Download or read book Action Stations Revisited Central England and the London area written by Michael J. F. Bowyer and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Defending Cambridgeshire written by Mike Osborne and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2013-10-01 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout history, Cambridgeshire has figured in the conflicts shaping our nation. Doomed Roman legionaries marched from Longthorpe to defeat by Boudicca’s Iceni; Saxons and Danes fought over the edges of the Danelaw; the Normans came this way to crush Hereward’s Fenland resistance; in the Civil War it provided the defended frontier between Parliamentarian and Royalist; in the twentieth century its flat expanses provided airfields for the RFC and later for the bombers of the RAF and USAAF, and in the Cold War, locations for missile bases. Many of these events have left evidence on the ground, and this book describes the function and purpose of these defensive structures and records survivals.
Download or read book Dieppe Revisited written by John P. Campbell and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-10-23 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reappraises the ill-fated raid named operation Jubilee, focusing on aspects such as naval and air operations in the Channel, signals, radar intelligence, agents and deception. It draws from official archives, both German and Allied. From these voluminous but fragmented records, many of which have been destroyed, classified or lost, the book aims to thread the evidence together.
Download or read book Defending Essex written by Mike Osborne and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2013-02-01 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For 2,000 years Essex, the county with the longest coast-line in England and dominating the eastern approaches to London, has been in the front-line against foreign invasion, from the Romans to the Spanish Armada to the two World Wars. It has also been involved in civil disorder, from the Anarchy and the Peasants' Revolt to the English Civil War. Many reminders of these scenes of conflict may be seen in the landscape - Iron Age forts, a Roman walled town, medieval castles, strong-houses and homestead moats, coastal fortifications from Napoleonic times and earlier, and Victorian barracks and the drill halls of the Volunteers. From the twentieth century there are still more sites: military airfields from the First World War and Battle of Britain fighter airfields, radar sites and later bomber bases from the Second. Anti-invasion defenses line the coast, linear defenses criss-cross the landscape, and AA sites are everywhere to be found. Taking the story all the way up to the nuclear threat of the Cold War, this guide will interest residents and visitors alike.
Download or read book Action Stations Revisited written by Michael J. F. Bowyer and published by . This book was released on 2010-05 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based upon one of the most successful aviation books of all time, 'Action Stations Revisited' reviews the major airfields of an area stretching from Essex to Lincoln with the western edge skirting the line of the A1.
Download or read book Bomb Group written by Paul Bingley and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2022-11-03 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The authors do a good job using the diaries, interviews, and books written by group members to convey a vivid—sometimes too vivid—picture of war at its most elemental." —The Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation In February 1942, a reconnaissance party of United States Army Air Force officers arrived in England. Firmly wedded to the doctrine of daylight precision bombing, they believed they could help turn the tide of the war in Europe. In the months that followed, they formed the Eighth Air Force – an organization that grew at an astonishing rate. To accommodate it, almost seventy airfields were hastily built across the eastern counties of England. At the heart of the Eighth Air Force was its bombardment groups, each equipped with scores of heavily armed, four-engine bombers. These Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and Consolidated B-24 Liberators were soon punching through the enemy's defenses to bomb targets vital to its war effort. They were crewed by thousands of young American airmen, most of whom were volunteers. This book tells the story of just one "Bomb Group" – the 381st, which crossed the Atlantic in May 1943. Arriving at RAF Ridgewell on the Essex-Suffolk border, its airmen quickly found themselves thrown into the hazardous and attritional air battle raging in the skies over Europe. The 381st’s path led from its formation in the Texan desert, to its 297th and final bombing mission deep into the heart of Hitler’s Third Reich. This is the remarkable story of one group and the part it played in the strategic bombing campaign of "The Mighty Eighth."
Download or read book Tracing Your Air Force Ancestors written by Phil Tomaselli and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2007-07-19 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Whether you are interested in the career of an individual air-man or woman, researching medals awarded to a pilot or crew member or just want to know more about a particular squadron or operation, this book will point you in the right direction. Assuming that the reader has no prior knowledge of the air force, its history or organization, Phil Tomaselli explains which records survive, where they can be found and how they can help you in your research. He also recommends resources available online as well as books and memoirs. Each era in air force history is described, from the pioneering days of early aviation and the formation of the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War to the creation of the Royal Air Force, its operations during the Second World War and its postwar development. The author explains the evolving organization of the air force in each period. He also provides pointers and examples which should help researchers find the records of units and bases that individuals served in.
