tear away, you are inundated with information and emotions experienced more than 60 years ago. It is a candid, sometimes amusing, always eye-opening, look at how one man coped with the day-to-day pressures of combat operations with two very different air forces.

I bought my paperback copy of this title about three years ago from Boffins Bookshop in Perth, Western Australia for A$17.95. Anything of this calibre/genre for less than $20 always gets my interest!

The author is an authority on the subject of Americans in the RAF as he wrote the earlier 'American Pilots in the RAF'.

Reviewed copy published in 2005 by Potomac Books.

Wings of Destiny - Charles Page

With the subtitle giving no doubt as to the subject matter this book by historian Charles Page looks the part on the shelf and in the hand. Delve into the pages and you’re confronted by a remarkably readable and detailed biography of an immensely likeable character and one of Australia’s great wartime leaders.

Charles Learmonth grew up in country Victoria to the west of Melbourne and joined the RAAF before the war. He was eventually posted to 14 Squadron and its Ansons in Western Australia. Flying convoy patrols (including escorting his brother’s unit as it headed to the UK for service in North Africa, Greece and Crete – John Learmonth was eventually captured and spent most of the rest of the war as a POW) Charles began to build the experience that would see him emerge as an expert bomber pilot. Converting to Hudsons the squadron was heavily involved in the search for survivors of the cruiser HMAS Sydney off the Western Australian coast with Charles playing a key part.

Never without a date on a night out, Charles eventually falls in love with Marjorie who, happily, was still alive and living in Perth, Western Australia when the author presented her with an advance copy of the book (she died on April 11, 2008). An eventual transfer east and Melbourne wedding sees Charles join 22 Squadron and convert to Bostons. Now his career as a flyer really builds momentum. In the thick of the action soon after the squadron’s arrival in New Guinea, Charles develops into an inspirational leader loved by all. He shares his adventures with well-known RAAF characters such as Black Jack Walker, Bill Newton VC and Bull Garing. Garing’s inclusion of course alludes to Charles’ involvement in The Battle of the Bismarck Sea and Walker and Newton ensure amusing stories abound and, in the case of Newton (and others), the grief of losing close friends is evident. Eventual command of the squadron and then a posting back to 14 Squadron as its CO sees Charles’ service come full circle and, sadly, end. The squadron was then equipped with Australian-built Beauforts and the coverage of the problems this aircraft encountered and the subsequent investigations is handled expertly and with extensive detail.

The author has used his unprecedented access to the letters written by Charles and Marjorie to wonderful effect. Both were prolific correspondents and the insight their writing provides is remarkable. Excellent contextual research exists throughout and the feel of the era is very well conveyed to the reader. Family members, friends and acquaintances were interviewed or their correspondence used and this level of detail really adds to the picture of our hero. From the first chapter you know how things will end but as the book progresses you’ll find a friend you’ll never meet in Charles Learmonth.

This book fills a big hole in the understanding of what the Boston Boys did in New Guinea but it also provides a door into the life of a remarkable man who lived, loved, partied (often) and died before many of us were born. Very hard to put down and excellently illustrated, and ignoring a couple of small typographical and factual errors, this book is simply brilliant.

I found Charles' adventures growing up in Victoria and the postings to Western Australia particularly interesting as I am very familiar with both areas. I could very easily picture the places he frequented in Perth as I know them well!

My copy of this title was bought from the shop at Melbourne's Shrine of Rememberance. A good friend of mine purchased it from amazon.co.uk. A good, solid paperback, everything about the book exudes quality and is therefore a fitting tribute.

For those of you who know of Australian cricketer Brett Lee - is he not a dead ringer for that photo of CL on the cover?!

Available in Australia from Alexander Fax Booksellers
http://www.alexanderfaxbooks.com.au/

A Gremlin On My Shoulder - Ron Cundy DFC, DFM, MID

First impressions of this book is that there's not a lot of pages which might make you turn to something else on the shelf that appears to offer better value for money. However, don't let the 170-odd pages fool you (and if you're a Desert Air Force nut like me you can't go passed it). This is a seriously good book and is well written with lashings of flying, humour and insight.

