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Following the critically acclaimed publication eight years ago of
Buccaneer Boys, long-serving Buccaneer navigator Air Commodore
Graham Pitchfork has now followed up the great success of the book
with more true tales from those who flew the last all-British
bomber. Thirty Buccaneer ‘Boys’, drawn from the Fleet Air Arm,
the Royal Air Force and the South African Air Force, outline their
experiences in the maritime role, operations overland, including
the first Gulf War, and operations by the South Africans in the
Border Wars. In addition to the aircrew, air engineer officers and
ground crew have also contributed. The reader is left in no doubt
that the ‘Buccaneer Boys’ knew how to work hard and to play
hard. The skill, professionalism and excitement of operating and
servicing this iconic British aircraft shines throughout every
page. This book is lavishly illustrated with 100 black and white
photographs and two-colour plate sections of 40 photographs, many
never previously published.
The previous edition of The Royal Air Force Day by Day has been
brought up to date to mark the 100th anniversary of the formation
of the RAF. It is a diary of significant daily events providing a
fascinating record of the RAF's 100 year history. It describes not
only the great air battles and major events, but also the tapestry
of activities, traditions and culture that have created the rich
heritage of the world's oldest air force. Central to all these
themes are the experiences of RAF officers, airmen and women,
ground trades and aircrew during war and peacetime. Created in
April 1918, the RAF made a major contribution to the final victory
in the First World War, but soon found itself fighting for its very
existence in the face of savage defence cuts and a vigorous
campaign by the Royal Navy and army to control their own air power.
Under the guidance and vision of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air
Marshal Sir Hugh Trenchard, the foundations of the RAF were
established and the junior service became increasingly involved in
the many 'air policing' operations that dominated the next twenty
years. In the Second World War airpower came of age, and by the end
of hostilities in 1945 the RAF had become one of the most powerful
air arms in the world. With the decline of the empire, the RAF's
role changed as Britain made an increasingly important contribution
to NATO. The Service played a vital role in the air defence of the
United Kingdom and for some years provided the country's strategic
and tactical nuclear deterrent. The ending of the Cold War removed
one threat, but others emerged and the RAF was at the centre of
operations in the Falklands, the Balkans, two Gulf Wars, the war in
Afghanistan and the current conflict in Syria - its most intense
operation for twenty-five years - not to mention peacekeeping and
international aid operations worldwide. Young in relation to the
other two services, there have been enormous changes in the way the
RAF has developed its capabilities and culture. These are
graphically illustrated in this book, which delivers a compelling
mixture of the exceptional, the unusual and the routine. It has
been published at the request of the Royal Air Force as part of
their centenary celebrations.
A departure from the Cold War for the Boys series! Researched many
years ago by the author for a project which did not come to
fruition, Beaufighter air and ground crew gave freely of their
stories which ranged from complete memoirs to brief anecdotes. And
there were a plethora of original photographs for him to choose
from. Graham Pitchfork has built on these reminiscences to trace
the roles of Beaufighter squadrons spread across all the theatres
of World War Two operations. From home bases, through north-west
Europe, North Africa, Malta and the Mediterranean to the far Far
East and south-west Pacific, the Beaufighter served far and wide as
did the crews of the RAF, RAAF, SAAF and New Zealand and Canadian
squadrons. All are covered in this quite unique book to be savoured
by all those interested in the war in the air from 1939-1945.
Twenty-four aircrew who flew the iconic aircraft with the Fleet Air
Arm, the Royal Air Force and the South African Air Force (SAAF)
relate their experiences and affection for the Blackburn Buccaneer.
Arranged in chronological order, the book traces the history of the
aircraft and the tasks it fulfilled. In addition to describing
events and activities, it provides an insight into the lifestyle of
a Buccaneer squadron and the fun and enjoyment of being a
`Buccaneer Boy' in addition to being part of a highly professional
and dedicated force. This lavishly illustrated book concludes with
accounts of the aircraft's final days in RAF service and some
reflections on its impact on maritime and overland air power.
