Download or read book Diary of a Bomb Aimer written by Campbell Muirhead and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2009-11-19 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Campbell Muirhead kept a meticulous diary of his wartime RAF service from the day that he set forth to train as a pilot in Canada and the USA in 1942 to the end of his wartime service with 12 Squadron Bomber Command. He was unable to pass the flying course and decided to retrain as a bomber because he wished to become operational as soon as possible. The book is particularly emotive as he wrote in the common parlance of those wartime days and truly reflects the emotions, fears and feelings of those caught up in that mighty conflict. His diligent observations of life in the RAF from joining-up, crossing the Atlantic, training in the New World bring back wartime life as it really was. His descriptions of the perils of flying on bombing raids deep into the heart of Germany truly reflect the many different aspects of life in a front-line squadron in a way that can only be told by one who was there.

Download or read book The Diary of a Bomb Aimer written by Campbell Muirhead and published by Spellmount, Limited Publishers. This book was released on 1987 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Campbell Muirhead kept a meticulous diary of his wartime RAF service from the day that he set forth to train as a pilot in Canada and the USA in 1942 to the end of his wartime service with 12 Squadron Bomber Command. He was unable to pass the flying course and decided to retrain as a bomber because he wished to become operational as soon as possible. The book is particularly emotive as he wrote in the common parlance of those wartime days and truly reflects the emotions, fears and feelings of those caught up in that mighty conflict. His diligent observations of life in the RAF from joining-up, crossing the Atlantic, training in the New World bring back wartime life as it really was. His descriptions of the perils of flying on bombing raids deep into the heart of Germany truly reflect the many different aspects of life in a front-line squadron in a way that can only be told by one who was there.

Download or read book Bomb Aimer Over Berlin written by Peter Jacobs and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2007-09-20 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Les Bartlett has become one of the great characters of World War II history. He flew as bomb aimer with the then Flying Officer Michael Beetham, who later became Marshal of the Royal Air Force. At that time he was a sergeant but gained his commission in April 1944 and flew his tour, including 27 raids over Germany and France between November 1943 and May 1944. On his second operation his aircraft was attacked by a Ju 88, leaving it with no flaps or brakes - a crash landing at Wittering ensued. At the end of his third mission they found the whole of Lincolnshire fogbound and eventually landed at RAF Melbourne in Yorkshire just before that airfield was closed also because of the fog. His aircraft was hit in the wing by a 30lb incendiary bomb dropped by another Lancaster flying above them on his sixth operation - but they survived. On his twelfth operation to Leipzig he used the nose guns to destroy a Ju 88 night fighter, for which he was awarded the DFM. In February 1944 the port outer engine caught fire and the crew baled out. Les was then posted as Assistant Adjutant to RAF Thornaby.

Download or read book The Necessary War Volume 1 written by Tim Cook and published by Penguin Canada. This book was released on 2014-09-09 with total page 734 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Co-winner of the 2014-2015 Charles P. Stacey Award Tim Cook, Canada’s leading war historian, ventures deep into World War Two in this epic two-volume story of heroism and horror, of loss and longing, sacrifice and endurance. Written in Cook’s compelling narrative style, this book shows in impressive detail how soldiers, airmen, and sailors fought—the evolving tactics, weapons of war, logistics, and technology. It gauges Canadian effectiveness against the skilled enemy whom they confronted in battlefields from 1939 to 1943, from the sweltering heat of Sicily to the frigid North Atlantic, and from the urban warfare of Ortona to the dark skies over Germany. The Necessary War examines the equally important factors of morale, discipline, and fortitude of the Canadian citizen-soldiers. The war was an engine of transformation for Canada. With a population of fewer than twelve million, Canada embraced its role as an arsenal of democracy, exporting war supplies, feeding its allies, and raising a million-strong armed forces that served and fought in nearly every theatre of war. The nation was mobilized like never before in the fight to preserve the liberal democratic order. The six-year-long exertion caused disruption, provoked nationwide industrialization, ushered in changes to gender roles, exacerbated the tension between English and French, and forged a new sense of Canadian identity. Canadians were willing to bear almost any burden and to pay the ultimate price in the pursuit of victory. As with his award-winning two-volume series on WWI, Tim Cook uses original sources, letters from soldiers, rare documents, and maps of battlefields to illustrate the contributions and sacrifices made by what is often called the greatest generation. Magisterial in its scope, The Necessary War illuminates Canada’s past as never before. From the Western Front to the home front, Canadians served many roles in a war that had to be fought and won.