Ron Cundy grew up dirt poor in the depression. He often attended school barefoot but received a good education thanks partly to the sacrifices of his WWI veteran father and mother. His first job was with the New South Wales state government but when war came he was pretty keen to join up. His initial assessment, due to his below par maths marks, was an "O" for observer - a rating he was pretty distressed with. However, a chance meeting with a colleague, now an RAAF clerk, fixed this with one stroke of a pen...

Initial training and flying was in Australia before attending further training in Canada. Cundy then served a short time in the UK with a Hurricane squadron before his sense of adventure led to him volunteering to fly in Russia. When issued with tropical gear, he knew something was up but was still a little surprised to be headed to North Africa. There, he joined 260 Sqn on Hurris after, in his words, being lucky not to have to fly a Hurri across Africa to Cairo from the west coast (a fellow pilot was told to follow the trail of burnt out aircraft if he got lost). Cundy is realistic about his combat flying abilities and freely admits the first enemy aircraft he fired at stood little chance of being hit. He is also quite critical of the lack of training in this area and how under-prepared he was. This criticism aside, what comes through here is his very understated writing style. He gives full credit to the great men he flew with, and against, but doesn't dwell on his own actions. Indeed, he reports the many sorties he went on from his perspective of being a part of the bigger picture, rather than "I did this and then I did that". However, through this modesty, you can read/see and feel him becoming more capable as a fighter pilot. After 260 switches to Kittyhawks, he really seems to come into his own. I would hazard a guess to say this was to do with the hours Cundy was lucky to build up rather than the aircraft of course. As a Sergeant pilot, he leads the squadron on numerous occasions - something frowned upon from higher up.

Ron Cundy was good mates with Eddie Edwards, the Canadian ace and cover artist of this edition (and whose books I need to hunt down), and mentions him often along with many other interesting characters, the loss of whom Cundy laments but adds how they had to move on - that familiar coping mechanism mentioned below in the Tim Vigors review. He did not regard himself as a hero. At one stage, after standing by their aircraft in readiness and then diving into slit trenches to take cover from bombing and strafing '109s, Cundy tells how he was very reluctant to emerge when the order came to stand by again. However, this apparent 'fear' is countered by the fact that he got out of the trench and followed the order. He recounts many other brave exploits. Not his, though, his squadron mates.

The DFC came from attacking a lighter and setting it on fire - another sortie where he recounts in detail the action but makes no mention along the lines of "this was the action I got the DFC for". It was just another flight for him.

I know I keep going on about the modesty of his writing and it is nothing new for men of this calibre/generation/ilk. It is just so very pleasant to read and the book is particularly hard to put down especially when, with a bit of pre-emptive research, you know when he earned his DFC etc and you haven't got to that date/time yet!

After his 200 hours, Cundy stayed with 260 and flew a captured He 111 to 'supply' the squadron. There are some amusing anecdotes there. His return to Australia, stint instructing, time in Darwin on Spits, marriage and further instructing are all covered relatively quickly. He returned to the civil service after the war.

So, a small book but if you can get your hands on it and if, like me, these memoirs never cease to amaze/teach you, you will be hard pressed to find a better book. As an RAAF memoir of North Africa, it is invaluable. As an open, honest tribute to the men of 260 Sqn, it is priceless.

I first came across this book in Boffins' Bookshop in Perth, Western Australia, several years ago. For the life of me, I don't know why I didn't invest $15 at the time. I have since bought a copy off Ebay.com.au where it regularly comes up.

I will be including data blocks for each title reviewed shortly. Each block will include edition, publisher and ISBN details.

Available in Australia from Alexander Fax Booksellershttp://www.alexanderfaxbooks.com.au/

Torpedo Leader - Wing Commander Patrick Gibbs DSO, DFC and Bar

There is no way in this universe I could spout on about Patrick Gibb's Not Peace But a Sword without then featuring his well-regarded and proclaimed classic Torpedo Leader. Easily the better known of the two titles, it can be read as a stand-alone 'experience' but the best place to start really is at the beginning. There I go spending your money, but I think there's more value in reading NPBAS beforehand. For the same reason I am so far successfully ignoring the Siren-like calls of my copies of Terence O'Brien's Out of the Blue and The Moonlight War. They shall not be read until I find Chasing After Danger.

