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49 Squadron Profile 

Chris Ward

49 Squadron was one of six front-line Hampden units serving with 5 Group at the outbreak of war. It was in action against the enemy on the day that war was declared, and apart from a brief spell on attachment to Coastal Command between the 26th of January and 19th of March 1940, spent its entire career in Bomber Command operating under the banner of 5 Group. Operations during the first two years and nine months of WWII were carried out in the trusty but increasingly obsolete twin-engine Hampden, a type which rendered magnificent service and in which 49 Squadron crews took part in the first mining operations in April 1940, the first strategic bombing operations over Germany in May and the attacks on invasion barges assembling in ports along the occupied coast as the Battle of Britain drew to a close in the late summer and autumn. At the limit of its range, the Hampden took 49 squadron crews to Berlin on many occasions, often arriving back over England flying on little more than fumes. The squadron took part in the infamous "Channel Dash" episode on the 12th of February 1942, during which the German fleet escaped from its long-time lodgings at Brest and passed under the noses of the British defences, through the English Channel and on to German ports. A massive daylight commitment of aircraft by Bomber and Coastal Commands and the Fleet Air Arm failed to halt the vessels' progress and four 49 Squadron Hampdens were among fifteen aircraft lost. 

The great hope was the Avro Manchester, the type intended to replace the Hampden, but its engine design was fatally flawed and the type was approaching the end of its brief operational career by the time that 49 Squadron converted in the early summer of 1942. It was not a happy two months of operations, which included the three "Thousand Bomber Raids on Cologne, Essen and Bremen, the last-mentioned bringing down the curtain on the Manchester's ill-fated career. Thereafter, 49 Squadron went to war in Lancasters and played a major role in the campaigns of 1943 against the Ruhr, Hamburg and Berlin, the last mentioned continuing until the spring of 1944. 5 Group gained independence from Bomber Command's main force in April 1944 and remained at the forefront of operations. pre-invasion against railways and coastal defences and post-invasion in tactical support of ground forces and in on-going campaigns against railways, V-Weapons and oil. The squadron suffered its heaviest loss on Midsummer's Night 1944, when losing six crews, including that of its commanding officer, in an attack on a synthetic oil refinery at Wesseling near Cologne. From late summer onwards, the squadron was involved in a second Ruhr campaign and in 1945 took part in frequent attacks on the Dortmund-Ems and Mittelland canals, which resulted in their destruction.

Paperback, 11 x 8 1/2 inches, 487 pages, £20 

We Are Coming Bringing Gifts

No. 620 Squadron Part 1: 1943

Steve C. Smith

No.620 Squadron was one of a number of Bomber Command squadrons that operated briefly during the bomber offensive over Germany. Formed in June 1943 in No.3 Group and equipped with the four-engine Short Stirling, on paper at least the odds were already stacked against it. The Short Stirling wasconsidered a liability by HQ Bomber Command and hated by the C-in-C Arthur Harris, so it would never be a smooth baptism. 

However, amongst the crews were young men who would defy the flak, fighters and the weather and survive. They were few, but they left an indelible mark on the history of RAF Bomber Command.

The six months the squadron operated with Bomber Command would include the Battle of Hamburg, the attack on the Rocket Establishment at Peenemunde and the early clashes of the Battle of Berlin. The unit's grievous losses are reflected in the book, which gives a candid monthly report on the squadron's morale. In November 1943 the squadron left Bomber Command and moved to RAF Leicester East in preparation for airborne forces operations.

This volume is a story of an ordinary bomber squadron manned by extraordinarily brave young men who faced death on an almost nightly basis.

Hardback, 11 in x 8 1/4 in; 264 pages, £22

We Are Coming Bringing Gifts No. 620 Squadron Part 2: 1944-1946

Steve C. Smith

Part Two covers the unit's time on Special Duties and dropping airborne troops.

Hardback, 11 in x 8 1/4 in; 421 pages, £25

102 (Ceylon) Squadron Profile

Chris Ward

102 (Ceylon) Squadron was a mainstay of 4 Group from the outbreak of war to the end of hostilities, operating for the first time on the day after war was declared. 4 Group was equipped with the twin-engine Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, a slow but immensely reliable aircraft capable of remaining aloft for more than twelve hours. The Whitley was employed initially in a pioneering role to deliver propaganda leaflets to populations as far away as Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Austria. Such sorties exposed the crews to extremes of cold in unheated aircraft but taught them also how to navigate over a blacked-out Europe at night at a time when the rest of Bomber Command was trained only for daylight operations.