Download or read book A Pathfinder s Story written by W. W. Robinson and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2007-11-12 with total page 349 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When he died in 1946, Flight Lieutenant Jack Mossop left behind a widow and child, a chest full of medals, and a diary. He was 25 years old. The diary gave tantalizing glimpses of his career; sixty years on, his son has uncovered the truth. It is the story of an ordinary Durham lad called upon to perform extraordinary deeds.Serving initially as a Wireless Operator in 49 Squadron, he progressed to 76 Squadron under the legendary Leonard Cheshire, and finished as a Deputy Master Bomber with the elite Pathfinder Group in 35 Squadron.To complete even one tour of duty was against the odds. To complete a second and then to volunteer for a third was nigh-on incredible. Small wonder that one of his crewmates called him The bravest man I ever knew. It is all the more tragic that he died a civilians death on board a BOAC Lancastrian after the war, in suspicious circumstances, which attracted the attention of the Prime Minister himself.Jack saw most of the great actions of Bomber Command, from the 1,000 bomber raids of 1942, to the Battles of the Ruhr and Berlin in 1943, and the daylight operations of Normandy before and after D-Day. His story stands as a microcosm of the entire bomber campaign. Bill Robinsons account is a fascinating and stirring account of courage in war: a tribute not only to one mans courage, but also to the courage of the nameless thousands whose stories will now never be told.

Download or read book Tail End Charlies written by John Nichol and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2008-04 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Night after night they stifled their fears and flew through flak and packs of enemy fighters to drop the bombs that would demolish the Third Reich. The airmen of the United States 8th Army Air ForceAmerican and British Bomber Command were among the greatest heroes of the Second World War, defying Hitler in the darkest early days of the war and taking the battle to the German homeland when no one else would. Toward the end of the conflict, too, they continued to sacrifice their lives to shatter an enemy sworn never to surrender. Blasted out of the sky in an instant or bailing out from burning aircraft to drop helplessly into hostile hands, they would die in their tens of thousands to ensure the enemy's defeat. Especially vulnerable were the "tail-end Charlies"---for the Americans, which meant two things: the gunners who flew countless missions in a plexiglass bubble at the back of the bomber, and the last bomber in the formation who ended up flying through the most hell, and for the British, the rear-gunners who flew operations in a Plexiglas bubble at the back of the bomber. Following their groundbreaking revelations about the ordeals suffered by Allied prisoners of war in their bestselling book, The Last Escape, John Nichol and Tony Rennell tell the astonishing and deeply moving story of the controversial last battles in the skies of Germany through the eyes of the forgotten heroes who fought them. "This is the best account that has been written of the heroic American and British bomber crews . . . the best of its kind." ---George McGovern "Rivaling the best of Stephen Ambrose's work, Tail-End Charlies gives a breathtakingly intimate look at the lives, loves, and deaths of the brave airmen of the greatest generation. This fascinating book is as valuable for its stories of joyous life on the ground as it is for its sobering tales of death in the air. You see the whole picture of the war here from the eyes of the strong young men who fought it." ---Walter J. Boyne, bestselling author of Beyond the Wild Blue "Adds new dimensions to the saga of the air war in Europe. The eyewitness accounts, reported within the context of the battle against Nazi Germany, provide a sense of the ordeals, the terror, the gore, and the heroism of ordinary men thrust into the savagery of aerial combat." ---Gerald Astor, author of The Mighty Eighth

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 969 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 Aspects of Lincoln written by Andrew Walker and published by Wharncliffe. This book was released on 2002-06-14 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aspects of Lincoln, is the first in the widely acclaimed Aspects series to feature the City of Lincoln. However the Aspects series now extends from the east and west Midlands, up to Lancaster in the north-west and the north Yorkshire coast in the east.Aspects of Lincoln, is a multi author book containing 12 pinpoint historical essays covering such diverse subjects as: Cinemas and Cinema Going in 20th Century Lincoln, Getting Drunk in 17th Century Lincoln, the story of Emily Gilbert, motoring pioneer and first woman sheriff of Lincoln. No story of Lincoln would be complete without Royal Air Force Bomber Command during World War 2, and here, we examine the social impact of the airfields and their staff on both City and County. In a more peaceful vein, we study the work of artist Peter de Wint and the importance of his works, now held in the Usher Gallery. Elsewhere we encounter the development of technical education in the City and remember the plight of those imprisoned in Lincoln's jails during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. These and much much more are to be found between the covers of Aspects of Lincoln. A treasury of history, both for the armchair historian and the student alike.

