Download or read book Spitfire Faces written by Dilip Sarkar and published by Air World. This book was released on 2023-06-01 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Supermarine Spitfire arguably remains the most iconic fighter aircraft ever produced. Unsurprisingly, it has become a symbol of British excellence and national pride. Interest in the Spitfire remains undiminished as time goes on, and its bibliography is virtually infinite. while many of these books feature the technical and operational history of the Spitfire, this book features the human element of the story, concentrating on the stories of not only those who flew the Spitfire into battle, but also the men and women who maintained and built it. By the summer of 1941, the Spitfire had replaced the Hurricane as the RAF’s front-line fighter, seeing service in every theater of war, from north-west Europe to the Far East, and operating in many roles never envisaged by its gifted, yet tragic, designer, R.J. Mitchell. Although intended as a short-range daylight interceptor, Spitfires became dive-bombers, offensive escort fighters, night-fighters, photographic reconnaissance mounts – and more. R.J. Mitchell, however, was always very conscious that a human being would risk his or her life flying his creation – and this book concentrates on that human story. Covering the Spitfire’s design, development and wartime operational history, Spitfire Faces features photographs from the personal collections of survivors, collated as the result of the author’s close personal relationships and friendships with so many of them.
Download or read book The Buried Spitfires of Burma written by Andy Brockman and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2020-06-01 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rumours of buried Spitfires from the Second World War have spread around the world for seventy-five years. In April 2012, the press reported that the UK had negotiated an agreement with Myanmar for the recovery of twenty crated Spitfires, reportedly buried after WW2. Astonishingly the agreement came about through the single-minded determination of a farmer, David Cundall. Armed with a high-tech survey showing mysterious shapes under the surface of Yangon International Airport, David's expedition is equipped with JCB excavators. But instead of Spitfires, the team unearths a tale of fake history. The Buried Spitfires of Burma explores what happened next as David Cundall's dream unravelled over the course of a historical 'whodunnit' that spans seven decades and three continents. It follows one of the most bizarre stories since the sensational Hitler Diaries hoax.
Download or read book American Spitfires written by Paul Ludwig and published by Ventura Hobby Products. This book was released on 2006-12-01 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Camouflage and markings worn by USAAF Spitfires can bedistilled down to the simple formula of RAF camouflage and USAAF markings. Add to this, squadron badges and myriad personal markings and you have some of the most colourfulSpitfires of the Second World War.
Download or read book Faces of HMS Royal Oak written by Dilip Sarkar and published by Frontline Books. This book was released on 2023-12-30 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On 14 October each year, a White Ensign is placed on the stern of an upturned warship by Royal Navy divers. This act commemorates the 835 men of HMS Royal Oak who died in 1939 when the battleship was sunk at anchor in Scapa Flow by the German U-boat U-47. The sinking of the veteran First World War Revenge-class Royal Oak shocked not only the Admiralty, but the whole nation. Though Scapa Flow was far from being impregnable as a base for the Royal Navy’s Home Fleet, it was surrounded by a ring of islands separated by shallow channels subject to fast-racing tides. While it was recognized that it was not impervious to enemy submarines, measures had been put in place to minimize any such threat. Blockships had been sunk at potentially vulnerable points and anti-submarine booms deployed across the wider channels. The outbreak of war in September 1939 saw additional anti-submarine measures put in hand. Despite these increased precautions, German aerial reconnaissance had spotted weaknesses which were exploited on the night of 13/14 October 1939, by Kapitänleutnant Günther Prien in U-47. The German submarine was able to slip into Scapa Flow undetected and fire three torpedoes towards Royal Oak. Only one torpedo found its mark. A second salvo was fired and this time all three hit the battleship, igniting a magazine causing massive damage. Within thirteen minutes, HMS Royal Oak had turned over and sank. In Faces of HMS Royal Oak, Dilip Sarkar not only reveals the tragic and moving stories of many of those who died, but also some of the 399 who survived the sinking of the first Royal Navy battleship lost in the Second World War. Through their photographs, and in some cases words, the horrors of those fateful few minutes as Royal Oak rolled and slid into the cold, dark waters of Scapa Flow, are relived in startling clarity.