At the end of 1941 the squadron converted to the four-engine Handley Page Halifax, an aircraft with a troubled gestation period, which saw it withdrawn from operations for modifications on a number of occasions. The type was not suited to retrospective modifications, and this meant that 4 Group squadrons were constantly exchanging one variant for another. The Mk II/V Halifax underwent many design changes in an attempt to improve its performance and shed its questionable reputation. However it saw 102 Squadron through the campaigns of 1943 against the Ruhr, Hamburg and Berlin, the last-mentioned extending through the winter of 1943/44.

Late in 1943, 4 Group began to re-equip with the much-improved Hercules-powered Mk III Halifax. It would be some time before the type reached 102 (Ceylon) Squadron. At the time, the squadron was among those operating the Merlin-powered variants which, following the disaster of Leipzig in February 1944, was withdrawn from operations over Germany. Finally, in May 1944, the squadron returned to the forefront of operations with Mk IIIs and later Mk IVs. In the autumn of 1944, the squadron was among a number from 42 Base employed to ferry petrol to Europe to fuel the advance into Germany.

During the course of its wartime career, the squadron suffered the third highest operational losses in Bomber Command, the highest losses in 4 Group and the highest Whitley losses. At the war's end 102 (Ceylon) Squadron was transferred to the newly formed Transport Command.

Paperback,  8 1/2 in x 11 in, 398 pages, £20 

Target Germany - No. 186 Squadron 1944-1945

Steve C. Smith

Formed in October 1944 in No.3 Group RAF Bomber Command, No.186 Squadron was pitched immediately into the relentless bomber offensive from its formation. Initially established with the help of No.90 Squadron, the new squadron would be equipped with the excellent Avro Lancaster.

From the very outset, the squadron was staffed by the very best crews that No.3 Group could offer. This included its commander officer, Wing Commander Giles DSO DFC. Under his leadership, the squadron quickly earned a reputation as reliable and highly motivated. This was not surprising given its Commanding Officer, handpicked flight commanders, and many second tour crews. The squadron would play a pivotal role in the destruction of Germany's important transportation and oil facilities over the last seven months of WW2. Sadly, this success came with a price in young lives. By May 8th, 1945, the squadron had flown 871 sorties. Target Germany combines the operational history of the squadron with individual stories from those who served, with numerous never before published photographs. This is a long-overdue book on a forgotten squadron. 

Now available in paperback.
 

Hardback, 11 in x 8 1/4 in, 329 pages, illustrated. £25

Paperback, 11 in x 8 1/2 in, 329 pages, illustrated. £18

God Gave Them Wings

Simon Hepworth

If God meant men to fly, He would have given them wings.’

Manned aviation started in Britain in 1784, when James Tytler took to the skies above Edinburgh in a balloon. Tragically, the first fatal accident took place only a couple of years later, when 22-year-old Ralph Heron fell from an ascending balloon as he helped to launch it.

By the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, balloons had largely become eclipsed by powered aeroplanes, more complex and capable of greater speeds and altitude. The machines were flown by brave and determined pilots who pushed the boundaries of the fledgling science of aeronautics, with an inevitable price exacted.

As the toll mounted, another science was developed, that of air accident investigation.

God Gave Them Wings is the first volume in a series detailing every recorded civil air accident in Britain, its investigation and the lessons learnt.

With the details of 137 serious or otherwise significant British air accidents, and over 200 contemporary images, this book is believed to be the most comprehensive work ever published covering this aspect of aviation history and shows how early investigations led to improvements in air safety we can recognise today.

This first volume in the series British Civil Aircraft Losses covers the early days of aviation in the UK, between 1786 and the outbreak of the Great War in 1914.

Hardback: 8 1/4 inches x 11 inches, 236 pages, £20

Softback: 8 1/2 inches x 11 inches, 236 pages, £15

Royal Air Force Squadron Losses

Volume 4: 1st January 1921 to 31st December 1930

In presenting this fourth volume in the series of Royal Air Force squadron losses between April 1918 and September 1939, the authors have maintained the style set by the third book. Additional to summarising the losses - a total of 658 aircraft destroyed or damaged beyond economical repair - between January 1921 and December 1930, where many of the United Kingdom accidents are enhanced by contemporary newspaper reports, extensive coverage is being presented in appendices featuring officers commanding squadrons, short service commission officers and flight cadets graduating with permanent commissions from the College at Cranwell, many subsequently becoming air ranked officers of the service. Within these appendices the authors show a wealth of data regarding ranks and dates of completion of service, citations, where available, for gallantry awards, along with information for those who lost their lives in accidents unconnected with squadron operations.