Download or read book Bomber Boys written by Kevin Wilson and published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. This book was released on 2012-04-09 with total page 462 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A gripping account of the everyday heroism of British bomber crews in 1943 - the year when Bomber Command believed it could win WWII by bombing alone. In 1943 the RAF began a bombing campaign against Germany, the like of which had never before been seen. Over the next twelve months, tens of thousands of aircrews flew across the North Sea to drop their bombs on German cities. They were opposed not only by the full force of the Luftwaffe, but by a nightmare of flak, treacherously icy conditions, and constant mechanical malfunction. Most of these crews never finished their tour of operations but were either shot down and killed, or taken prisoner by an increasingly hostile enemy. This is the story of the everyday heroism of British bomber crews in the days when it was widely believed that the Allies could win the Second World War by bombing alone. Kevin Wilson has interviewed hundreds of former airmen about what their lives were like in 1943: the stomach-churning tension of flying repeatedly over hostile territory, the terror at being shot down or captured, and the peculiar mixture of guilt and pride at unleashing such devastation on Germany.

Download or read book Bomber Crew written by James Taylor and published by Hodder. This book was released on 2012-03-01 with total page 405 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Long after the Battle of Britain, the aircrews of RAF Bomber Command risked their lives night after night during the Second World War. Over 55,000 of the airmen never returned from these missions; a further 10,000 became prisoners of war. And yet Bomber Command has been mired in controversy and its veterans - all volunteers - have never been awarded a campaign medal. Their crucial contribution to the outcome of the war has all too often been overlooked. BOMBER CREW exposes the bravery of these men using gripping first-person testimony from the surviving pilots and crew. For them this was a time of incredible hardship and adrenaline, courage and friendship, and their stories bear witness to the strength of the human spirit in times of incredible danger. Never before has their story been so vividly told. This is also a revealing look at the history of Bomber Command itself, from the early days through to eventual victory in 1945. From the terrifying action of the bombing raids to the intimate personal accounts of heroism, tragedy and triumph, this is the ultimate account of these brave men and their contribution to the Allied victory.

Download or read book Stout Hearts written by Ben Kite and published by Helion and Company. This book was released on 2016-08-19 with total page 489 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “At last a book has been written that forensically examines how the British Armed Forces fought its way through Normandy . . . utterly absorbing.” —James Holland, bestselling author of Brothers in Arms Stout Hearts is a book which offers an entirely new perspective on the British Army in Normandy. This fresh study explores the anatomy of war through the Army’s operations in the summer of 1944, informing and entertaining the general nonfiction reader as well as students of military history. There have been so many books written on Normandy that the publication of another one might appear superfluous. However most books have focused on narrating the conduct of the battle, describing the factors that influenced its outcome, or debating the relative merits of the armies and their generals. What was missing from the existing body of work on Normandy specifically and the Second World War generally is a book that explains how an army actually operates in war and what it was like for those involved; Stout Hearts fills this gap. Stout Hearts is essential reading for those who wish to understand the “mechanics” of battle. How does an Army care for its wounded? How do combat engineers cross obstacles? How do tanks fight? How do Air and Naval Forces support the Army? But to understand what makes an Army “tick” you must also understand its people. Therefore explanations of tactics and techniques are not only well illustrated with excellent photographs and high quality maps but also effectively combined with relevant accounts from the combatants themselves. These dramatic stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things are the strength of the book, bringing the campaign to life and entertaining the reader.