Download or read book Forgotten Aerodromes of World War I written by Martyn Chorlton and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Spies In The Sky written by Taylor Downing and published by Abacus. This book was released on 2011-09-15 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: SPIES IN THE SKY is the thrilling, little-known story of the partner organisation to the famous code-breaking centre at Bletchley Park. It is the story of the daring reconnaissance pilots who took aerial photographs over Occupied Europe during the most dangerous days of the Second World War, and of the photo interpreters who invented a completely new science to analyse those pictures. They were inventive and ingenious; they pioneered the development of 3D photography and their work provided vital intelligence throughout the war. With a whole host of colourful characters at its heart, from the legendary pilot Adrian 'Warby' Warburton, who went missing while on a mission, to photo interpreters Glyn Daniel, later a famous television personality, and Winston Churchill's daughter, Sarah, SPIES IN THE SKY is compelling reading and the first full account of the story of aerial photography and the intelligence gleaned from it in nearly fifty years.
Download or read book Aviation Landmarks Norfolk and Suffolk written by Peter B. Gunn and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2017-11-24 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Norfolk and Suffolk are bursting with aviation heritage, having played key roles in military aviation through the two world wars and beyond. This new edition of Aviation Landmarks– Norfolk and Suffolk presents an updated and revised account of aviation heritage and history through the two world wars right up to the present day. Nearly 70 airfields are covered, along with many lesser-known landmarks including decoy airfields, former radar stations, country houses, buildings, local heritage collections, pubs, village signs and much else. With illustrations, OS grid references and an index this reference guide to the two counties, both in the air and on the ground, will delight interested locals and aviation enthusiasts alike.
Download or read book World War II RAF Airfields in Norfolk written by Martin W. Bowman and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2008-03-26 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As part of the Aviation Heritage Trail series, this book covers airfields in Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Yorkshire and Northamptonshire. 12 Group was formed in 1937 within Fighter Command to become responsible for aerial defense of the industrial Midlands. During World War Two this group was the second most important fighter group and as such, it received it's fair share of attacks from the German Luftwaffe throughout the war. As well as regional defense, 12 Group were also supposed to fly cover for 11 Group airfields during the Battle of Britain. The airfields and other places of interest include Digby, Hibaldstow, Kirton on Lindsey, Coltishall, Matlask, Swanton Morley, Catterick, Church Fenton, Clifton, Hutton Cranswick and WitteringThis book looks at the history and personalities associated with each base, what remains today and explores the favorite local wartime haunts. Museums and places that are relevant will also be described and general directions on how to get them included.
Download or read book Sculthorpe Secrecy and Stealth written by Peter B. Gunn and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2014-02-03 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Set in the north Norfolk countryside, Sculthorpe was the hub of offensive operations until its closure in 1944 for upgrading as a base for heavy bombers, its runway ideal for US Strategic Air Command bombers like the B-29. By 1951, it was formally handed over to US control and became a prime front-line nuclear bomber base as well as a centre of intelligence gathering via secret surveillance flights over Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. There are many unanswered questions about the base during this period, not least regarding the 'RAF Special Duties Flight' which carried out two overflights of the Soviet Union in 1952 and 1954. After 1962, the airfield once again became a standby base used by the USAF, the RAF and the Army.
