Download or read book Clive Caldwell Air Ace written by Kristen Alexander and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2010 with total page 634 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'His courage, determination, skill and his undoubtedly outstanding ability as a leader are an inspiration to his Wing and worthy of the highest praise.' Extract from DSO citation Clive Caldwell was officially attributed with 27 victories and became Australia's highest scoring fighter pilot in World War II. In addition, he became an ace in both the Middle East and Pacific theatres - the only Australian pilot to attain this status. Kristen Alexander has had unrivalled access to Caldwell's personal papers as well as official and privately held records. She vividly brings to life Caldwell's aerial exploits and presents a man driven to carry out his duty. Originally considered an individualist, Caldwell became a fine fighter pilot and a dedicated leader, much loved by those he commanded. But he did not wear the restrictions of the RAAF well and, despite his achievements, endured public inquiry over liquor trading and the so-called 'Morotai Mutiny'. Even so, he continued to be well-regarded and respected by the public. This biography is a celebration of Caldwell's military achievements. It details his rise from a green fighter pilot to Wing leader and includes striking details of his air battles. It also includes unprecedented discussion of the Barry Inquiry and Caldwell's court-martial.
Download or read book Killer Caldwell written by Jeffrey Watson and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2010-11-01 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Clive 'Killer' Caldwell was a natural and brilliant pilot, a superb shot, and a born leader. He saw action against the Germans, Italians and Japanese, and remains Australia's greatest ever fighter pilot. Born and brought up in Sydney, it was obvious from an early age that nothing would stand in Caldwell's way. He bluffed his way into the RAAF, then made sure that he was posted to exactly where he thought he should be. His ability was unquestioned by all those around him, and he devised the vital 'shadow shooting' technique which contributed so much to Allied success in the air in the north African campaign, and in northern Australia. But he was never afraid of voicing his opinions to all those above and below him, be it about the training of pilots, or the equipping of Spitfires for use against the Japanese - and for trying to run the show his way... Caldwell ended his military career in the Morotai Mutiny in 1945, where he and a number of other Australian pilots tried to resign their commisions in protest at not being allowed by General MacArthur - and the RAAF - to take part in the main action. And then he was embroiled in the Barry inquiry into booze smuggling by him and other pilots... Killer Caldwell is a colourful portrait of a colourful Australian.
Download or read book Killer Caldwell written by Jeffrey Watson and published by Hachette Australia. This book was released on 2010-11-01 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Clive 'Killer' Caldwell was a natural and brilliant pilot, a superb shot, and a born leader. He saw action against the Germans, Italians and Japanese, and remains Australia's greatest ever fighter pilot. Born and brought up in Sydney, it was obvious from an early age that nothing would stand in Caldwell's way. He bluffed his way into the RAAF, then made sure that he was posted to exactly where he thought he should be. His ability was unquestioned by all those around him, and he devised the vital 'shadow shooting' technique which contributed so much to Allied success in the air in the north African campaign, and in northern Australia. But he was never afraid of voicing his opinions to all those above and below him, be it about the training of pilots, or the equipping of Spitfires for use against the Japanese - and for trying to run the show his way... Caldwell ended his military career in the Morotai Mutiny in 1945, where he and a number of other Australian pilots tried to resign their commisions in protest at not being allowed by General MacArthur - and the RAAF - to take part in the main action. And then he was embroiled in the Barry inquiry into booze smuggling by him and other pilots... Killer Caldwell is a colourful portrait of a colourful Australian.
Download or read book Spitfire Aces of Burma and the Pacific written by Andrew Thomas and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-02-20 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The arrival of the Spitfire in Burma came at a crucial time as the RAF struggled against the Japanese to support the Chindit operation on the ground. Proving a huge boost to morale, the Spitfire played a large part in defeating the enemy, and covering the subsequent Allied advance through Burma, protecting the ground troops and providing vital supplies. Covering this little documented aerial war, this book tells the stories of the 54 aces who flew against the Japanese, and also those who fought in India and Australia. Full-colour artwork reveals the markings and paint schemes of this most-famous of British planes, whilst first-hand accounts and archive photographs bring the aerial battles of Burma, India and Australia to life.
