Download or read book Fighter Fighter Corkscrew Port written by Pat Cunningham and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2012-04-19 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The young men who flew with RAF Bomber Command in World War Two were a complex mixture of individuals but they all shared the gift of teamwork. A crew of seven may have comprised all non-commissioned men and some crews included commissioned officers but not always flying as pilots. The outstanding fact was that each man relied on every other member of his crew to return from each mission safely.This book contains ten intriguing reminiscences of bomber aircrew; some were pilots, others navigators, flight engineers, bomb-aimers or gunners. They flew as both commissioned or NCO airmen. Understandably, a common problem was that of coping with fear. Many former aircrew hold that anyone who claims to have felt no fear on operations is either lying or has allowed the years to blank out that fear. But there are a few who do maintain that they never felt afraid. For the majority, though, handling fear was something to be worked out by the individual. Some hit the bottle, others womanized to excess; others tightened the gut and bit the lip; or drew the curtain and focused upon the plotting table or the wireless set. The passing years may have silvered what hair remains, dulled the eye that formerly registered on the merest speck; lent a quiver to the hand that once controlled the stick, penciled in the track, manipulated the tuning dial, set the bombsight, tapped the gauge, or rotated the turret. And yet for all the attributes of age their irrepressible youthfulness shines through.

Download or read book Hell on Earth written by Mel Rolfe and published by Grub Street Publishing. This book was released on 2008-09-22 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Twenty true stories of bravery, survival, and good and bad luck involving Bomber Command during World War II from the author of Flying into Hell. In their own words, the heroes of Bomber Command tell their harrowing stories . . . “It is believed that when Dacey realized the aircraft was on fire he grabbed an extinguisher, hurried aft and tried, in vain, to put out the flames. Somehow he became trapped behind the spreading inferno and was unable to return to the cockpit for his parachute. Alone with his screams, he could do nothing except wait and die as his unsuspecting companions jumped into the cold night. It is likely that Dacey was already dead before the Halifax plunged into the ground and blew up, atomizing his body.” “We were marched to a deserted and tatty industrial area, into a short cu-de-sac, where most of the property was badly damaged. A factory wall stood across the bottom and they put us against it. A line of a dozen (German) soldiers stood pavement to pavement, rifles against their shoulders. A corporal stood near them with his hand up. Stan said to me in a low, horrified voice: ‘They’re going to shoot us.’” “We could see the (Lancaster) wing flapping up and down. It could have broken off at any time and going through my mind was the thought that it probably would. But we pressed on. I took a realistic view. I knew the chances were against us getting back and this might be the time everything was going to end. But I didn’t experience fear which interfered with what I had to do.”

Download or read book Legacy of the Lancasters written by Martin W. Bowman and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2013-05-30 with total page 494 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Young or old, everyone has heard of the Lancaster bomber. Such is the legacy handed down by this aviation icon that although it is not the most numerous aircraft ever built - two are still flying today, one in Britain and another in Canada with many proudly displayed in museums throughout the world - it is up there with the Spitfire and the Flying Fortress in terms of affection, nostalgia and lasting fame.The legendary Lancaster has bequeathed to the world an invaluable heritage beloved of generations of movie-goers, air show enthusiasts, readers of fine literature and historians alike. Exploits such as the famous low-level raid by 617 Squadron on Germanys hydro electric dams on the night of 16/17 May 1943, the nightly raids on Germany and the sinking of the Tirpitz in 1945 are all without equal.At the 50th anniversary of the raid in 1993 more than 70,000 people thronged Derwent Water to watch the BBMF Lancaster roar over the same dam that 617 practiced on shortly before the raid on 16/17 May 1943. As we approach the 70th Anniversary of the raid, such scenes will no doubt play out once again. It seems timely therefore that such a history should be recorded, charting the course of the Lancasters career in the skies and the legacy it continues to provide for new generations of aviation enthusiasts and pilots.The text is supplemented throughout by an exciting selection of black and white images that work to evoke a real sense of the scale and majesty of this iconic aircraft. An additional colour plate section boasts a captivating range of shots, showing the aircraft in full glory.

Download or read book Men Behind the Medals written by Air Commandore Graham Pitchfork and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 1990-12-31 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book pays tribute to the quite remarkable bravery of those young men who risked, and all too often lost, their lives for their country during the war. The author, himself a distinguished Royal Air Force officer, has singled out twenty-one men to represent 'the many' to whom he dedicated the book; but he has chosen them with care to illustrate, as far as possible, the wide scope of the duties of the Royal Air Force in wartime.

