Download or read book Diary of a Spitfire Pilot written by Allen Mawer and published by Rosenberg Pub Pty Limited. This book was released on 2011 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is 1941 and you are 21, flying the most famous aircraft ever built. You have at your command a Merlin V12 engine and four 20mm Hispano cannon. You spend your days hunting the Hun over the English Channel and your evenings partying in London, experiencing the perils of aerial combat and the hazards of wartime romance in the same day. War doesn't get any better than this. It is 1943 and you are 23, living in a swamp that pretends to be an airstrip south of Darwin. These days the Japanese come over so infrequently that you are going troppo. None of the women you left behind in London and Sydney seems to give a damn about you. Most of your mates are dead. There is no beer. War is hell. All this and much more Flying Officer Allen Mawer confided to his diary, a candid and sometimes disconcerting record of his conquests in the air and on the ground. The highs and lows of his war, and how it ended, offer a lively and poignant insight into the human cost of armed conflict. Killed over Darwin at the end of the war Allen Mowers diary lay hidden for many years until his son, of the same name, edited it and wrote an introduction.

Download or read book Spitfire written by Leo McKinstry and published by John Murray. This book was released on 2010-10-14 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In June 1940, the German Army had brought the rest of Europe to its knees. 'Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world will move forward into broad, sunlit uplands,' said Churchill. The future of Europe depended on Britain. A self-confident Herman Goring thought that it would be only a matter of weeks before his planes had forced Britain to surrender. The courage, resourcefulness and brilliant organisation of the RAF were to prove him wrong. By late September 1940, the RAF had proved invincible, thanks to the Vickers Supermarine Spitfire. It exceeded anything that any other air force possessed. RJ Mitchell, a shy and almost painfully modest engineer, was the genius behind the Spitfire. On the 5th March 1936, following its successful maiden flight, a legend was born. Prize-winning historian Leo McKinstry's vivid history of the Spitfire brings together a rich cast of characters and first hand testimonies. It is a tale full of drama and heroism, of glory and tragedy, with the main protagonist the remarkable plane that played a crucial role in saving Britain.

Download or read book Johnnie Johnson s 1942 Diary written by Dilip Sarkar and published by Air World. This book was released on 2020-12-28 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A unique insight into how fighter pilots lived, loved—and died—through the diary of the top-scoring RAF Ace who survived the Battle of Britain. A one-time household name synonymous with the superlative Spitfire, Air Vice-Marshal “Johnnie” Johnson’s aerial combat successes of World War II inspired schoolboys for generations. As a “lowly Pilot Officer,” Johnson learned his fighter pilot’s craft as a protégé of the legless Tangmere Wing Leader, Douglas Bader. After Bader was brought down over France and captured on 9 August 1941, Johnnie remained a member of 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron. By the beginning of 1942, when Johnnie’s diary begins, Fighter Command was pursuing an offensive policy during daylight hours, “reaching out” and taking the war to the Germans in France. It was also a period in which the Focke-Wulf Fw outclassed the Spitfire Mk.V. In Johnnie’s words, the Fw 190 “drove us back to the coast and, for the first time, pilots lost confidence in the Spitfire.” As well as his participation in Rhubarb and Circus sorties, Johnnie was also involved in Operation Jubilee on 19 August 1942. In this diary, published here for the first time, we get a glimpse of the real Johnnie, and what it was really like to live and breathe air-fighting during one of the European air war’s most interesting years: 1942. Presented on a day-by-day basis, each of Johnnie’s entries is supported by an informative narrative written by the renowned aviation historian Dilip Sarkar, drawing upon official documents and his interviews and correspondence with the great man. “Provides a number of insights into life in the RAF Fighter Command of that period.—Most Highly Recommended.” —Firetrench

Download or read book Malta Spitfire written by George Beurling and published by Grub Street Publishers. This book was released on 2011-07-14 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An aviator’s true story of WWII air combat, including two dramatic weeks in the skies above the besieged island of Malta. Twenty-five thousand feet above Malta—that is where the Spitfires intercepted the Messerschmitts, Macchis, and Reggianes as they swept eastward in their droves, screening the big Junkers with their bomb loads as they pummeled the island beneath: the most bombed patch of ground in the world. One of those Spitfire pilots was George Beurling, nicknamed “Screwball,” who in fourteen flying days destroyed twenty-seven German and Italian aircraft and damaged many more. Hailing from Canada, Beurling finally made it to Malta in the summer of 1942 after hard training and combat across the Channel. Malta Spitfire tells his story and that of the gallant Spitfire squadron, 249, which day after day ascended to the “top of the hill” to meet the enemy against overwhelming odds. With this memoir, readers experience the sensation of being in the cockpit with him, climbing to meet the planes driving in from Sicily, diving down through the fighter screen at the bombers, dodging the bullets coming out of the sun, or whipping up under the belly of an Me for a deflection shot at the engine. This is war without sentiment or romance, told in terms of human courage, skill, and heroism—a classic of WWII military aviation.

