An Expendable Squadron - Roy Conyers Nesbit

The RAF Beaufort squadrons have always been a bit overshadowed by the likes of Fighter and Bomber Command. Coastal Command was, after all, not called the ‘Cinderella Service’ for nothing. There was always one author who could always be counted on to right this wrong, however, and, with An Expendable Squadron, Roy Conyers Nesbit does it again. Sadly, this is his last book as he died several months before it was published.

Number 217 Squadron flew its first operations with Ansons and gamely flew ‘general reconnaissance’ flights (convoy patrols etc) until late December 1940 despite having been equipped with the new Beaufort more than six months previously. The Bristol aircraft was a far more modern beast than its predecessor, but, early on, it was hamstrung by its Taurus engines.

Once fully operational the Beaufort was put to good use attacking Channel ports and convoys and contributing bombs, mines and torpedoes to the weight of munitions thrown at whatever German capital ship happened to be docked for repairs and within range. Losses were heavy, but the Channel and North Sea Beaufort crews began to develop the tactics that would ultimately result in the effective Coastal Command strike wings later in the war.

Perhaps the greatest developments in anti-shipping tactics came in the Mediterranean. The squadron spent two months based on Malta in mid-1942 while en route to the Far East and the war against the Japanese. A bonanza for the then AOC of Malta, Hugh Lloyd (who had a well-known reputation for ‘acquiring’ whatever aircraft transited through the besieged island for his own offensive and defensive requirements), the Beauforts were instrumental in stopping the flow of supplies from Europe to Rommel’s desert forces in North Africa. When the squadron was eventually released, to continue its journey to the Far East, it could only muster eight of the original 21 crews and aircraft that had arrived just two months previous. Eventual re-equipment with Hudsons occurred, before enough Beauforts were available, followed by conversion to Beaufighters, but the squadron was not to see any further action for the final three years of the war (perfectly illustrated by the last three years being recounted in one chapter!).

The author flew with the squadron as an observer (nav) from early 1941 to March 1942. While he recounts the history of the unit before his arrival, obviously the most detail (coincidentally the most hectic period) is provided during his time on operations. He masterfully weaves his experiences with those of his squadron mates and the development of the war from a mainly Coastal Command perspective (shades of A Most Secret Squadron by Des Curtis). A large number and variety of photos appear alongside the text to illustrate the subject matter at the time and the captions are well done. Indeed, this book is exceptionally well illustrated with text only two-page spreads being few and far between. There is a surprising amount of detail in the many appendices and, pleasingly, there is a good index. Such was the eye for detail and pure professionalism of Nesbit (honed to perfection as, remember, he did a lot of his work before the days of online resources), it is hard not to review this book without feeling like you are critiquing a master who is almost without peer. Sadly, he was not around to proofread the final manuscript and errors of varying relevance are present although these have been dealt with and will be included in the second edition if, hopefully, that comes about.

While long-term readers of Nesbit’s work will find a lot of familiar ground, and be able to draw comparisons to his first title, Woe To The Unwary, this book perhaps draws together all previous efforts to present an interesting read on a squadron that certainly did its share. A fine legacy.

ISBN 978-1-47382-328-0

The Beaufort Correlation

Long-time readers and friends who visit Aircrew Book Review might remember I have a particular passion for the low-level strike work carried out by the RAF and Commonwealth air forces.  Don’t worry if you can’t remember.  Bomber Command has, justifiably, taken over a bit (not that there’s anything wrong with that).  Anyway, of particular fascination is ops flown by crews of twins – Blenheim, Beaufort, Mosquito and Beaufighter – and, screwing the focus down even more, those operating over the Mediterranean and North Sea especially as each theatre influenced the other, in terms of tactics, at various stages throughout the war.  A list of names of ‘Boy’s Own’ proportions comes to mind amid a flurry of terminology – Rover, Banff, Leuchars, RP, Thorney Island, Malta … Hearn-Phillips, Davenport, Edwards, Campbell, Gibbs, Barker, Nesbit.