Download or read book Lightning Up written by Alan White and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2009-09-19 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alan White served in the RAF from 1953 to 1987 roughly the period of the Cold War. His introduction to flying came in his University Air Squadron. This seduced him into dropping out of University and joining the RAF. He initially had success during the piston-engine stages of his training but damage to a Vampire T11 and a bad start on the Hunter Weaponry Course set his confidence back until he recovered during service with his first Hunter Squadron. The infamous Duncan Sandys' cuts of 1957 caused the closure of his squadron and he found himself towing air-to-air gunnery targets, but luckily he was then moved to instruct on the Hunter Operational Conversion Unit where he developed his solo aerobatic display skills. He was then posted to take Hunters to Singapore and form a Squadron. He became involved with the SEATO response to assist the Thai governments request against communist insurgents from Laos and spent five months at Chiang Mai camping in a paddy field. After attending Staff College he was posted to Aden at a time of growing terrorist activity. He worked with the C-in-C, Admiral Sir Michael Le Fanu. Upon his return to the UK he trained to fly the supersonic Lightning fighter and eventually was promoted to lead a squadron. There followed a period of rapid promotion and he became Station Commander at RAF Leuchars. His later appointments as Air Commodore included Director of Operations (Air Defence), Senior Staff Officer HQ 11 Group, Air Commodore Plans at HQ Strike Command (where he assisted in the Falklands conflict) until he was promoted to his final rank and appointed Deputy Commander RAF Germany and then finally he became Commandant, RAF Staff College. His account is full of interesting flying detail and the internal workings of the RAF during those dangerous Cold War days.
Download or read book Wimpy written by Steve Bond and published by Grub Street Publishing. This book was released on 2014-11-19 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To date there has been a paucity of books on this remarkable aircraft. Among its claims to fame are the following: the only RAF bomber to serve in its original role from first day of war to last, and in every theater; the first type to bomb Germany; the first type to bomb Berlin; the first type to drop the 4,000lb ‘Cookie’ bomb; and so on. A serious study is well overdue, drawing not just on official documentation but relying greatly on personal accounts and anecdotes from the veterans who were there, both air and ground crew. And here it is. Through his diligent research over many years, author Steve Bond has produced an outstanding work. His coverage of operations will include, inter alia, the early bombing campaigns, the switch to main force activity, the use of OTU aircraft and crews on operations, the protection of Atlantic and Mediterranean convoys, service with the FAA and the French and the Wellington’s continued use as bomber and transport aircraft. A worthy tribute, then, replete with original photographs throughout.
Download or read book Action Stations Revisited written by Michael John Frederick Bowyer and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Stirling Story written by Michael J. F. Bowyer and published by Crecy Publishing. This book was released on 2002 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Conceived in the shadow of looming war, when the RAF's bomber force was largely made up of obsolete and outmoded aircraft, the Stirling became the first British four-engined 'heavy' bomber of the Second World War. Developed, tested and brought into service in the first desperate years of the Second World War, the arrival of the Stirling marked a turning point in the aerial warfare of that conflict, the moment when the Allies went on the offensive against the German homeland. In the years that followed Stirling squadrons were at the forefront of the developing tactics of the Allied bomber campaign - target marking, pathfinding, electronic navigation, the thousand bomber raids etc. - that were ultimately to lead to the utter devastation of so many German cities. Despite this leading role the Stirling has never enjoyed the standing of the Halifax and the even more celebrated Lancaster. Handicapped by an unrealistic peacetime design specification, it could not match the performance of its more famous successors and was withdrawn from frontline service as deliveries of Lancasters and Halifaxes gathered momentum. However, even then the Stirling proved to be versatile and adaptable as a glider tug, transport in secret SOE operations, and later as a civilian transport in the immediate post-war years.The Stirling Story is the culmination of years of exhaustive research by one of the world's foremost aviation authors. From original design specification and testing, through its development, introduction to service, developing marks and later adaptations the full story of the Shorts Stirling bomber is told with the aid of eyewitness accounts from the designers, production workers, engineers and above all the crews of the Stirling. Much more than the history of just one aircraft type, The Stirling Story is the story of RAF Bomber Command emerging from obscurity and failure to become a devastatingly effective weapon of war. It is an essential work of reference that no serious military aviation enthusiast or war historian can afford to be without, as well as a fascinating read for anyone with any interest in, or connection with, the Shorts Stirling.'
Download or read book D Day written by Chris Going and published by Crecy Publishing. This book was released on 2004 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: GET A NEVER BEFORE AERIAL VIEW OF THE D-DAY INVASION. RECENTLY REDISCOVERED RECONNAISSANCE FOOTAGE GIVES US A VISUAL RECORD UNLIKE ANY OTHER THAT WAS LOGGED ON FILM, AND THEN LOST-UNTIL NOW.