Download or read book Saving the Province The Symbol written by Larry Pinsky and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2015-10-09 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In futuristic Province, sixteen-year-old Josie Williams and her friends, Emma and Scott, are in the midst of fulfilling mandatory military training. After years of intense preparation and the placement of a tracking device in their arms that allows tracking by a dystopian government, the young cadets will become members of the special Com Forces charged with saving their world if war breaks out. When a training exercise goes seriously wrong in Scott's unit, Josie must still focus on completing her own complicated mission. On the last day of training when Emma takes an unimaginable risk that changes her fate, Josie embarks on a quest for justice that eventually leads her to the truth about the people around her, the government, illegal activities, and long-held secrets. 'Saving the Province' is a fast-paced tale of action, adventure, and secrets in a repressive alternate world as a teenager attempts to fulfill her destiny. [The author's] debut novel and the first installment of a trilogy"--Page 4 of cover.
Download or read book Transformation A Personal Journey Through the British Transformers Comic Volume 1 1984 1987 written by Stuart Webb and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2015-07-25 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Starting in 1984, the British Transformers comic wasn't just a successful toy advert, it taught a generation of British schoolboys how to read through its exciting action packed pages. With sales that vied with 2000AD writers Simon Furman and Bob Budiansky created a generation of fan boys that have never looked back. Stuart Webb was one such reader, and in 2012 he began a journey looking through every single issue of the series, commenting on its highs and lows. He became the first person to look at every backup strip, every comedic cartoon and each editorial and how they worked together to create the most thorough exploration of a publishing phenomenon ever undertaken. It's also personal, full of humour and silliness and even the occasionally thoughtful moment. The final result is an essential read, for Transformers fans, and those interested in the history of Marvel comics in the UK and the impact this comic had on an entire generation.
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 Golden Filly Collection 1 written by Lauraine Snelling and published by Bethany House. This book was released on 2009-10 with total page 621 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A 5-in-1 value collection of horse-themed stories for preteen girls exploring contemporary issues and faith. Ages 8 to 12.
Download or read book Spitfire Ace written by Gordon Olive and published by Amberley Publishing Limited. This book was released on 2015-07-15 with total page 462 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The amazing story of one of ‘the Few’, Spitfire fighter pilot Gordon Olive, who shot down ten enemy aircraft during the Battle of Britain.
Download or read book Spitfire Flip Book written by Imperial War Imperial War Museums and published by Buster Books. This book was released on 2013-12-18 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Imperial War Museum’s archive is home to more than 20,000 hours of moving image material spanning the twentieth century in Britain. The clips range from documentary film and official newsreels, to unedited combat footage, and amateur shots. In the museum's early days the films could only be viewed through Mutoscope machines from the late nineteenth century that functioned much like a flipbook, giving life to a series of motionless images. The Mutoscope did not project images on a screen, rather the machine was used by one person at a time. To re-create the experience of watching these historical film reels, some of the most compelling scenes have been reproduced in these action-filled flipbooks. As you flip through the Spitfire Flipbook, you’ll come face to face with a 1940s Spitfire plane flying through the air. The single seat fighter aircraft dips and dives at lightning speeds as the pages progress. The Spitfire was the most commonly used airplane during the Battle of Britain and was used as both a fighter-bomber and for training. Replicating the action of old-time film strips, these flipbooks will be a delight for both children and adults, transporting those who flip the pages to Britain’s wartime past.