As the introduction begins to this fourth volume, the Royal Air Force of the time was often referred to as “The Best Flying Club in the World” and, therefore, no less than fifty-eight photographs are included to illustrate what 'Club Members' could expect to fly.

Paperback, A4, 468 pages, 58 b/w photographs. £18
 

Aircraft Recognition

(Authentic Notes series)

Published in March 1940 as Air Publication 1764, this reproduction of an Air Ministry document details contemporary RAF aircraft just before the start of the Battle of Britain, as well as those of the Luftwaffe, and the Italian and French air forces. The document is clearly marked 'Not to be taken in the air', though it has since been declassified.

A fascinating insight into the fleets of four of the most powerful air forces in Western Europe at a critical phase in the Second World War, the document enables the reader to know now what the combatants knew then.

Paperback, 8 1/4 in x 6 in, 148 pages, £8.99

57 Squadron Profile

Chris Ward

The wartime career of 57 Squadron began within weeks of the start of hostilities, when, as part of the Advanced Air Striking Force, it found itself in northern France at the end of September 1939 and forming 70 Wing with 18 Squadron. Equipped with the Blenheim Mk I the squadron launched its first reconnaissance sorties over north-western Germany on the 12th of October, from which the commanding officer failed to return. The remainder of the year saw the squadron continue in a reconnaissance role with occasional losses to enemy action. The harsh winter restricted operations until March, when the Mk IV Blenheim replaced the Mk I. When German forces invaded the Low Countries on the 10th of May, the Fairey Battle and Blenheim squadrons of the AASF were pitched into an unequal fight against German fighters and entrenched flak positions and were effectively knocked out of the conflict. 

Withdrawn to England, 57 Squadron joined 3 Group and re-equipped with Wellingtons to take its place in Bomber Command's front line until a posting to 5 Group in September 1942 brought a new phase of operations on Lancasters. From that point until the end of the war, 57 Squadron participated in all of Bomber Command's campaigns against the Ruhr, Hamburg, Berlin, railways, oil, V-Weapons, tactical support of the ground forces, canals and a second Ruhr offensive in late 1944. It also contributed its C Flight as the nucleus of the newly forming 617 Squadron in preparation for the "Dambusters" raid. 

It was not a lucky squadron and ended the war with the highest percentage loss rate in the Command. Its record of service bears comparison with any in the Command, and its final wartime home, East Kirkby, now stands in tribute to its crews and those of 630 Squadron.

8 1/2 in x 11 in, paperback, 398 pages: £18

Callsign: Silksheen

RAF East Kirkby in Peace and War 

Compiled by Martin Keen

A comprehensive history of RAF East Kirkby, the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, and Lancaster 'Just Jane'. Complete with hundreds of photos and other images, along with a comprehensive collection of data and anecdotes, this is the definitive story of the iconic site commemorating the heroes of Bomber Command.

A4, paperback format, 472 pages. £18

Bealine Charlie Oscar

Flight CY284 - The Real Story Behind a Forgotten Atrocity

On 12th October 1967, Cyprus Airways flight 284 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea near the island of Kastellorizo with the loss of all 66 passengers and crew. At the time it was the worst aviation disaster in Cypriot history. The flight, from London Heathrow to Nicosia via Athens, was operated by British European Airways on behalf of Cyprus Airways, using a Comet 4B aircraft, call sign Bealine Charlie Oscar. The subsequent accident investigation is still regarded as a masterpiece of forensic assessment, based on evidence from the very small amount of wreckage recovered. Within hours of the crash, there was much speculation that Charlie Oscar was destroyed in an attempt to assassinate General Georgios Grivas, the former leader of guerrilla forces during the Cyprus Emergency a few years earlier. After a short crime investigation, the police decided that there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone with an offence. The full police and UK Home Office files will not be made public until 2067. However, documents from the National Archives suggest the police investigation was influenced by the Foreign Office to avoid uncovering evidence of a political nature. For more than half a century, the families of the lost passengers and crew have been denied the crucial answers to their questions, and with them the justice and closure they still seek. In this, the third edition of Bealine Charlie Oscar, aviation professional and writer Simon Hepworth gives a comprehensive account of Charlie Oscar’s last flight, the recovery operation and investigation into the tragedy. With access to new information, from previously undisclosed documents and witnesses, he pieces together what happened before, during and after the fateful flight. He presents compelling evidence that 66 innocent people were massacred in what is still Britain’s biggest undetected mass murder, in a fall-out between people at the highest level of Cypriot politics, and that the authorities in the UK and Cyprus have continued to wish that the atrocity was quietly forgotten.