Those last three all have something in common that makes them perennial ABR favourites.  They are all Beaufort men and they all became noted writers post-war.  As I scribbled this piece, on the day I found out about Roy Conyers Nesbit’s passing, I am reminded of what I wrote when his contemporary, Ralph Barker, died.  This can be happily applied to all three of these great authors:

“… [the] ability to put a face to the many names featured in his books paralleled that of a top fiction writer…”

“Rather than simply recounting the actions the aircrew made famous, the books provide windows into the lives of those who risked all or were in peril.”

Pat Gibbs, in particular, left his heart and soul on the page.  He had demons he needed to exorcise and his writing seemed to be an attempt at a cleansing exercise; as if unloading everything on to paper would take a weight off his shoulders and his heart.  It is an impression that is all too clear in the closing passages of Torpedo Leader.  His preceding work, Not Peace But A Sword, was written after his first tour, while on a slow boat to Egypt, and certainly seemed to have cleared his mind in preparation for what he foresaw, hoped, would happen over the Med.  These two titles remain two of the most insightful and, ultimately, heart-breaking, for he failed to ease his burden as Torpedo Leader reveals, books written by a CO who survived when so many of his men did not.

These are, to my knowledge, the only two aircrew books Gibbs wrote (he went on to write theatre reviews).  Fellow Beaufort men Ralph Barker and Roy Nesbit were much more prolific in this field and aviation history as a whole.  I very much doubt there is an aviation enthusiast who has not read at least one of their more than 40 combined works.  It was Armed Rovers by Nesbit, incidentally, that drew me into the world of Med strike ops.  It is a world I have happily inhabited and, as a result, discovered a wealth of historical accounts and insight.  Just when I thought things had quietened down, in terms of new material, along comes Graeme Gibson and his history of Beaufort-flying (and, later, Beaufighters) No. 16 Squadron, South African Air Force.  My tiny amount of involvement with this project has been an eye-opener in terms of realising just how much information is still out there, what material might still be lurking in shoe boxes, old suitcases and attics, and what the nose and tenacity of a bloodhound can achieve when embodied in a passionate author.  If you think the Med strike units’ accounts are the gems in the ‘European’ war then anything to do with the SAAF, especially for those of us outside of “the Union”, is close to the Holy Grail.

And there’s a perfect example of what this history does: it sends me off on tangents!

What is it, then, about Beaufort authors?  Is it just a coincidence that Gibbs, Barker and Nesbit all wrote magnificently about what they knew?  There’s plenty of Spitfire pilots who have done the same although, admittedly, the population of that group is substantially larger.  That, I think, is the heart of the issue and why they stand out.  From a small population emerged three remarkable writers and two, Barker and Nesbit, went on to become respected and renowned RAF and aviation historians.

All three are now gone as Nesbit passed away on February 2.  It sounds silly, especially as the ranks of WW2 veterans rapidly diminish, but I regarded Nesbit as a constant – he’d keep writing and we’d keep reading – so it was in somewhat of a daze that I regarded his death.  Another vital, valuable important and historic link to another world, and another time, was gone.  No more insight that, despite the passing years and their effect on memories, you knew was hard won.  The magnificent Nesbit ‘catalogue’ was now complete.

Well, not quite.  I wrote to Pen & Sword under the somewhat misguided belief (incorrectly remembered assumption) that they might have access to some Nesbit manuscripts that would make a nice tribute if they were re-published.  They didn’t but still had news.  Nesbit’s final book, An Expendable Squadron, is due for release in August.  It is the history of his own unit, No. 217 Squadron, as it flew Ansons, Beauforts and Beaufighters, in the UK, Malta and the Far East, while hunting U-boats, attacking ports and anything that moved in coastal areas and shipping lanes.  In other words it will be Nesbit at his best and perhaps most passionate.

