| Fighter Boys - Saving Britain 1940 (Article #538 Page 1) |
Fighter Boys - Saving Britain 1940 -- BOOK REVIEW
Fighter Boys – Saving Britain 1940 by Patrick Bishop
IBSN 0 00 653204 7 Harper Perennial
With an up coming flight to Australia on the horizon I was looking for a good book to pass the time away. I came across Fighter Boys by Patrick Bishop and after reading it I thought it was worth recommending.
As the title suggests the book is about the lives of the British fighter pilots during the Battle of Britain. Bishop’s is a slightly different take on the subject by providing a more intimate look into what it was like to live, fly, fight and die that summer over the fields of England. He writes from interviews with a few of the surviving pilots, squadron dairies, and personal letters that friends and family gave him access to.
This is a very personal and private taste of what they went though, their thoughts, fears and ways of dealing with the stress and ever present specter death.
The book was a little slow to get into. Starting of with the RFC in the First World War and introducing those players who would take and lead the RAF through the interwar years. It covers in some detail how the RAF grew despite political intervention to the position it was situated in 1939.
First contact with the enemy with the battle of France begins to quickly evaporate the jolly feelings and confidence the pilots had coming from their merry days of squadron life back in old blighty. The reality of war sets in and a steep learning curve begins.
By the time the author covers the events of Dunkirk 230 pages (1/3 of the book) have past, but by now you will have difficulty in putting it down. You have begun to develop a connection with the pilots and the course of events, more so in knowing what is in store for them.
Bishop does not just stay with a small group of pilots in a single squadron. He manages to cover events and personalities from the top down, Dowding, Park, Bader, Deere and many others. He takes you into their messes, dispersals, cockpits and local pubs all while maintaining an over sight of how the battle is progressing and the tactical situation.
He gives you a clear understanding the position the RAF was in with it’s lack of pilots and need to get them in battle as soon as position. It shows the obvious effects of cutting corners on training that would have fatal consequences for many of the young pilots.
An example was a pilot who had transferred from the fleet air arm reporting to his new squadron commander having only flown the Hurricane twice. He only flew it a couple more times. Some squadron commanders tried to slowly integrate these people in and look after them. Others commanders knew that they we sent there to die and had to throw them in battle, often on the same day they turned up.
As the battle progresses squadrons are rested and others moved up. There is an interesting moment in the book where one squadron who had been up north and not seen any action where told that they were would be relieving another squadron near London. That night they had a merry old time in the mess, then reporting to their new base the next day were sent into the fight immediately nearly half of them were missing by the end of that day.
There are many personal moments caught in the heat of battle. One pilot who bails out finds himself near his auntie’s house. He stays and has dinner with her, rings his girl friend and they go out dancing in London that night. Forgetting that he had not called his squadron he finally rings up much to their relief thinking he had been killed.
There are many such moments throughout the book, some are funny, some serious and many sad. The book clearly shows the failings that were present in the RAF at that time and the struggle to change their ways which cost the lives of many young men.
I found this a very enjoyable book to read. If you are looking for a book that discusses strategy or tactics then this is not it, although it is covered. This book is more at the personal level, how they felt, what they thought and how that changes through the course of the battle.
We might often think what a thrill it would be to fly a Spitfire or Hurricane into battle. These were ‘men’ as young as 19 or 20 doing it everyday knowing that the odds were that they would not be coming home. Being so exhausted that you could fall asleep sitting just a few feet behind a Merlin engine running at full throttle, only to wake up upside down and heading nearly straight down. They were all truly brave men.
I think you will find this a good read.
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| Author | yoda_nz |
| Date & Time | 27-06-2008 00:00 |
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