Hardback edition: 357 pages, 9 in x 6 in. £18.00 (worldwide now including UK)

Softback edition: 357 pages, 9 in x 6 in. £13.50

Kindle edition: £4.99

The Destruction of Flight CY284

Simon Hepworth

Flight CY284 was destroyed by a bomb in the passenger cabin.

• Who blew up the aircraft, killing the 66 passengers and crew?
• Why did they do so?
• Why is the deliberate destruction of this civil airliner and the murder of its occupants still covered up?
• More than half a century later, the families and friends of the victims are still waiting for answers.

The Destruction of Flight CY284 examines the evidence and provides answers to this enduring story...
...answers that are more shocking than any fiction, pointing to collusion and conspiracy at the highest levels of government.

This edition, a condensed version of Bealine Charlie Oscar, is in English with a full Greek translation.

On 12th October 1967, Cyprus Airways flight 284 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea near the island of Kastellorizo with the loss of all 66 passengers and crew. At the time it was the worst aviation disaster in Cypriot history. The flight, from London Heathrow to Nicosia via Athens, was operated by British European Airways on behalf of Cyprus Airways, using a Comet 4B aircraft. The subsequent accident investigation is still regarded as a masterpiece of forensic assessment, based on evidence from the very small amount of wreckage recovered. Within hours of the crash, there was much speculation that Charlie Oscar was destroyed in an attempt to assassinate General Georgios Grivas, the former leader of guerrilla forces during the Cyprus Emergency a few years earlier. After a short crime investigation, the police decided that there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone with an offence. The full police and UK Home Office files will not be made public until 2067. However, documents from the National Archives suggest the police investigation was influenced by the Foreign Office to avoid uncovering evidence of a political nature. For more than half a century, the families of the lost passengers and crew have been denied the crucial answers to their questions, and with them the justice and closure they still seek.

Paperback 9 in x 6 in, 385 pages, £17.22

Nothing Can Stop Us

514 Squadron served in the RAF’s No. 3 Group, Bomber Command, between September 1943 and August 1945. After a short period of operations from RAF Foulsham, the squadron transferred to its permanent home at RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, in December 1943, some aircraft travelling from the old base to the new via a raid on Berlin.It was, of course, the people of the squadron who were its heart and soul. Supported by hard-working ground crew, the focus inevitably was on the airmen who climbed into their Lancaster bombers, risking and often losing their lives in the ceaseless battle to beat the most evil regime Western Europe has ever known.224 separate crews have been identified from the squadron’s Operational Record Book.

The trilogy examines every aspect of a typical, and unsung, Bomber Command squadron and is quite possibly the most detailed such work in its genre.

The war cost 514 Squadron 88 Lancasters shot down, crashing or damaged beyond repair on operations and a further three on training flights. The real cost, though, was its people, 437 of whom gave their lives serving with 514 Squadron. The boys from the ‘Beach, as the airfield has always been known, will never be forgotten.

The first volume, 'Nothing Can Stop Us' tells the narrative history of the unit, along with personal accounts from many who served.

Nothing Can Stop Us: 9 in x 6 in, 400 pages, £14.99

The second volume, 'Striking Through Clouds' is the war diary of 514 Squadron, as detailed in the unit's official Operational Record Book. Presented in diary form, this immensely readable book also contains details of every aircraft and crew lost, along with the known, probable or likely cause. The meticulous transcription of the original documents is supplemented by details of every aircraft lost on operational service and includes over 100 images.

Striking Through Clouds: 9 in x 6 in, 544 pages, £13.50

'The Beach Boys', the third volume in the 514 Squadron history, lists each crew, in the name of its pilot, with every available photograph of its members. For each crew, every known operational sortie has been listed, based on the summary of each ‘op’, provided when the returning crew was debriefed. All too often, however, the final record was simply ‘Aircraft Missing’.