As the literary chapter of my most-beloved trio of aircrew authors comes to a close I can add another to the list – Arthur Aldridge and his poignantly titled The Last Torpedo Flyers.  The author was, of course, a Beaufort pilot and this book, which I only excitedly discovered last year, is his story ably supported by the memories of his gunner.  I have yet to read TLTF but every time I see it on the shelf, or even think about it as I do now, I get little flutters of nervous and excited anticipation (accompanied by warm, misty-eyed happiness).  Nesbit well and truly set the hook with The Armed Rovers.

With the forthcoming first flight of the Australian-built Beaufort, under restoration in Queensland and still a few years away, a new generation, and many who have been around the block a few times, will suddenly experience what a flying Beaufort looks, sounds and smells like.  Combine this magnificent experience with a few good books on the subject, written by those who did it, and there’s a strong chance Gibbs’, Barker’s and Nesbit’s works will hit the new release stands yet again (along with important Australian books by the likes of King and Page).  Their legacy is at once quantifiable and undefinable.  Their list of books is now finite but its combined effect on our collective memory, and knowledge, is greater than the sum of its parts.  That’s the way it will be.  I still don’t know how or why but there is that enduring question that at once provides the answer but then opens up a world full of tangents, fascination and truly remarkable flyers.

What is it about the Beaufort men?

Vale Roy Conyers Nesbit.  Thank you.

Path Of Duty - Graeme Gibson

Regular readers will have noticed my excited anticipation and references to this forthcoming book over the past year.  Its subject matter and planned production values promised something of great worth.  I was fortunate to visit the author before Christmas 2012 and be shown his research and what he’s collected to make this two-volume history a reality.  Although I’ve had a fair insight as to what was coming the result has been beyond my wildest expectations.  Path Of Duty is the most beautiful book I have ever seen.

No. 16 Squadron, South African Air Force, has never had its history written before.  Like the equivalent RAAF units, the squadron is not widely known outside of its mother country but this does not make the history any less important.  And what a history it is.  Name some of the more obscure actions/campaigns in Africa during WW2 and you’re almost guaranteed to find 16 Squadron.  First created to patrol the South-West Cape early in the war (South Africa wanting to be seen to be ready for war when, in reality, it wasn’t), the squadron’s first incarnations were short-lived.  It was not until the campaign against the Italians in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) that the unit finally gained some permanence.  Flying Ju-86s, including former South African Airways aircraft, the squadron played a considerable and valuable part in removing the Italians from East Africa before disbanding yet again. 

It eventually returned to the SAAF’s strength with Beauforts and Marylands – No. 20 Squadron renamed - and participated in the Madagascar campaign before moving to Kenya and returning to its roots flying Bisleys on maritime patrols.  North Africa beckoned in early 1943, Beaufighters arrived and the unit became a strike squadron.

Path Of Duty records the squadron’s history up to the arrival of the Beaufighters.  Far from being a dry history, the narrative is masterfully crafted to be very readable and informative (the chapter detailing the social and conflict history of Abyssinia had me rapt).  Artwork - paintings, profiles and pencil sketches - has been specially commissioned for the book.  The colour plates are simply glorious with exceptional colour reproduction.  Combined with the narrative, they bring the book to life.  The sketches and paintings - the same idea used in the author’s earlier Coastal Strike (the biography of John Clements DFC) to cleverly illustrate scenes not featured in the many photographs found throughout  - have to be seen to be believed. The two South African artists, Sean Thackwray and Darryl Legg, deserve a much larger audience. They are truly superb at what they do.  The cover image is just the tip of the iceberg.