208 Squadron based at RAF Valley in Anglesey will be celebrating
its 100th anniversary in October 2016, making it one of the few RAF
squadrons to achieve this unique distinction whilst still part of
the RAFs current order of battle. To celebrate this achievement,
Air Commodore Pitchfork has compiled a chronological history of the
squadrons main activities and personnel with the aim of
illustrating the spirit, comradeship, and professionalism of the
squadron. Taking its title from the squadrons motto, Vigilant, the
book starts with the formation of Naval 8 as a scout squadron on
the Western Front during the First World War. It then continues
through the various conflicts that Naval 8/208 Squadron has played
a key role in, including the Second World War and Gulf War. The
units move to Egypt in the inter-war years as an army co-operation
squadron, which inspired the Gizah Sphinx motif for 208 Squadron,
is also covered. Its modern-day role as an advanced flying training
squadron concludes the squadrons story. This history has been
written with the use of important sources from the squadrons
archives, along with interviews from veterans and current members
of the squadron. It also has the support of 208s Old Comrades
Association, which was pioneered and fostered by its first CO, Air
Vice-Marshal Sir Geoffrey Bromet. The association is very active
and one of the longest serving and strongest associations within
the RAF.
That heritage is preserved here as a diary of daily events
-90-year-old tradition and established its great reputation. While
so many books on air force history concentrate on the big events,
The Royal Air Force Day by Day also examines the conditions that
its officers not just of the great air battles, but of all that has
built the RAF's, airmen and women, ground trades and aircrew, have
experienced in peacetime as well as war. The RAF has had a heavy
involvement in peacekeeping and offensive actions worldwide since
the end of the First World War. This book covers the principal
operational and administrative developments in the RAF's 90-year
history. Published in association with the Royal Air Force Museum,
whose library has provided much of the illustrative and factual
content, The Royal Air Force Day by Day is a compelling mixture of
the great and commonplace.
Twelve years since The Daily Telegraph Airmen's Obituaries Book Two
was published, Air Commodore Graham Pitchfork, has compiled
ninety-one obituaries of outstanding aviators. With a focus on
personnel from a range of air forces, including the RAF, USAF,
RCAF, RNZAF and SAAF, there are a number of fascinating and
distinguishable lives to read about. Those featured include MRAF
Sir Michael Beetham, the longest-serving Chief of Air Staff in the
RAF (apart from its founder Lord Trenchard); Brigadier General Paul
Tibbets who commanded the USAAF bomber Enola Gay, which dropped the
atom bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and Wing Commander 'Dal'
Russel, a highly decorated wartime Canadian fighter pilot, whose
logbook recorded kills in the Battle of Britain and the Normandy
invasion. There is also Lettice Curtis, the first woman qualified
to fly a four-engine bomber and who by the end of the Second World
War had flown over 400 heavy bombers, 150 Mosquitos and hundreds of
Hurricanes and Spitfires as part of her role in the Air Transport
Auxiliary. Civilians tales include the story of courageous Captain
Jim Futcher whose VC-10 was hijacked by Palestinian terrorists in
November 1974. As seen in previous editions, Book Three
commemorates the lives of an exceptional group of individuals and
reminds the reader of the talent and experience we have lost from
the world of aviation.
Thousands of airmen shot down over enemy soil between 1940 and 1945
miraculously escaped capture. This compelling narrative reveals
their stories, based on first-hand interviews, photographs and
official documents, featuring heroes from Britain, Canada,
Australia and other Commonwealth countries. These men knew extreme
adversity: hunger, thirst, injury, isolation and the constant fear
of capture. They also knew great kindness from the local people who
risked everything to help them. Their journeys to safety - often
across savage terrain - tested human endurance and ingenuity to the
very limit.
The summer of 1940 witnessed the greatest air battle in history, as
the men Winston Churchill dubbed 'The Few' fought over the skies of
Britain to prevent the Luftwaffe from gaining air superiority,
which would have paved the way for Hitler to invade our island.
Graham Pitchfork charts the development of the epic battle fought
by Fighter Command as it reacted to the changes in the Luftwaffe's
strategy, reaching a climax on 15 September before finally coming
to a conclusion in October 1940. In addition to the exploits of the
pilots in the air, the contribution of the many ground
organisations that played such a crucial role is also highlighted
in this lavishly illustrated book.
The RAF's Air Sea Rescue Service saved thousands of RAF,
Commonwealth and Allied airmen between 1939 and 1945. This
fascinating account draws on first-hand interviews, photographs and
official documents to reveal some of its most dramatic missions in
northwest Europe, the Mediterranean and the Far East. Those shot
down at sea faced terrifying dangers, from weather extremes to
enemy fighters, and rescue by airborne or seaborne craft was
fraught with difficulty. These incredible stories celebrate the
courage, persistence and ingenuity of the men who found themselves
'in the drink' and those who saved them.
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