The Beach Boys: 9 in x 6 in.  752 pages, £20

Lancasters at Waterbeach

Harry Dison flew a full tour of operations in 1944 as a flight engineer with 514 Squadron. In the 1990s, Harry contacted surviving members of his squadron to collect their memories and recollections. This excellent book is their own account of their war with Bomber Command.

Skid Row to Buckingham Palace

Flight Lieutenant Lou Greenburgh DFC& Bar, with Ed Greenburgh

Flight Lieutenant Lou Greenburgh DFC & Bar had an epic war, even by Bomber Command standards. He survived a ditching in the North Sea, brought his damaged Lancaster and the remnants of his crew home after further encounters with the Luftwaffe, whom he felt had a personal grudge against him, and accidentally bombed Paris instead of Dusseldorf. Eventually shot down, he evaded capture and hid in a forest with other airmen until liberated by allied troops after D-Day. This is his story, as told to his son.

The Boy and the Bomber

Two days after D-Day, a Lancaster and her crew was shot down over France, coming to rest near the author's village. The survivors were helped by local citizens until two were betrayed to the Nazis, winding up in Buchenwald Concentration Camp. This is the story of the Lancaster, her crew and the brave Frenchmen and women who risked their lives to help them.

An Ear to the Ground 

A Wireless Operator's War in Bomber Command

As a 17-year-old Frank Bell would leave his Darlington home at about 6pm and cycle to RAF Middleton St. George to watch the Whitley bombers landing and taking off, returning home at 8.30 pm. Joining the Air Training Corps to learn everything he could about the RAF, Frank went to camp at RAF Topcliffe and was lucky enough to experience a twenty-minute trip in a Halifax bomber. At that point, he knew for certain all he wanted to do was fly. With his grandfather’s permission he went to Middlesbrough and successfully volunteered for the RAF. He continued to attend ATC twice a week, concentrating on learning Morse Code. Two weeks before his 18th birthday, Frank was called up for military service in the RAF. From 1944 into 1945, Frank’s crew flew in Lancaster bombers, surviving forty operations over Occupied Europe and Germany. He kept diaries and later transcribed these, along with his additional memories into copious notes. Frank’s story is a personal one, with descriptions of the raids, the narrow squeaks, the hazards, the sadness of losing friends and many nuggets of information not usually mentioned. Illustrated with many black and white photographs, it is also a compelling account of the meticulous planning that went into the planning of the raids, and gives a detailed insight into the life of Wireless Operator in a heavy bomber in the Second World War. Nearly seventy years after his wartime service, Frank was back at Middleton St. George, as an honoured guest at the visit of a Canadian Lancaster, one of only two such aircraft still flying.

9 in x 6 in., 101 pages, £9.49

Short on Luck

The Complete History of 623 Squadron RAF

Steve C Smith and Andrew Porrelli

'Courage Was Not Enough'

No. 218 (Bomber) Squadron - 'Weston-super-Mare's Own' - 1936 - 1942

The golden years of the RAF were, without doubt, the 1930s. It was during this exciting decade that No.218 Squadron was reformed having spent the previous 17 years just a number on a dusty Air Ministry shelf.In March 1936, a new menace was growing in Germany. Adolf Hitler, the new Chancellor, began the slow but inevitable journey to another world war. This time, the Air Ministry was quick to recognise the potential threat and several squadrons were quickly reformed, No.218 being one of them. Initially equipped with the Hawker Hind the squadron spent the next two years flying the sleek though increasingly obsolescent biplane until re-equipping with the new Fairey Battle light bomber in 1938. With a war with Germany looming the squadron had to intensify its training to meet the needs of a daylight bomber squadron. In September 1939, the squadron flew to France, where it languished at first during what become known as the 'Phoney War'. Full of confidence in the ability of its crews and equipment, the squadron waited for the inevitable. Little did they realise that when it came, they would be swept aside despite their heroic and courageous efforts. In May 1940, the squadron was effectively wiped out along with most of the Battle-equipped squadrons of the Advanced Air Striking Force. Returning to England to replace lost crews and aircraft, the squadron found itself flying almost suicidal daylight operations with the Bristol Blenheim with No.2 Group. Operating during the height of the Battle of Britain the squadron attacked various targets crucial to the German invasion of Britain. Then unexpectedly in November 1940 the squadron was transferred to No.3 Group, RAF Bomber Command. Yet again the squadron again set about reequipping, this time with the Vickers Wellington. The squadron's new role was night bombing, a role that it would continue to operate in until VE Day in 1945. In 1942 the squadron was equipped with the Short Stirling and took the bombing war further afield to Italy and Czechoslovakia. This is the story of bravery, courage and above all sacrifice, this book traces the highs and lows of the early years of a front-line bomber squadron, and the men and women who served with it between 1936 and 1942.