Download or read book Australian World War Ii Flying Aces written by Source Wikipedia and published by University-Press.org. This book was released on 2013-09 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 40. Chapters: John Lloyd Waddy, Peter Jeffrey, Clive Caldwell, Wilfred Arthur, Bobby Gibbes, Gordon Steege, Nigel Cullen, Peter Turnbull, Nicky Barr, Leslie Douglas Jackson, John Francis Jackson, Charles Crombie, Les Clisby, Charles Scherf, Russell Foskett, Paterson Clarence Hughes, Virgil Brennan, List of World War II aces from Australia, Adrian Goldsmith, Richard Hillary, Keith Truscott, John Edwin Ashley Williams, Tony Gaze. Excerpt: John Lloyd Waddy OBE, DFC (10 December 1916 - 11 September 1987) was a senior officer and aviator in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), who later served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and Minister of the Crown. As a fighter pilot during World War II, he shot down fifteen enemy aircraft in the Desert War, becoming one of Australia's top-scoring aces and earning the Distinguished Flying Cross. He went on to command No. 80 Squadron in the South West Pacific, where he was awarded the US Air Medal. He was also one of eight senior pilots who took part in the "Morotai Mutiny" of April 1945. Discharged from the Permanent Air Force at the end of the war, Waddy took a commission in the RAAF Reserve, leading the organisation as a Group Captain in the early 1950s. He was active in business and in veterans' groups, and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1955. As the Liberal Member for Kirribilli from 1962 to 1976, he held cabinet posts in the New South Wales Parliament, including Minister for Child Welfare and Social Welfare (later Youth and Community Services), Minister for Health, and Minister for Police and Services. He retired from politics in 1976, and died in 1987 at the age of seventy. Born in Sydney on 10 December 1916, Waddy was the son of first-class cricketer Edgar Lloyd Waddy and his wife Lottchen, and great-grandson of General Sir Richard...
Download or read book Nicky Barr An Australian Air Ace written by Peter Dornan and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2005 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A compelling personal account of an Australian fighter pilot in World War II.
Download or read book Jack Davenport written by Kristen Alexander and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2010-10 with total page 586 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We all need heroes to look up to and to emulate.' - Sir Arvi Parbo ACB lending sound research with enlightening anecdotes, Jack Davenport, Beaufighter Leader charts Jack's development from his Depression childhood, to the green pilot who had difficulties locating the target on his first Bomber Command operations, through to the superb pilot who led successful strikes against German shipping and the cool and resourceful planner of Coastal Command operations in the latter months of the war. Jack Davenport, Beaufighter Leader recounts the life of an Australian hero. Jack saved the lives of his crew from a near-fatal spin and rescued a pilot from a blazing aircraft; he flew close to well-armed enemy vessels to drop his torpedoes; and led large formations in the narrow confines of the Norwegian fjords to successfully attack enemy shipping. But there is more to heroism than just courage and brave deeds; Jack's career also encompassed the heroism of conviction, duty, responsibility and dedication to service. Kristen Alexander has written the definitive biography of Clive Caldwell, Australia's most successful fighter pilot of World War II. In Jack Davenport, Beaufighter Leader Kristen Alexander presents the life of another courageous and inspiring Australian WWII pilot.
Download or read book Spitfire VC vs A6M2 3 Zero sen written by Peter Ingman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-05-30 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Just weeks after Pearl Harbor, Darwin was mauled by a massive Japanese attack. Without a single fighter to defend Australian soil, the Australian government made a special appeal to Britain for Spitfires. A year later the Spitfire VC-equipped No 1 Fighter Wing, RAAF, faced the battle-hardened 202nd Kokutai of the IJNAF, equipped with A6M2 Zero-sens, over Darwin. This was a gruelling campaign between evenly matched foes, fought in isolation from the main South Pacific battlegrounds. Pilots on either side had significant combat experience, including a number of Battle of Britain veterans. The Spitfire had superior flight characteristics but was hampered by short range and material defects in the tropical conditions, while the Japanese employed better tactics and combat doctrine inflicting serious losses on the over-confident Commonwealth forces. Fully illustrated with detailed full-colour artwork, this is the gripping story of two iconic aircraft facing off against each other above Australia.
Download or read book A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940 1945 written by Christopher Shores and published by Grub Street Publishers. This book was released on 2012-06-19 with total page 962 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This first volume in the seminal series on World War II aerial combat, pilots, and tactics that “reads like an encyclopedia on the subject” (Portland Book Review). In the early days of World War II, both Allied and Axis powers extended the theater of war to North Africa, where hard-fought battles were conducted in the harsh desert. But before anyone could claim victory on the ground, they had to hold dominion in the air. Here, historian Christopher Shores has combined his books Fighters over the Desert and Fighters over Tunisia into one volume, as well as adding updated information about the deadly fighter aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft, and maritime units active in the Mediterranean. Full of in-depth research and featuring essential maps, this is “an intimate introspection by these men of their experiences and the respect that they shared not only for each other but also their adversaries” (The Military Reviewer).