Download or read book Guns in the Sky written by Chaz Bowyer and published by London ; Toronto : J.M. Dent. This book was released on 1979 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Lancaster Reaping the Whirlwind written by Martin W. Bowman and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2012-05-01 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Detailing the Lancaster's history from 1942–45, this study brings everything together to tell a concise history of the world's most famous aircraft of all time and undoubtedly the finest bomber of the Second World War. A superlative and unique colour section of over fifty contemporary photographs of the Lancaster is featured, while the text is complemented by over 150 rare and seldom seen black and white images. Well researched and expertly written, this account is a must read to those interested in the Lancaster and aviation history in general. The book also includes many unique and incredible eyewitness accounts of the raids by Lancaster crews, making Lancaster: Reaping the Whirlwind both a gripping and fascinating read.

Download or read book Inferno written by Keith Lowe and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2007 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Draws on previously unseen official documents and eyewitness testimonies to document the bombing of Hamburg by U.S. and British forces during World War II, an event that cost 45,000 lives, set hurricane-force fires that lasted for a month, and rendered one million people homeless. 35,000 first printing.

Download or read book Lancaster written by Leo McKinstry and published by John Murray. This book was released on 2009-09-03 with total page 592 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Spitfire and the Lancaster were the two RAF weapons of victory in the Second World War, but the glamour of the fighter has tended to overshadow the performance of the heavy bomber. Yet without the Lancaster, Britain would never have been able to take the fight to the German homeland. Highlights the scale of the bomber?s achievements, including the famous Dambusters attacks. With its vast bomb bay, ease of handling and surprising speed, the mighty Lancaster transformed the effectiveness of the Bomber Command. Whilst addressing the political controversy surrounding the bombing offensive against Germany, Leo McKinstry also weaves individual tales into this compelling narrative. Rich characters are brought to life, such as Roy Chadwick the designer, who taught himself engineering at night school and Sir Arthur Harris, the austere head of the Bomber Command. This is a rich saga, a story of triumph over disaster and the history of an iconic plane.

Download or read book Air Gunner written by Alan W. Cooper and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2009-04-21 with total page 595 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There have been several books published about the wartime experiences of individual air gunners but there is no general history of Air Gunners, their equipment, training or service in the various RAF Commands in which they served. This book explains in great detail how and why the trade of air gunner was developed at the outset of World War II. Chapters include the history of the guns and turrets, the famous gunners, outstanding bravery during major raids, flying with Coastal Command, Bomber Command and overseas operations. It also includes the history of Air Gunners who became prisoners of war, outstanding bravery awards and American air gunners such as Clark Gable, John Huston and Charlton Heston. It includes many first-hand accounts of wartime combat as seen from the gun turret in the heat of battle. Air Gunners, tail-end Charleys in particular, have always been popular wartime heroes as they flew in their isolated positions protecting their aircraft from enemy fighter attack in the skies over war torn Europe.

Download or read book Air Gunners written by and published by Tim O'Flynn. This book was released on 2014-08-01 with total page 599 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Air Gunners is a tale of the life and loves of two men. One from the Irish Free State, the other from New Jersey in the USA who are thrown together during the mad days of World War II. Tim O'Leary meets up with Hal Grainger at an RAF aircrew training centre in Yorkshire, England while training to become air gunners. While they're still in training the Lancaster Bomber they're undergoing training in comes under attack by two Messerschmitt 110 hit and run raiders. They manage to shoot down both of their attackers resulting in both of them ending up being recommended for the Distinguished Flying Medal. Once they finish their training they move on to an Operational Training Unit where they 'crew up' and undergo further training before moving on to an Operational Squadron. Having become firm friends during their time in training they form a deadly partnership as the rear and mid-upper gunners of a Lancaster Bomber crew that by wars end they end up being credited with over 55 'kills' between them.

Download or read book L M F written by Matthew Bin and published by Matthew Bin. This book was released on 2007-11-11 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If a soldier today is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, he or she gets counselling and therapy and treatment. In World War II, it was a different story. Bomber crews were especially horribly treated, in a system that used threats and psychological bullying to make the airmen -- many of them not yet twenty years old -- climb the ladder again and again to do their almost impossibly dangerous job. At twenty years old, with twenty-seven missions as a Lancaster bomber pilot under his belt, Del Aucoin is a seasoned veteran of the Second World War. But the strain of flying a bomber over Germany night after night has taken its toll, and Dell chooses to stop flying before he gets himself and his crew killed. Del's superiors give him his orders: fly again, or face humiliation, imprisonment, and disgrace. Del has to choose between his own sanity and the safety of his crew, between his closest friends and his own life. And once he makes his choice, the long, slow train ride towards his ultimate fate begins. Based on real accounts of the bomber war, this psychological thriller offers a unique understanding of the airmen who fought one of the most devastating battles of WWII.