11 in x 8 1/2 in., 447 pages, Paperback £18.

In Time 

Steve Smith's new book covers the final two years of the war, in which 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron made the transition from the Short Stirling to the iconic Avro Lancaster. Full of compeling narrative and comprehensive records of every aircraft, this is a must for anyone with an interest of the squadron.

11 in x 8 1/2 in, 398 pages, £18

Strong by Speed

No. 195 Squadron and the War Against Hitler's Germany

One of the unsung, and largely unheard-of units of RAF Bomber Command’s 3 Group, 195 Squadron was formed in October 1944 from one of Bomber Commands premier squadrons, No.115. Almost from the day of its formation the squadron was at the forefront of the bomber offensive. Everyone who served on the squadron was driven with a burning ambition to make it the most successful unit within the group and Bomber Command. It had the aircraft, and it certainly had the crews, some of which had spent years as instructors while others were second tour veterans. Equipped with the mighty Avro Lancaster and led by a squadron Commanding Officer who strove for excellence, 195 Squadron very quickly earned a reputation for getting things done. This came at the inevitable price of heavy casualties. Over the course of seven months and approximately 1,400 bombing sorties, 195 Squadron fought a bitter and costly campaign in the skies above Germany, not only against the ferocious night-fighter and flak defences but also the dreadful weather during the winter of 1944/1945. Strong by Speed combines the operational history of the squadron with individual stories of many of those who served. The telling is long overdue.

11 in x 8 1/2 in. 305 pages. Softback edition £18.

11 in x 8 1/4 in. 305 pages. Hardback edition (available worldwide now including UK) £25.

Dropping Hope From The Sky

No. 299 Squadron Operations 1944-46

Steve C. Smith

Formed in November 1943 as a special duties squadron in 38 Group, No. 299 Squadron became operational in April 1944 dropping SOE agents. During the Normandy landings on and after D-Day, the squadron delivered paratroopers, and then Horsa gliders, towed across the English Channel by the squadron’s Short Stirlings.

The squadron continued operations with resupply drops until 10 June 1944, when it returned to SOE duties. In September 1944 299 Squadron again air-towed Horsa gliders for the Arnhem landing (the ‘Market’ element of Operation Market Garden), and the Rhine crossing (Operation Varsity). It was also involved in supply-dropping to resistance forces in Norway until the end of the war. After the end of the Second World War the squadron disbanded at RAF Shepherds Grove, Suffolk on 15 February 1946.

Steve C. Smith, whose numerous books on wartime air operations also include histories of 218 ‘Gold Coast’, 623 and 195 Squadrons, turns his attention to the relatively brief period in which 299 was operational. Its operations were unsung, but every bit as vital to the war effort as those of the Main Force bomber squadrons. As ever, his engaging narrative is complemented by numerous photographs, maps and tables of data.

This book is a fitting tribute to those who served with No. 299 Squadron, and especially the airmen who never returned from their ops.

Hardback format, 307 pages, 8 1/4 inches x 11 inches, £22

A Stirling Effort

Steve Smith's comprehensive book tells the full story of Short Stirling operations from RAF Downham Market. The units covered are 218 (Gold Coast), 623 and 214 (Malay States) Squadrons. The book includes details of every operation carried out and crews lost between 1942 and 1944. An excellent piece of research. 

11 in x 8 1/2 in, 407 pages. Hardback £25

'I Would Not Step Back...'