Download or read book 75 Years Aloft Royal Australian Air Force Air Training Corps Australian Air Force Cadets 1941 2016 written by Matthew Glozier and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2015-12-03 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book celebrates 75 years of Air Force cadet activity in Australia, 1941-2016. The organisation has had a tremendous impact upon the lives of tens-of-thousands of Australians over our 75 year history. Since 1982 it has enhanced the lives of young women as well as men. The book begins in WWII with the need to pre-train capable and committed "keen lads". Over 30,000 Australian boys were air cadets 1941-1945 with almost 13,000 going on to active service in the war. Air Force cadets survived into peacetime to become an aviation focussed youth development organisation, providing flying training in a military atmosphere with the aim of inspiring cadets to join the RAAF. There are currently over 8,000 Air Force cadets and adult staff around Australia. Aviation centred youth development in a RAAF service environment remains our central focus.
Download or read book The Submarine Six written by Tom Lewis and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Any Australian asked to mention our war heroes could probably name General Monash and Albert Jacka VC from World War I, and then Weary Dunlop, and perhaps Field Marshal Blamey from WWII. A knowledgeable few might be able to suggest Australia's greatest fighting air ace, Clive Caldwell. But who could name our naval heroes? Naval conflicts take place often far from our shores. Ships and men sometimes disappear, to leave only mystery in their wake. In the 1990s the Royal Australian Navy broke with tradition, and for the first time named six submarines after six naval heroes. This book shows the true depths of their achievements. These were men whose warrior exploits stand alongside those of any from other nations. But they have been largely unrecognised, save for those submarines. Captain Hec Waller, for example, fought to the end in HMAS Perth, alongside fellow cruiser USS Houston. The Houston's Captain Rooks was deservedly awarded the Congressional Medal of Honour, America's highest honour. Captain Waller, by comparison, was given distinction, but not of the highest rank. Should he have been given the Victoria Cross? Other heroes stand alongside him. Emile Dechaineux, hero of Dunkirk and the North Sea, battling it out against Japanese kamikaze attack. John Collins, taking HMAS Sydney to victory against Italian cruisers. Hal Farncomb - the first Australian to command an aircraft carrier, in action off the French coast. But The Submarine Six also examines whether two more of its men deserve further honour. Teddy Sheean, tenacious gunner from Tasmania, fought to the end in HMAS Armidale. Robert Rankin commanded HMAS Yarra against fearful odds, dying in defence of his convoy, attacked by overwhelming Japanese forces. Are they also VC candidates? Three of the men are from Tasmania, the island state which in WWII contributed more seamen per head of the population than any other state. All of the six are men of determination, bravery, and incredible resolve. Worth analysis, worth following, and worthy of greater recognition - Australian heroes all. The Submarine Six brings forward six naval warriors to stand alongside any other military achiever.
Download or read book Australia s Few and the Battle of Britain written by Kristen Alexander and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2015-04-30 with total page 441 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the summer and autumn of 1940, the Germans launched their Luftwaffe campaign to gain superiority over the RAF, especially Fighter Command. They were not successful, and this defeat marked a turning point in the Allies' favour. This is the story of eight Australian fighter pilots engaged in the Battle of Britain, the first major battle of World War II (or any war) fought entirely in the air. Jack Kennedy, Stuart Walch, Dick Glyde, Ken Holland, Pat Hughes, Bill Millington, John Crossman and Des Sheen Ð only one of them came home.??A story we take for granted, here told afresh with insight and empathy.?Professor Peter Stanley, UNSW Canberra??In telling the stories of some of the Australians who flew in the Battle of Britain, Kristen Alexander has combined academic rigour with compelling personal detail. She has demonstrated that the ÒunknownsÓ of the Battle are as fascinating as those who gained celebrity status. This is a book for those who know much about what happened in 1940 and those who don't.... Geoff Simpson, Trustee, Battle of Britain Memorial Trust??The lives of eight Australian fighter pilots, from backyard to cockpit and beyond, lovingly and expertly told.... Andy Wright, Aircrew Book Review
Download or read book The Royal Australian Air Force written by Alan Stephens and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Histories of air force often focus on aeroplanes at the expense of people. This book tells that story through the experiences of the airmen and airwomen who have served Australia around the world, from Mesopotamia in 1915 to East timor in 2000.