Download or read book Bless You Brother Irvin written by John Neal and published by GeneralStore PublishingHouse. This book was released on 2005 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Ever Present Danger written by C S Peters and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2011-11-22 with total page 568 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Ever Present Danger" is the second part of the Graham family saga. It is now early 1942 and finds James Graham coming to terms with his new individual role in the Second World War. A role, like his first as a Fighter Pilot, with its immense inherent risks and dangers. This time, though, the risks and danger come from his work as an SOE operative behind enemy lines in occupied Europe, where there are constant, fatal risks both to himself and others either working for the French Resistance or Evasion and Escape Lines in their desperate attempts to thwart the terrible endeavours of the occupying German forces and Gestapo. Jame's brother Colin is now also embroiled in the horrors of the War as captain of the Lancaster bomber, just one of many aircrew, who night after night, take off on missions to bring the War to a close. In so doing, he sees mass destruction and tragedy not only to those comrades around him in Bomber Command but, also, thousands of feet below in occupied territory. Events arise which see both brother's lives once more threatened and unknowingly entwined and with their fates and those of their family forever sealed. "Ever Present Danger" is full of suspense, shock and thrills and leads to outcomes that no one in the Graham family could ever predict.

Download or read book Dead Before Dawn written by Frank Broome and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2008-09-22 with total page 510 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Frank Broome was a 15 year old schoolboy when he experienced the three major blitzes in his home city of Coventry and at the age of 17 volunteered for the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1942 for pilot training. This autobiography, based on his copious diary entries and log books traces his pilot training in the UK, Canada and the USA where he flew single and twin-engined aircraft. Despite his almost perfect training record he, like many of his fellow trainees at this time, was not to gain his R.A.F. wings. There was a shortage of air crew, other than pilots, and Frank eventually transferred to an air-gunnery course. On his return to the UK he undertook operational crew training on Wellington as a tail gunner and made operational training sorties over enemy territory shortly after the D-Day landings. His crew then converted to four-engined heavy bombers first the Halifax and then the Lancaster. He gives first-hand detailed accounts of the many missions during his tour with No. 626 Squadron during the height of Bomber Commands massed raids over Germany and occupied Europe. Excitement abounds with narrow squeaks from enemy night-fighters, radar directed anti-aircraft fire and other hazards of this most dangerous task. He eventually flew with two Wing Commanders and a Squadron Leader with crews who gained several gallantry awards. His book is written with a skill that portrays the dangers inherent in his task, the humor of service life and the sound reasons why his generation were proud to fly with Bomber Command.

Download or read book Bomber Command Reflections of War Volume 3 written by Martin W. Bowman and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2012-09-19 with total page 429 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This massive work provides a comprehensive insight to the experiences of Bomber Commands pilots and aircrew throughout World War Two. From the early wartime years when the RAFs first attempts to avenge Germanys onslaught were bedeviled by poor navigation and inaccurate bombing, to the final winning onslaught that finally tamed Hitler in his Berlin lair, these volumes trace the true experiences of the men who flew the bombers. Hundreds of first-hand accounts are punctuated by the authors background information that put each narrative into wartime perspective. Every aspect of Bomber Commands operational duties are covered; day and night bombing, precision low-level strikes, mass raids and operations throughout all wartime theaters. Contributions are from RAF personnel who flew the commands different aircraft from the early Blenheims and Stirlings to the later Lancasters and Mosquitoes. Each volume is full of accounts that tell of the camaraderie amongst the crews, moments of sheer terror and the stoic humor that provided the critical bond. The five volumes of this work provide the most vivid and comprehensive work on the outstanding part played by RAF Bomber Command in their vital role in the destruction of the Third Reich.

Download or read book Flying into the Flames of Hell written by Martin W. Bowman and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2006-09-15 with total page 527 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book contains twenty-three stirring accounts of what life flying as air-crew in World War Two was really like. The writers are a mixed bunch of pilots, navigators and gunners who flew medium and heavy bombers or Mosquitoes. It conveys the terror of being coned by German searchlights over the target, attacks by Luftwaffe night-fighters, catastrophic damage to aircraft and the ensuing struggle to keep the machine airborne on the return trip to base. It tells of the comradeship between the crew and often the humor between them which was often bred from fear.The gentle and unassuming narratives convey the sense of purpose that these men felt in doing one of the most dangerous jobs in the war. It is a fitting tribute to those that survived and the many thousands who died in the struggle against Hitler's dreadful ambitions in Europe.

Download or read book Lincolnshire Air War written by Martin King Lear and published by eBook Partnership. This book was released on 2017-08-30 with total page 71 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lincolnshire Air War - Lancaster PB476 - The story of a 12 Squadron Lancaster Bomber during Operation Gisela. This book tells the tragic story of the crew of Avro Lancaster PB476, call sign ';Y', of 12 Squadron RAF Bomber Command and the Luftwaffe's final large scale attack on England named Operation Gisela.