Download or read book Free French Spitfire Hero written by Dilip Sarkar and published by Air World. This book was released on 2023-02-16 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: René Mouchotte was born on 21 August 1914, at Saint Mande, Paris. He joined the Armée de l’Air for his period of military service in 1934, obtaining his flying brevet. Though Mouchotte returned to civilian life, he was called up at the outbreak of war in 1939, becoming a Sergeant-Pilot instructor in North Africa. When France capitulated in June 1940, Mouchotte and fellow pilot Charles Guerin decided to make their way to the United Kingdom. Along with four other French pilots, Mouchotte made the short flight to Gibraltar on the morning of 30 June. From there he traveled on to Britain, being accepted into the RAF soon after their arrival. The Battle of Britain was already several weeks old when Mouchotte was posted to 245 Squadron, then based at Aldergrove, on 11 September 1940. A week later he transferred to 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron at Prestwick. Flying Hurricanes, it was with 615 Squadron that Mouchotte became a flight commander, shot down a Junkers Ju 88, and earned a Croix de Guerre. He moved to Turnhouse as Deputy ‘A’ Flight Commander with 340 (Free French) Squadron. He was promoted to captain in March 1942 and awarded the DFC. On 18 January 1943, Mouchotte returned to Turnhouse to form and command 341 Squadron, which transferred to Biggin Hill. On 15 May 1943, Mouchette and Squadron Leader E.F.J Charles shared the sector’s 1000th victory. Two days later, Mouchotte destroyed a Me 109. Mouchotte failed to return from a bomber escort to the proposed V2 launch site at Eperlecques, near St. Omer, on 27 August 1943. He was reported ‘Missing’. Later evidence emerged that his body had been washed up on the beach at Middelkerke, Belgium, on 3 September and that he was buried in the town’s cemetery. Commandant René Gaston Octave Jean Mouchotte DFC, CdeG – one of ‘The Few’ of the Battle of Britain – became one of the most famous Free French pilots of the Second World War, during which he served alongside such notables as the legendary Group Captain ‘Sailor’ Malan and the Wing Commander Al Deere. It is Commandant Mouchotte’s diaries, written between 1940 and 1943, that form the basis of this book. The diaries are introduced and contextualized by the renowned aviation historian Dilip Sarkar, who also forensically examines the story behind Biggin Hill’s 1000th ‘kill’ and the circumstances of René’s last flight, adding new detail to both events. The TV presenter and newsreader Jan Leeming also reveals her journey into Mouchotte’s courageous and inspirational story – one that began with sponsoring a name on the Sir Christopher Foxley Norris Wall of Remembrance at the Battle of Britain Memorial, Capel-le-Ferne; leaving a letter in the Mouchotte Family Tomb in the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris; a meeting with René’s 101 year old Sister Jacqueline; the realization that his Battle of Britain Medals had never been forwarded to his family - an omission which was happily rectified. Jacqueline lived long enough to receive the medals which, after her death were presented to the Mouchotte family by the British Ambassador Sir (Lord) Peter Ricketts at the Ambassador’s Residence in Paris. Finally after many years of research and perseverance, Jan had a documentary about her Search for René Mouchotte broadcast in 2013 on BBC South East; BBC South and BBC North. Later that year she was invited to Gibraltar where the RAF HQ was renamed Mouchotte Buildings.
Download or read book Malta Spitfire Pilot written by Denis Barnham and published by Grub Street Publishers. This book was released on 2013-07-19 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An RAF fighter pilot’s “intensely vivid” account of the siege of Malta in World War II (The Times Literary Supplement). In the summer of 1942, Malta was vulnerable to air attack from the Germans and Italians, and defended by a handful of Spitfires and a few anti-aircraft guns. Denis Barnham, a young and inexperienced flight lieutenant, spent ten hectic weeks on this indomitable island; he left a well-ordered English aerodrome for the chaos and disillusionment of Luqa. His task was to engage the overwhelming number of enemy bombers, usually protected by fighter escorts, and shoot down as many as possible. The Spitfires were bomb-scarred and battered. Oftentimes they could only get two or three in the air together, and the airfields were riddled with bomb craters, but they managed to keep going and make their mark on enemy operations. Barnham has written a powerful account of his experiences in Malta, starting with his trip in an American aircraft carrier through the ceaseless battle and turmoil during the desperate defense of the island, through his departure by air back to England, having seen the reinforcements safely landed and the tide of battle turning. With thrilling and terrifying descriptions and illustrations of the air action, this account, told with humor and compassion, is one of the best firsthand accounts of aerial combat ever written.