Download or read book Johnnie Johnson s 1942 Diary written by Sarkar MBE Dilip and published by Air World. This book was released on 2021-11-30 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Air Vice-Marshal 'Johnnie' Johnson was a character literally from the pages of Boys' Own: an individual who became the RAF's top-scoring fighter pilot and wing leader par excellence of the Second World War. A one-time household name synonymous with the superlative Spitfire, Johnnie's aerial combat successes inspired schoolboys for generations. As a 'lowly Pilot Officer', Johnnie Johnson learned his fighter pilot's craft as a protégé of the legless Tangmere Wing Leader, Douglas Bader. After Bader was brought down over France and captured on 9 August 1941, Johnnie remained a member of 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron, in which he became a flight commander and was awarded the DFC a month after Bader's devastating loss. By the beginning of 1942, when Johnnie's diary begins, Fighter Command was pursuing an offensive policy during daylight hours, 'reaching out' and taking the war to the Germans in France. It was also a period in which the Focke-Wulf Fw outclassed the Spitfire Mk.V. In Johnnie's words, the Fw 190 'drove us back to the coast and, for the first time, pilots lost confidence in the Spitfire'. As well as his participation in Rhubarb and Circus sorties, Johnnie was also involved in Operation Jubilee on 19 August 1942. The air operations involved with the Dieppe Raid saw the greatest aerial battles since the Battle of Britain and it is therefore unsurprising that Johnnie's squadron was 'heavily engaged by over 100 190s and 109s', as he observed in his diary. In this diary, published here for the first time, we get a glimpse of the real Johnnie, and what it was really like to live and breathe air-fighting during one of the European air war's most interesting years: 1942. Presented on a day-by-day basis, each of Johnnie's entries is supported by an informative narrative written by the renowned aviation historian Dilip Sarkar, drawing upon official documents and his interviews and correspondence with the great man. As would be expected, Johnnie's diary also includes numerous personal references. On 14 November 1942, for example, he married Paul Ingate, and much about the young couple's relationship is documented. This diary, therefore, is a unique insight into how fighter pilots lived, loved - and died.

Download or read book DIARY OF A SPITFIRE PILOT written by GRANVILLE ALLEN. MAWER and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book From Spitfire to Focke Wulf written by H. Leonard Thorne and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2013-09-02 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'I hold the greatest respect for Len for what he achieved in the RAF'. – Gordon Mitchell, son of Spitfire designer R.J. Mitchell In May 1940, 20-year-old Len Thorne joined the RAF, as did many young men during the Second World War. After two hectic tours of operational duty as a fighter pilot, including some desperately dangerous low-level flying at Dunkirk, he was posted to AFDU (Air Fighting Development Unit) and remained there as a test pilot for the rest of the war. Fortunately for us, Len kept a detailed diary, which, set alongside his log book, tells the unique story of a test pilot tasked with developing operational tactics and testing captured enemy aircraft, such as the feared Fw 190. During Len's career, he worked alongside some of the most famous fighter aces and his records cast light on some of the most famous flyers of the RAF, including Wing Commander Al Deere and Spitfire aces Squadron Leader 'Paddy' Finucane, Ernie Ryder and many others. A unique record of military aviation history, From Spitfire to Focke Wulf offers a window to this era of rapid and high-stakes aircraft development.

Download or read book Spitfire The Autobiography written by Jon E. Lewis and published by Robinson. This book was released on 2013-02-07 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A celebration of the machine and the men who took to the skies in defence of Britain. It is also the dramatic illustration of a little understood truth: the Spitfire did more than win the Battle of Britain - it won the war. It was not Stalingrad which turned the corner of the war against Hitler, it was the Spitfire in the summer of 1940 when RAF Fighter Command destroyed the myth of Nazi invincibility. Praise for his previous books: London: The Autobiography: 'Fascinating ... brings the story of London to life' Good Book guide The English Soldier: The Autobiography: 'A triumph' Saul David, author of Victoria's Army 'Harrowing, funny and often unbelievable book.' Daily Express '[A] compelling tommy's eye view of war from Agincourt to Iraq' Daily Telegraph

Download or read book Spitfire Diary written by E. A. W. Smith and published by Ibooks. This book was released on 2006-05-01 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An account of the World War II Allied fighter plane squadron's final year of the war, told from the perspective of a veteran spitfire pilot, describes its air-to-air missions on the front lines after D-Day, from combat experiences to encounters with war-scarred Belgian and Dutch citizens. Reprint.

Download or read book Spitfire Diary written by E. A. W. Smith and published by . This book was released on 1988-01-01 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bogen er i dagbogsform en fortælling om Spitfirens rolle efter D-dag.