Download or read book Night Duel Over Germany written by Peter Jacobs and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2017-01-30 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bomber Commands night offensive against Nazi Germany, which lasted for nearly six years, was one of Britains major contributions to the Allied effort during the Second World War. But the decision to conduct its main operations at night only came about following heavy losses by day, when its prewar medium bombers had been found lacking in modern air warfare. The Luftwaffe, too, had its early problems. Initially without a dedicated night fighter, it was ill-equipped to defend the Reich, and so the stage was set for what would become one of the most critical strategic encounters of the war.Things had to change on both sides. Soon there came new and more capable aircraft, in ever-increasing numbers, coupled with new tactics and technology, as each side strove to gain the upper hand. It became a fascinating encounter between the crews of Bomber Command and the Luftwaffes night fighter force, the Nachtjagd, with no shortage of courage and heavy losses on both sides. Amongst the epic encounters were Bomber Commands Thousand Bomber raids, the attack on the German V-weapons research establishment at Peenemnde, the campaigns against the industrial Ruhr, Hamburg and Berlin, and the disastrous raid on Nuremberg. This new publication consolidates accounts from both sides and from all ranks of service in an effort to provide a comprehensive account of some of the most ferocious nocturnal engagements of the Second World War.

Download or read book Under a Bomber s Moon written by Stephen Harris and published by Exisle Publishing. This book was released on 2011-01-11 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: They were the best of enemies – dedicated, skilled and deadly. In the night skies above wartime Germany an RAF navigator-air bomber from New Zealand and a Luftwaffe pilot seek out their targets, testing the gap between success and their own destruction as they cross each other's paths. The odds are heavily against either of them making it through the war, but as this sobering realisation displaces their initial exuberant sense of adventure, both come to see in their youthful sacrifice the survival of all they hold dear. UNDER A BOMBER'S MOON reaches across the divide of years, of geography, of nationality, to tell their story largely in their own words – describing both the breathtaking clashes in the air and the camaraderie, humour, patriotism and personal tragedies that became their war. Stephen Harris began his journey of discovery because he wanted to know the truth of his great-uncle Colwyn Jones's fate. With Col's vividly written letters and diary as a starting-point, he set out to discover what really happened on the night Col's extraordinary luck ran out. Little did he know that his quest would lead him to a meeting with a former Luftwaffe pilot who was pitted against his great-uncle in the skies over Germany. Otto-Heinrich Fries proved to be both engaging and articulate, eventually allowing Harris to tell his story in this book. The result is a unique and personal account of two highly successful airmen from opposing sides.

Download or read book Bombing Germany The Final Phase written by Tony Redding and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2015-02-28 with total page 461 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During 1942 and 1943 the striking power of RAF Bomber Command was transformed by the arrival of heavy bombers, advanced navigation and blind bombing systems, and new tactics to concentrate the bombers over the target and swamp the German defences. By October 1944 most of Germany's cities were in ruins, yet the bombing continued to intensify, reaching unprecedented levels in the final seven months of the air campaign. The value of further area raids was questioned during the opening months of 1945, yet the Allies destroyed the remaining cities in a bid to hasten the end of the war. The handful of German cities still largely unscathed in early February 1945 included Dresden, which was obliterated on 13 February. Ten days later, the South German city of Pforzheim was destined to suffer the same fate.This book commemorates the efforts of the aircrew members who risked their lives, consolidating a host of intriguing first-hand accounts. It also considers Pforzheim as a representative community under National Socialist rule. The city's survivors remember the horror of the raid and its aftermath, including eventual occupation by French Colonial troops and, subsequently, American forces. Tony does an admirable job of presenting historical context when considering actions in times of extreme trauma and his narrative offers an intriguing, engaging and poignant evocation of the closing months of Bomber Command's war.

Download or read book Books in Print written by and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 2132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Night Air War written by Martin W. Bowman and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2015-07-31 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Of the 7,953 Bomber Command aircraft lost on night operations during the Second World War, an estimated 5,833 fell victim to Luftwaffe night fighters. In this detailed re-enactment of the air war over Western Europe and the raids flown by the men of RAF Bomber Command, the author has pieced together official data and the words and memories of the pilots and air crew who participated in the proceedings. Across fifteen chapters, many unique experiences are regaled, enlivening the history of the night bombing raids that were hurled against Hitler's war machine during the latter half of the Second World War. They span the period between November 1943 and 1945 and cover the encounters between the Luftwaffe and RAF Bomber Command during their heyday. 'No Operation Was Easy' was a commonly coined phrase amongst this group who, night after night, struck out at targets such as the 'The Big City' (Berlin), Stuttgart and the Ruhr. These truly epic stories, gleaned from the memories of the men who made up Bomber Command, serve as an appropriate epitaph to their collective effort.

Download or read book World War II written by John Patterson and published by GeneralStore PublishingHouse. This book was released on 2000 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: