Download or read book Air VCs of World War One written by Murray McLeod and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-05-15 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From all corners of the Empire they came to give of their best regardless of the odds. Nineteen British airmen are featured, all holders of the Victoria Cross for exceptional gallantry.

Download or read book VCs of the First World War the Air VCs written by Peter G. Cooksley and published by History Press. This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Of more than 600 Victoria Crosses awarded to British and Empire servicemen during the First World War, nineteen were awarded to airmen of the newly formed Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. Of these, four were posthumous awards and all but one of the total were to officers.Some of these valorous airmen were from humble backgrounds and with limited education; others were collegiate men from wealthy families. But in the words of one senior officer they all had in common 'the guts of a lion'. Each VS winner's act of bravery is recorded here in intricate detail, along with their backgrounds and their lives after the war.

Download or read book VCs Gallipoli written by Stephen Snelling and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2012-05-30 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The landings on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 25 April 1915 represented the greatest amphibious operation carried out during the course of the First World War. What had initially been a purely naval enterprise had escalated to become a full-scale Anglo-French invasion, resulting in an eight-month campaign which Churchill hoped would knock Turkey out of the war. For a campaign that promised so much, it ultimately bacame a tragedy of lost opportunities. By January 1916, when the last men were taken off the peninsula, the casualties totalled 205,000.This book contains new material from recently released archives and tells the stories of the thirty-nine men whose bravery on the battlefield was rewarded by the Victoria Cross, among them the war's first Australian VC, first New Zealand VC, and first Royal Marine VC. It represents the highest number of VCs won in a theatre of war, other than the Western Front.

Download or read book VCs of the First World War written by Peter G. Cooksley and published by Alan Sutton Publishing. This book was released on 1996 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Of more than 600 Victoria Crosses awarded to British and Empire servicemen during the First World War, nineteen were awarded to airmen of the newly formed Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. Of these, four were posthumous awards and all but one of the total were to officers. Some of these valorous airmen were from humble backgrounds and with limited education, others were collegiate men from wealthy families, but in the words of one senior officer they all had in common 'the guts of a lion'. The aircraft they flew were as varied as their individual character and social background, ranging from the BE2 and Morane 'L', to the SE5 and Nieuport Scout. The Air VCs continues the established style of Sutton Publishing's successful 'VCs of the First World War' series and provides fascinating insights into the lives of these bravest of the brave, and of the circumstances in which they won their country's highest award for valour.

Download or read book VCs of the First World War The Air VCs written by Peter G. Cooksley and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2014-04-07 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Of more than 600 Victoria Crosses awarded to British and Empire servicemen during the First World War, nineteen were awarded to airmen of the newly formed Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. Of these, four were posthumous awards and all but one of the total were to officers. Some of these valorous airmen were from humble backgrounds and with limited education; others were collegiate men from wealthy families. But in the words of one senior officer they all had in common 'the guts of a lion'. Each VS winner's act of bravery is recorded here in intricate detail, along with their backgrounds and their lives after the war.

Download or read book Victoria Cross Heroes of World War One written by Robert Hamilton and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Victoria Cross had been in existence over 60 years when Archduke Franz Ferdinand fell to an assassins bullet, the event that triggered a Europe-wide call to arms in August 1914. It was an award that democratised military honours, for it was open to all ranks, the sole qualification being a display of conspicuous bravery in the field. The sovereign whose name it bore was personally responsible for the Crosss simple legend: For Valour. Forged, it is said, from cannons captured during the Crimean War, the medals were rather too plain for some tastes. The Times derided the VC as a dull, heavy, tasteless prize when the first investiture ceremony took place in Hyde Park on 26 June 1857. But its virtue, quite deliberately, lay in its very simplicity. It was the action for which the medal was given that should dazzle, not the decoration itself. The Victoria Cross became pre-eminent: first in line when pinned to a uniform or appended to a recipients name. Over 500 VCs had been awarded by the outbreak of the First World War. That figure more than doubled during the four-year-long conflict. Trench warfare, when the rival camps might be dug in less than 100 yards apart, afforded endless opportunities to show courage and mettle in the face of the enemy. Many were honoured for attacking feats, often taking the fight to the foe when the odds were stacked against survival. But hurling oneself into the fray was but one of valours many faces. Stretcher-bearers, medical staff, pipers and chaplains also showed the same strength in adversity, the same disregard for personal safety, the same willingness to exceed the call of duty. And, in over 180 instances, a readiness to make the ultimate sacrifice for King and Country. The call to act could come at any moment. In William McFadzeans case it came when the safety pins slipped from two grenades in a crowded trench just before the Somme battle. He flung himself onto the bombs, saving his comrades at the cost of his own life. For Rex Warneford it came in the skies over Ghent on 7 June 1915, when he became the first man to down a German airship in flight. He was thrown from his plane during a flight ten days later. For Jack Cornwell it came during the Battle of Jutland, when, mortally wounded, he stuck doggedly to his post awaiting orders. He was 16 years old. This book chronicles the inspiring, thrilling, humbling and deeply moving stories behind the 628 Victoria Crosses awarded during the course of the Great War. Without inscription, those 628 medals, like all the others cast by London jewelers, Hancocks over the past century and a half, would have no intrinsic worth. Once earned, inscribed and conferred, they assume inestimable value.