Squadron Leader Phil Lamason, RNZAF, DFC and Bar

168 Condemned Allied Airmen...A Nazi firing squad...Three days to execution...The two men lock eyes…and in the mind-numbing battle of wills that follows, a 20-man firing squad stands ready to shoot…an RNZAF Squadron Leader stares down a Nazi officer who is about to decide his fate. Finally the command comes…“Ground arms!” Standing tall, the natural-born leader has again confronted the brutal SS and merciless Gestapo…and again secured the survival of 168 Allied airmen incarcerated in Buchenwald death camp in Germany, 1944.Meet Phil Lamason, the ‘broken-nosed Kiwi’, a New Zealander who took responsibility for those around him, the ‘lost airmen’ from Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica and the USA.Phil knew loyalty and betrayal. He experienced the stench of death and the injustice of war yet cherished the pride of land ownership and the joys of parenthood. He was the steely-eyed man who stood up to his German captors but was a ‘pushover’ for his own children.This is a story of leadership, resilience and courage; a young man serving in RAF Bomber Command, thrown into the cauldron of battle and who was ultimately tested to the limit of human endurance, and the cast of characters who found their way into his family history and personal life.Phil Lamason: a man who knew both triumph and tragedy and who, when the time came, stood up to be counted.

9 in x 6 in format, 271 pages, £15.00 

WR Chorley's

Royal Air Force and

Australian Flying Corps

Squadron Losses

Volume 1: 1st April to 30th June 1918

The Royal Air Force was formed on 1st April 1918, by the amalgamation of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. Flying alongside the RAF were the squadrons of the Australian Flying Corps, forming a bond of alliance that persists to this day. Life in the air was nasty, brutish and short for all too many of the aircrew. At the worst times, their life expectancy was no more than a few days. Not only were they flying in aircraft of wood and canvas, rudimentary and often difficult to fly by today's standards, but they were faced with a determined, well-armed adversary who was equally capable in technological and operational terms. Men and machines fell to earth by the hundreds, brought down by enemy fire, mechanical failure or because the skills required to fly them in the prevailing conditions were momentarily too much for the less-experienced pilots who simply never got the chance to master their trade. Bill Chorley's great new work brings to the reader the details of all recorded casualties of these two powerful air forces, and serves as a tribute to those who gave their lives, often in the most awful of circumstances, a century ago.

Volume One covers the first three months of the RAF's existence, 1st April to 30th June 1918, whilst Volume Two takes the reader to the end of the First World War on 11th November 1918.This series provides the most comprehensive record ever published of every squadron loss for the RAF in the Great War, along with all AFC operational losses in the European theatre in the final months of that bloody conflict.

A4 format. 336 pages (Vol 1) 485 pages (Vol 2). Each volume £18.

Volume 2: 1st July to 11th November 1918

Vol 3: 12th November 1918 - 31st December 1920

Bill Chorley's 'RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War' has long been the authoritative source of information about the casualties suffered by aircrew in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany in that conflict. Bill has now turned his researching and writing skills to the earlier air war in Europe, that in the last few months of the Great War, and the inter-war period. The Twenties and Thirties, whilst a haven of peace and tranquillity after the slaughter of the Great War, were still a perilous period for flying aircraft in military service. The result is the series 'Royal Air Force & Australian Flying Corps Squadron Losses', which will cover the period from the foundation of the RAF to the outbreak of World War II.

Volume 1 covers the first three months of the RAF's existence, 1st April to 30th June 1918, whilst Volume 2 takes the reader to the end of the First World War on 11th November 1918.  Volume 3, which covers the period from the day after the Armistice until 31st December 1920. The aircraft types were mostly those that had been in service at the end of the war, and many of the airmen had seen service in that conflict. It is tragic that so many were to fall prey to accidents and other mishaps having come through that ordeal.

Volume 3: A4 format, 305 pages, £18.

148 (Special Duties) Squadron

A Special Duty

Jennifer Elkin's father flew Halifax bombers on Special Duty operations, supplying resistance groups in Eastern Europe and dropping secret agents. Forced down in Poland, his was the first RAF crew to be repatriated by the Soviet forces. Jennifer's story is poignant, and highlights the longer-lasting effect on many aircrew after their wartime adventures had ended. The book gives an excellent insight into the work of the little-known Special Duties squadrons.

Trusty to the End

Oliver Clutton-Brock's latest book is a detailed history of 148 (Special Duties) Squadron. After supporting the allied war effort in the Mediterranean theatre for the first half of WW2, the unit was reborn as a specialist squadron delivering agents and supplies to resistance units in the Balkans and Poland. Told in great detail and with numerous photographs, this is the definitive and hitherto-unheralded story of a heroic unit. 