Appendices provide airframe histories – ably supported by more than 20 highly accurate colour profiles - and the bibliography is an education in itself.  I still can't grasp the enormity of the whole thing.  It delivers on everything it promised ... and then some.  Every inch of it exudes quality.  The paper stock is top notch and the photo reproduction is perfect.  The only thing I can equate it to is a classic book on bird-watching.  You know, one of those very tactile, beautiful books complete with colour plates and detailed observations (POD even includes sketches of bird, animal, insect and plant life as encountered by the squadron – it’s that type of comprehensive and thoughtful history).  At almost 500 pages this is not a small book but it is certainly manageable and the whole package is an absolute delight.

Path Of Duty is Volume One of a two-volume squadron history.  It is not yet available in stores or online but place an order with the author before the end of October and you will be able to buy a copy for A$75 which is the greatest bargain you will see for some time (A$88 after October which is still bloody incredible value for money!) – graemegibson6ATbigpond.com

The second book, Road To Glory, is currently in its first draft.  There may also be a third volume concentrating on the wartime story of a Beaufighter crew (they both kept good diaries) who flew with the squadron.

Not Peace But A Sword - Wing Commander Patrick Gibbs DSO, DFC and Bar

After many years lusting (easily the right word) after a copy of Gibbs' Torpedo Leader I discovered this 'prequel' so naturally had to read it (late 2007) before the better known TL. Not Peace But A Sword was written during the author's journey from England to North Africa - via South Africa and the Suez Canal - as he took up the posting that is covered in TL. It recounts his meandering school life where he realises his future of working for the family shipping company is not for him. A flight to Paris to learn French stirs something within him and he decides to join the RAF. Not a great student, Gibbs is admitted into the RAF college at Cranwell on his second attempt and after much hard work. He learns to fly, does well and graduates into a rapidly expanding RAF.

His initial operational flying is on Hawker Harts, a biplane bomber, but he laments that the modernisation going on throughout the service is leaving him behind. To compound this, but at the same time appealing to his sense of challenge, he is posted to learn catapult take-offs and deck landings in preparation to join the Fleet Air Arm. While not keen to leave the RAF behind, Gibbs is subsequently taught floatplane flying and then graduates from the torpedo school before being assigned to a Swordfish squadron operating from an aircraft carrier. Finding life at sea incredibly boring, as an RAF type, he nevertheless sticks it out before being assigned as an instructor to the Torpedo Training Unit. The RAF's expansion continues apace but Gibbs again feels left behind as Coastal Command's modernisation often gets overlooked and, within Coastal Command itself, torpedo work is overlooked in favour of recce and anti-submarine tasks! Eventually, though, Beauforts arrive. By then, with the war well underway, the instructors are very keen to transfer to operational squadrons to put their skills to test in combat. This duly happens to Gibbs and he eventually completes an action-packed tour interspersed with several crashes, torpedo hits and daring raids on French and Belgian ports.

If you're coming from a new release or a title written in the past decade, you might find the writing style takes a bit to get used to as this book was written more than 60 years ago. However, the author is very descriptive and paints a worthy picture of everything from a lazy afternoon on a beach to a flak and searchlight-filled sky above a French harbour. He is in awe of some of his colleagues who were the true Beaufort pioneers (perhaps he hadn't realised that he was one too?) conducting Rovers over the North Sea looking for enemy shipping. Some true characters', who are perhaps sadly forgotten, are honoured by inclusion in this book (Hearn-Phillips etc). Throughout, though, Gibbs is self-deprecating, modest and, above all, champing at the bit to rise to the challenge and bitterly disappointed when a sortie isn't successful (his frustration during his recuperation from a badly broken arm is palpable). However, it is clear he learns from his experiences and applies this knowledge particularly well. Not Peace But a Sword is a valuable read for the insight it provides of the anti-shipping strikes carried out by the RAF early in World War II. Written by an eloquent, observant pilot, it has to be a classic of its genre.

My copy of this title is a hardback purchased through Naval & Military Press if I recall correctly. It is a beautiful book that does Grub Street's production team proud and the dust-jacket art is almost worth the 'cost of admission' alone! Some early war low-level photos round out a good addition to the collection.

This review has also been published on Amazon.