Naturally picking up where NPBAS left off - the end of the beginning as it were - Torpedo Leader finds the author spending several months at sea in transit to Egypt. Officially, he is being rested after his tour of anti-shipping ops over the North Sea and Channel approaches but he escapes his instructor posting by requesting an overseas post and eventually arrives in Egypt hoping to be sent to the only Beaufort unit in the theatre - 39 Squadron. Unfortunately, in January 1942, there is a severe shortage of aircraft (the West African route is in its infancy), but a glut of crews so, despite his efforts, Gibbs is assigned to RAF HQ in the not-so-green Garden City precinct of Cairo. Here, he is in charge of the minor activities of the RAF's coastal operations - minor in HQ when compared to Fighters, Bombers and Army Co-operation. After being so anxious to escape England and the instructing posting, Gibbs is not happy in Egypt either. He wants to be flying rather than shuffling his and one of his colleagues' paperwork. However, he is privy to, and develops a fascination for, the tactical situation in the Mediterranean at the time. Rommel's Afrika Korps are pushing hard and consolidating their efforts as they approach the Suez Canal. Gibbs sees the enemy convoys steaming unchallenged from Italy and Greece to resupply Rommel's forces and notices the lack of resources to intercept these supplies. He notices Malta, under siege, convoys failing to get through, but the island continuing to resist.

With this strategic overview, Gibbs is finally posted to 39 Sqn as a replacement after a shipping strike results in several losses. His boss at HQ sends him on his way with a note saying, "Post S/L Gibbs to Beaufort Sqn. What's left of it." Gibbs arrives to find a squadron in the desert with few aircraft and low morale. New aircraft eventually arrive and an operation against the Italian fleet, in which Gibbs hits a battleship, sees the squadron open its score card. Various operations follow including one that ends in Malta. Here, Gibbs has a revelation (to be honest, it was building for some time) and lays the groundwork for strike squadrons to be based out of the island. When a detachment finally arrives on Malta, it is not long before it makes its presence felt on the convoys and, all of a sudden, Rommel's supply lines are threatened. The flying is edge of your seat stuff, rarely more the 50 feet above the sea for most of the trips. Gibbs feels the frustration of the occasional failure, but adapts well. What he understandably never gets used to though is the loss of his men. As you read what comes through very clearly is that while these losses don't affect Gibbs professionally, personally he begins to wear down and his promise to be home by Christmas '42, seemingly impossible at the start of the book, seems all the more likely as his operations count mounts and good friends are lost.

I had not realised how much of a pioneer Gibbs was in terms of anti-shipping in the Mediterranean. Not only was he instrumental in getting Beauforts to Malta but, after several heavy encounters with flak from the convoys, he loads the escorting Beaufighters with bombs and then has them strafe the escorts as well. Having read Roy Conyers Nesbit's very complementary Armed Rovers as a bit of a prelude and seeing this as being the major tactic (torpedo bombers and anti-flak), I realised TL actually takes you through the development/genesis of that approach.

Like Not Peace But a Sword this book is a very personal read. Gibbs is a gifted writer. He comes across at times as excessively worriesome about his immediate future particularly when he thinks his plans, personal and professional, look like unravelling - this is a somewhat sobering viewpoint given the public 'live for the moment' attitude of many of his peers. He is inspired by an impressive cast of characters around him - his crews, his leaders on Malta (the legendary Hugh Lloyd and Keith Park), his contemporaries in command such as Adrian Warburton (the photo reconnaissance guru) and, last but not least, his aircraft, the Beaufort. He returns home after one final body blow - that of losing a close friend who led an operation in Gibbs' place after the author was ordered home at tour's end. Already feeling pangs of guilt for leaving his crews behind, he leaves Malta an exhausted, decorated but troubled man. He heads to an uncertain future again. Gibbs is always looking forward though and he went on to become a noted journalist but, as he says, he did not return home by Christmas, the sea claimed him as it claimed so many of his crews.

This book is a worthy legacy to a fine pilot and writer, but it is also a magnificent tribute to legions of men who lived, flew and died just above the waves.

My hardback copy of TL was bought brand new off Ebay in late 2007 after I had been eyeing it off for years. A paperback edition with the same cover is also widely available plus Grub Street are re-releasing the book with a new cover. A hardback copy can be sourced in Australia from Alexander Fax Booksellers.

This review, or something that resembles it, can also be found on Amazon.