Download or read book Journal RAF British Spitfire written by British Spitfire Inspired and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-11-09 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Journal: RAF British Spitfire. 6 x 9 personal notebook journal diary. Journal has 140 blank pages and is thin lined, wide ruled. Great for use as a journal, notebook, diary, field notes, travel logs, random thoughts and ideas, spiritual experiences, dates, appointments and more. Makes a great gift!

Download or read book Bullet Journal Raf British Spitfire written by British Spitfire Inspired and published by . This book was released on 2017-11-10 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bullet Journal: RAF British Spitfire. This 8 x 10 dot grid journal has 140 pages, and .3" dotted grid paper. These notebooks are great for bullet journaling, calligraphy, beginning crafters, artist, teachers, scholars, taking notes, making day planners, and so much more. Can also be used for bullet journals what use Washi tape, inserts, pens, markers, etc. Makes a great gift!

Download or read book Spitfire written by Dilip Sarkar and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2019-09-30 with total page 486 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A really excellent, detailed, comprehensive and moving history of 19 Squadron, RAF during the Second World War” from the author of Arnhem 1944 (Clash of Steel). As a child, Dilip Sarkar was fascinated by the haunting image of an anonymous RAF Spitfire pilot. Taken minutes after landing from a Battle of Britain combat, this was Squadron Leader Brian Lane DFC, the commander of 19 Squadron, based at Fowlmere. Deeply moving was the discovery that, in 1942, Brian was reported missing after a futile nuisance raid over the Dutch coast. During the mid-1980s, Dilip began researching the life and times of both Brian Lane and 19 Squadron, forging close friendships with many of the unit’s surviving Battle of Britain pilots and support staff. Nearly thirty years later, sadly all of the survivors are now deceased, but Dilip’s close relationship has provided a huge archive of correspondence and interviews in addition to a unique photographic collection. Furthermore, the author, a retired police detective, has thoroughly investigated the life—and death—of Squadron Leader Lane. This completely new Spitfire! covers everything we would ever need to know about such a unit during the critical pre and early war period: the social, political, aviation and military history all in one volume—emphasizing the human experience involved and the stories of casualties. With an immense photographic collection—many published here for the first time—this book is destined to become a classic. “The most thorough book about any squadron in RAF service during the Battle of Britain . . . an impeccable source of information and a gripping story—Most Highly Recommended.” —Firetrench

Download or read book The Army Quarterly and Defence Journal written by and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 604 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Mortician Diaries written by June Knights Nadle and published by New World Library. This book was released on 2010-10-04 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After 50 years in the funeral business, 80-year-old grandmother-undertaker June Knights Nadle has seen it all — at least all of what goes on before, during, and after life’s ultimate challenge. In Mortician Diaries, she combines equal doses of charm, humanity, humor, and reality to tell it like it is on this taboo subject. A kind of Prairie Home Companion set in a mortuary, the book features memorable stories of regret — “I wish I had kissed him on the morning he had the accident” — and renewal, as the lesson of facing life’s last great event is learned, or not. Some of the accounts here are funny, some sad. Some are haunting in their strangeness as they reveal the many ways in which people cope. Along the way, the reader is drawn into Nadle’s own life story as an unconventional woman who devoted herself to the dead and to those they left behind.

Download or read book Spitfire Diary written by E. A. W. Ted Smith and published by Eakin Press. This book was released on 2018-08-05 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A former R.A.F. pilot tells the true story of air-to-ground combat in World War II. Before his eighteenth birthday E.A.W. "Ted" Smith was in the British Royal Air Force where he served five years on over thirty RAF bases in South Africa, Southern Rhodesia, England, Scotland, France, Belgium, and Holland. Joining the RAF 127 Squadron after D-Day as a fighter and bomber pilot, he flew Spitfire aircraft on ninety missions, a third of which were bombing attacks while the land forces were beating back the German army beyond the Rhine. Following the war in 1946, he became one of the world's first jet pilots, flying Gloucester Meteors on 74 Squadron. Smith kept a diary of his exploits in World War II, and this was the basis for Spitfire Diaries. Smith immigrated to the United States in 1948 and eventually became the general manager of Lady Bird Johnson's radio stations, KLBJ-AM and KLBJ-FM in December of 1980 in Austin, Texas.

Download or read book DIARY Spitfire written by Campus Elysium and published by . This book was released on 2017-03-16 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An approx. size A5 paperback diary (5.5" x 8.5" or 13.97cm x 21.59cm) with each day on a page, Saturdays and Sundays included, 365 / 366 days. Can be used as an appointment maker, meeting scheduler, or as a personal organizer. Each day has half hourly slots from 8am to 7pm, with an evening section as well. The diary also has a year planner, monthly planner, a calendar, and a section at the back for personal notes. The diary is soft with a glossy cover. Would make a great seasonal gift for a friend or a family member. (COVER : Spitfire). Approximately 388 pages in all. Why not get the complete stationery collection ? DIARY, NOTEBOOK and ADDRESS BOOK !