Download or read book For Valour VC Winners of World War One written by Murray Mcleod and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-02-09 with total page 70 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A complete list of the air VCs 0f World War One, nineteen in total, each with portrait and bio, plus additional art work.

Download or read book Pusher Aces of World War 1 written by Jon Guttman and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 2009-07-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The quest for an effective fighter airplane to achieve air superiority during World War 1 resulted in a series of pusher fighter planes, designed with the engine at the rear and the machine gun at the front. These ungainly, heavy looking fighters did surprisingly well and they were able to hold their own against their German counterparts - including the Fokker Eindeckers with their synchronized machine guns - until 1917. By then, however, the drag-producing design rendered the pusher fighter unable to match the performance of tractor-engined machines. This is the story of the unusual pusher and its many aces, including Lanoe Hawker VC, who formed and led Britain's first fighter squadron before dying in a ten-minute duel with Manfred von Richtofen, American 'cowboy' ace Frederick Libby, third-ranking French ace Charles Nungesser and the aggressive Belgian ace Fernand Jacquet. Packed with colorful artwork of a variety of pusher designs, paint schemes, and camouflage from many different nationalities, this book guides you through the twists and turns of this bizarre yet surprisingly successful fighter during World War 1.

Download or read book Albert Ball VC written by Colin Pengelly and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2010-06-15 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An action-packed military biography of a British fighter pilot and his rise through ranks during World War I. World War I pilot Albert Ball’s invincible courage and determination made him a legend not only in Britain but also amongst his enemies, to whom the sight of his lone Nieuport Scout brought fear. Ball enlisted in the British army in 1914 with the 2/7th Battalion (Robin Hoods) of the Sherwood Foresters, Notts, and Derby Regiment. By October, 1914, he had reached the rank of Sergeant and then became Second-Lieutenant to his own battalion in the same month. In June, 1915, he trained as a pilot in Hendon. Then in October, he obtained Royal Aero Club Certificate and was transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. He further trained at Norwich and Upavon, being awarded the pilot’s brevet in January, 1916. In May, he opened his score, shooting down an Albatros C-type over Beaumont. Days later he shot down two LVG C-types, while flying his Nieuport 5173. Captain Albert Ball made his final flight on May 7, 1917, when he flew as part of an eleven-strong hunting patrol into action against Jagdstaffel 11, led by Lothar Von Richthofen. Albert was pursuing the Albatros Scout of Lothar, who crash-landed, wounded. Then many witnessed Albert dive out of a cloud and crash. He died minutes later in the arms of a French girl, Madame Cecille Deloffre. Ball rose from obscurity to the top rank of contemporary fighter pilots in only 15 months. In that period, he had been awarded the MC, DSO, and two Bars, and was credited with at least 44 victories.

Download or read book The First Air War 1914 1918 written by Lee B. Kennett and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A complete story of the Great War's air battles, from eastern to western front, from the skies and ses of Europe to those of the Middle East and Africa.

Download or read book The Air VCs written by Peter George Cooksley and published by . This book was released on 1999-06 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Of more than 600 Victoria Crosses awarded to British and Empire servicemen during World War I, 19 were awarded to airmen of the newly-formed Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. Of these, four were posthumous awards and all but one of the total were to officers.

Download or read book Eyes All Over the Sky written by James Streckfuss and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2016-05-19 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The impact of the unsung heroes of WWI—“a must for any aviation enthusiast to further complement work on aerial reconnaissance in modern warfare” (Roads to the Great War), Beyond the heroic deeds of the fighter pilots and bombers of World War I, the real value of military aviation lay elsewhere; aerial reconnaissance, observation, and photography impacted the fighting in many ways, but little has been written about it. Balloons and airplanes regulated artillery fire, infantry liaison aircraft followed attacking troops and the retreats of defenders, aerial photographers aided operational planners and provided the data for perpetually updated maps, and naval airplanes, airships, and balloons acted as aerial sentinels in a complex anti-submarine warfare organization. Reconnaissance crews at the Battles of the Marne and Tannenberg averted disaster. Eyes All Over the Sky fully explores all the aspects of aerial reconnaissance and its previously under-appreciated significance. Also included are the individual experiences of British, American, and German airmen—true pioneers of aviation warfare. “With an interesting selection of photos, the book is not only an excellent reference—it is historically important.” —Classic Wings “This well-researched history belongs on the shelf of anyone with a serious interest in the air war or the ground war of 1914-1918.” —Steve Suddaby, former president of the World War One Historical Association