Download or read book A Spitfire Named Connie written by Black' Robertson and published by Air World. This book was released on 2022-05-19 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Spitfire Named Connie is an exciting rollercoaster of a story. âRobbieâ Robertson begins his RAF training during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz. As he learns his trade, he is soon rubbing shoulders with Fighter Command heroes, amongst them Brian Kingcome, âGingerâ Lacey and Bob Stanford Tuck. Moving from 111 to 72 Squadron, he opens his account against the Luftwaffe in the spring of 1942. Six months later, as he adds further to his score, the action moves to the skies over North Africa. It is there that tragedy strikes. Wounded and shot down by one of the Luftwaffeâs most celebrated Experten, his Spitfire crashes to the ground. Found lying near the wreckage by an Army patrol, Robbie is moved from casualty clearing stations to hospitals across Tunisia and Algeria as doctors try desperately to save his sight. Finally, unable to stand the pain any longer, he reluctantly agrees to the removal of his right eye. A slow recovery and eventual return to the UK is no compensation for the end of his flying career. Desk-bound for the remainder of the war, the second and more poignant period of his RAF life begins. The young schoolgirl, Connie Freeman, with whom he has been in regular correspondence since her evacuation, becomes his wife. It is literally hundreds of Robbieâs letters that form the basis of this powerful, moving and emotional story. Together with his own and Connieâs diaries, correspondence from RAF colleagues and his flying logbook, they bring a unique authenticity to this highly-charged tale. A Spitfire Named Connie reads like a novel, filled with excitement, pathos and compassion. Yet, incredible as it may seem, every single word is true.
Download or read book Spitfire Aces of the Channel Front 1941 43 written by Andrew Thomas and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-06-16 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 80 years after the Spitfire was first developed it remains an icon of military aviation. Though many associate its victory during the Battle of Britain as the high point in the history of the Spitfire, the years following were of equal importance. Having weathered the initial storm, at the start of 1941 Fighter Command took the fight to the Germans with offensive missions over the Channel. This book reveals how first using the Spitfire I and II, and then following the introduction of the Bf 109 the cannon-armed Spitfire V, RAF squadrons embarked on a range of missions which included one of the most important air battles of the war, over Dieppe on 19 August 1942. Alongside British pilots were squadrons manned by exiled Europeans and pilots from the RAAF, RCAF and RNZAF. In just three years over 100 of these pilots were to rack up ace status in the Spitfire.
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 Pilot Air Commodore Geoffrey Stephenson written by John Shields and published by Air World. This book was released on 2024-11-30 with total page 415 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Under cloudless blue skies, the Oakwood Cemetery Annex in Montgomery, Alabama hosts the largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in the United States. Most of the graves contain young RAF trainee pilots killed during their flying training at nearby Maxwell and Gunter airfields during the Second World War. However, there is another grave, located at the edge of the plot, not from the early 1940s but, from 1954. The grave marks the final resting place of a 44-year-old senior RAF officer, Air Commodore Geoffrey Stephenson CBE. It begs the questions who was he and why is he buried there? This book sets out to answer both these questions. As a result, this is the remarkable story of not only Stephenson’s life but the people, planes and places that would leave an indelible mark on a seasoned fighter pilot. After growing up in Lincolnshire and Ireland, 18-year-old Stephenson joined the RAF in 1928 alongside Douglas Bader who would become a life-long friend. After leaving Cranwell, the pair both joined 23 Squadron. In the 1930s, Stephenson rose through the ranks to command 19 Squadron, a Duxford-based Spitfire unit, that would see his baptism of fire over Dunkirk in late May 1940. Following the downing of a Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, Stephenson was himself shot down and crash landed on the beach at Sangatte. After a brief period on the run in France and Belgium, Stephenson was taken into captivity, spending the next five years as a prisoner of war, ending up at the iconic Colditz Castle where, ironically, he was reunited with his old friend Bader. Upon his release in April 1945, Stephenson quickly resumed his RAF career commanding, instructing, and flying the latest jet fighters, both at home and overseas. He was aide-de-camp to two monarchs, including escorting a young Queen Elizabeth II during her 1953 Coronation Review. However, his already eventful career would take a tragic turn. In 1954, Stephenson flew to the United States to review their latest acquisitions, which included a flight in the supersonic F-100 Super Sabre. It would be his last flight. Nevertheless, Stephenson’s legacy lives on at his former base at Duxford in the guise of the Imperial War Museum’s immaculately restored Spitfire Mk.I N3200. This was the very aircraft in which he force-landed on 26 May 1940. Recovered from the French beach, N3200 was painstakingly rebuilt and returned to flying condition. Today, N3200 is often referred to as a ‘National Treasure’. This is the biography of a remarkable pilot, husband and father, revealing the planes he flew, the places he visited, and the incredible people he met along the way.
Download or read book Air Combat Legends Supermarine Spitfire Messerschmitt Bf109 written by and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