Download or read book Mitsubishi Zero written by Peter C. Smith and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2014-11-30 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history of the Japanese aircraft, “illustrated by well reproduced black and white photographs” details the plane’s impressive WWII aviation record. (Aviation News) The Mitsubishi Zero is one of the greatest fighter aircraft ever to have graced the skies. Symbolic of the might of Imperial Japan, she represented a peak of developmental prowess in the field of aviation during the early years of the Second World War. Engineered with maneuverability in mind, this lightweight, stripped-back aircraft had a performance that left her opponents totally outclassed. The dogfights this aircraft engaged in with the Chinese, British, Dutch and American warplanes in the 1941-42 period are the stuff of aviation legend. The Zero remained a potent threat until the end of the war, not least in her final role, that of a Kamikaze plane, in which she created as much havoc on the sea as she had done earlier in the air. Peter C. Smith takes the reader on a journey from inspired inception to the blazing termination of this unique aircraft, the first Naval fighter to be superior to land-based aircraft. Mitsubishi Zero describes in detail the many victories that punctuated the early days of the plane’s operational career as well as the final days of the Second World War which witnessed her demise. Smith also lists the preserved Zero aircraft on display today. This is a fast-paced and fascinating history of a fighter aircraft like no other.
Download or read book Australian Perspectives on Global Air and Space Power written by Nicole Townsend and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-03-01 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book surveys historical and emerging global air and space power issues and provides a multidisciplinary understanding of the application of air and space power in the past and present, while exploring potential future challenges that global air forces may face. Bringing together leading and emerging academics, professionals, and military personnel from Australia within the field of air and space power, this edited collection traces the evolution of technological innovations, as well as the ethical and cultural frameworks which have informed the development of air and space power in the 20th and 21st centuries, and contemplates the future. It covers topics such as the insurgents' use of drones, the ethics of air strikes, the privatisation of air power, the historical trajectory of air power strategy, and the sociological implications of an ‘air force’ identity. While many of the chapters use Australian-based case studies for their analysis, they have broader applicability to a global readership, and several chapters examine other nations’ experiences, including those of the United States and the United Kingdom. This accessible, illuminating book is an important addition to contemporary air and space power literature, and will be of great interest to students and scholars of air and space power, air warfare, military and international history, defence studies, and contemporary strategic studies, as well as military professionals.
Download or read book Airborne Landing to Air Assault written by Nikolaos Theotokis and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2020-07-30 with total page 501 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A complete history of paratroopers and their role in modern war, including a glossary and photos. Many books have been written about military parachuting, particularly about famous operations like Crete and Arnhem in the Second World War and notable units like the British Parachute Regiment and the US 101st Airborne Division, but no previous book has covered the entire history of the use of the parachute in warfare. In this valuable study, Nikolaos Theotokis traces in vivid detail the development of parachuting over the last hundred years and describes how it became a standard tactic in twentieth-century conflicts. As well as depicting a series of historic parachute operations all over the world, he recognizes the role of airmen in the story, for they were the first to use the parachute in warfare when they jumped from crippled planes in combat conditions. Adapting the parachute for military purposes occurred with extraordinary speed during the First World War and, by the time of the Second World War, it had become an established technique for special operations and offensive actions on a large scale. The range of parachute drops and parachute-led attacks was remarkable, and all the most dramatic examples from the world wars and lesser conflicts are recounted in this graphic and detailed study. The role played by parachute troops as elite infantry is also a vital part of the narrative, as is the way in which techniques of air assault have evolved since the 1970s.
Download or read book A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940 1945 Volume 2 written by Christopher Shores and published by Grub Street Publishing. This book was released on 2014-07-19 with total page 736 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This second volume in the seminal series on aerial combat, pilots, and tactics in Libya and Egypt in the middle of World War II. In volume two of this series, historian Christopher Shores begins by exploring the 8th Army’s movements after Operation Crusader when they were forced back to the Gazala area in northeastern Libya, as well as their defeat in June, 1942, the loss of Tobruk, and the efforts of Allied air forces to protect their retreating troops. Shores continues with the heavy fighting that followed in the El Alamein region. This features the Western Desert Air Force and the arrival of the first Spitfires. The buildup of both army and air forces and the addition of new commanders on the ground aided the defeat of Rommel’s Deutsche Afrika Korps at Alam el Halfa, after which came the Second Battle of El Alamein. With the arrival of the United States Army Air Force, the Allied air forces gained dominance over the Axis. Shores recounts the lengthy pursuit of the Italo-German forces right across Libya, including the capture of Tripoli and the breakthrough into Southern Tunisia. This allowed a linkup with other Allied forces in Tunisia (whose story appears in Volume 3). Included with the action are stories of some of the great fighter aces of the Desert campaign such as Jochen Marseille and Otto Schulz of the Luftwaffe, Franco Bordoni-Bisleri of the Regia Aeronautica and Neville Duke, Billy Drake, and “Eddie” Edwards of the Commonwealth air forces. Finally, Shores touches on the Allied and Axis night bombing offensives and the activities of the squadrons cooperating with the naval forces in the Mediterranean.