Download or read book The Birth of Independent Air Power written by Malcolm Cooper and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2021-03-30 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In forming the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918, Britain created the world’s first independent air service. Britain entered the First World War with less than 200 ill-assorted flying machines divided between the army and the navy, but by the end of the war the RAF mustered almost 300,000 personnel and 22, 000 aircraft. Originally published in 1986, more than 65 years after the event, the decision to form the RAF remained poorly understood and Malcolm Cooper presented the first detailed modern analysis of its creation, shedding new light on the process by which Britain entered the air age. Set against the background of the build-up of air power during the First World War, the book explains how deepening political concern at failures in home air defence, public demands for retaliatory air action against Germany, problems of mobilization and expansion in the aircraft industry, and disagreements between the existing army and navy air services combined to create the conditions for an independent air force. The author argues that the pressures of war were insufficient to give real substance to the RAF’s independence and that its failure to escape from its wartime role as an ancillary service was also of crucial significance in the evolution of British air strategy in later years. Based on an extensive study of official documents and private papers and amply illustrated with contemporary photographs, this title will prove invaluable in understanding both strategic thinking in the Great War and the early development of a form of warfare which dominated military and naval operations in the twentieth century.

Download or read book Symbol of Courage written by Max Arthur and published by Pan Macmillan. This book was released on 2005 with total page 750 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Victoria Cross can only be awarded for most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy. It has been awarded only 1,354 times since the Crimean War, the majority going to British and Commonwealth troops. Symbol of Courage vividly brings the story of the medal to life, giving a narrative history from the Crimean War to the recent war in Afghanistan. It includes many first-hand accounts of individual acts of bravery and describes what happened to the VC holders, some of whom found it was harder wearing the medal than winning it. It also gives a complete listing of every VC holder with details of the action in which they won the medal. Written by acclaimed military historian Max Arthur, this is a fascinating and comprehensive study that will appeal to everyone who is interested in military history.The Victoria Cross is Britains most famous medalit has a great emotional appeal and this book is full of stories of remarkable courage. Max Arthurs last book, Forgotten Voices of the Great War, sold over 84,000 copies in paperback for Ebury. The first book for many years to give a complete history of the medal. There are many Commonwealth holders so there should be a market outside the UK.

Download or read book Lost Wings of WWI written by Martin W. Bowman and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2014-06-26 with total page 494 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new publication from eminent military historian Martin Bowman chronicles the stories of airmen downed on the Western Front between 1914 and 1918, representing a contribution on the author's part to the 100th anniversary of the Great War. It's speciality focus makes for a truly unique compendium of visceral First World War accounts of the incredible, bloody, aerial battles flown by the RFC, German, American, British and Commonwealth pilots shot down over the Western Front, also including stories of their escapes and lives in PoW camps. Whilst the predominant focus is on the airmen who saw action during the Great War, the author also provides startling tales of female heroism. There is a full chapter dedicated to the life and death of Norfolk heroine, Edith Cavell, a Norwich-born nurse who saved the lives of hundreds of soldiers from both sides during the conflict, and perished in the endeavour. Amongst the famous pilots covered are; VCs Billy Bishop and Freddie West; Dice-with-Death Dallas; Mannock The King of the Fighter Aces and Frank Luke the Balloon Buster. This book contains vivid accounts of some of the most heroic actions in the history of aerial warfare, all taking place within the brutal four year stretch of the Great War.

Download or read book The Struggle in the Air 1914 1918 Wwi Centenary Series written by Charles C. Turner and published by . This book was released on 2014-07-10 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This is an attempt to describe the great achievements during the war of our air services, and to present them in due relation to the rapid developments in the mechanics of flight and the art of flying. It should, therefore, be more than a mere story of aerial adventure: it is an endeavour to present, but without technicalities, the development step by step of aircraft, of the art of flying, and of the various functions of aircraft in war." This book is part of the World War One Centenary series; creating, collating and reprinting new and old works of poetry, fiction, autobiography and analysis. The series forms a commemorative tribute to mark the passing of one of the world's bloodiest wars, offering new perspectives on this tragic yet fascinating period of human history. Each publication also includes brand new introductory essays and a timeline to help the reader place the work in its historical context.

Download or read book American Air Service Observation in World War I Wwi Centenary Series written by Sam Hager Frank and published by . This book was released on 2014-07-10 with total page 522 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This study presents a detailed narrative and analysis of one of the aspects of aerial warfare which the United States Air Service performed during World War I--observation aviation. While bombardment and pursuit aviation of the American Expeditionary Forces caught the public fancy and subsequently have received substantial amplification by "air power" enthusiasts, it was the use of airplanes for liaison purposes and for close-support observation and reconnaissance that was the most significant in terms of achievement." This book is part of the World War One Centenary series; creating, collating and reprinting new and old works of poetry, fiction, autobiography and analysis. The series forms a commemorative tribute to mark the passing of one of the world's bloodiest wars, offering new perspectives on this tragic yet fascinating period of human history. Each publication also includes brand new introductory essays and a timeline to help the reader place the work in its historical context.