Wig's Secret War

During WW2, Sydney 'Wig' Wigginton was a senior officer in Britain's irregular warfare unit, the Special Operations Executive (SOE), responsible for deploying missions to support the resistance across the Axis-occupied Balkans. Later, he moved to Southern Italy, where his scope was extended to the whole of southern and eastern Europe. As an acknowledged air operations expert he was then deployed to the Far East where he provided support to the local resistance, as they made a significant contribution to the fight against the Japanese. This is Wig’s previously untold story, written by the son he never knew.

Late Arrival The Story of Jim 'Winkie' Kirk, RNZAF

Determined to do his bit, Jim ‘Winkie’ Kirk left his job as a butcher’s apprentice in his hometown of Christchurch, New Zealand to volunteer for the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He didn’t give much thought to what lay in store for him beyond that. Trained as an air gunner, he crewed up with five other New Zealanders before being posted to 75 (NZ) squadron based at Mepal, Cambridgeshire. Jim described himself as the ‘oily rag’ of his seven-man Lancaster crew; a run-of-the-mill flight sergeant who had joined the air force because he wanted nothing more than to travel and see the world, and who didn’t consider himself anything special. He found himself flying into hostile skies where he faced anti-aircraft fire, enemy fighters and his own inner fears. His long-held determination that he would never jump from his aircraft unravelled one night in July 1944 when his Lancaster fell victim to a marauding night fighter over the night skies of Northern France. He drifted down into occupied France where he spent time on the run before ending up at a camp of the French Resistance. From the dangers of bombing raids and the loss of friends and comrades to witnessing close up the brutality of war, Jim ‘Winkie’ Kirk witnessed it all as he went from naïve young butcher’s apprentice to Bomber Command aircrew and then French Resistance fighter. This is his story.

6 in x 9 in format, 255 pages, £15.00 / US$ 20.00 / Eu 18.00 or thereabouts.

The Boy with Only One Shoe

Warrant Officer (Ret'd) John Henry Meller

55,573 Royal Air Force Bomber Command aircrew lost their lives on operations during World War 2. That's more than the total who serve in Britain's RAF today. With a terrifying 46% combat attrition rate, an Avro Lancaster Bomber was one of the most dangerous places to be during the conflict. Yet no one was enlisted to become aircrew: all were volunteers. So, at a time when Britain stood resolute in its fight against tyranny and oppression, young men from across the globe did just that. At just 18 years old, John Henry Meller was one such man.The ordeals and sacrifices endured by John and his generation were crucial to the success of the Allied nations. In the words of Winston Churchill, Great Britain's wartime leader:"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 may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands ...... Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and the Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour."As few remain to bear witness to that time, John - together with daughter Caroline Brownbill - have chosen to document his vivid recollections of wartime life. Join him as he shares what it was like to crew a Lancaster over Europe, during the darkest days of the War.

The Boy With Only One Shoe is not published or sold by Bomber Command Books. However we are pleased to advertise the book on our site because John is a Bomber Command veteran and a very nice chap.

To learn more about the authors, please visit: JHMeller.com

5in x 8in, 338 pages, £9.99

No Known Grave

A Tribute to a Lost Bomber Crew

John M. Wilson

Ken Wilson was amongst the first to volunteer for the RAF following the outbreak of war in 1939. In the summer of 1943 Ken, by then a Flying Officer, was a navigator flying Halifax bombers with 78 Squadron. Early on the morning of July 30th, his Halifax JD252 was missing from its dispersal following the night's operation against Hamburg. Later that day, the body of the crew's Wireless Operator was recovered from the North Sea. The other six crewmen were never recovered.  

'No Known Grave' is the personal account of the author to commemorate the loss of his brother and crew.  It serves as a testament to what the families of over twenty thousand other missing airmen have gone through.

Softback edition, 107 pages, 9 in x 6 in, £15

Sweeping the Skies 

A History of No.40 Squadron RFC and RAF, 1916-56

Sweeping the Skies is a comprehensive history of No. 40 Squadron, from its foundation as a Royal Flying Corps squadron in 1916 to its disbandment in 1956.

During World War I it was one of the foremost scout squadrons and numbered amongst its members some of that conflict's greatest aces, Mick Mannock, George McElroy and Roderic Dallas. Disbanded in 1919, it was reformed in 1931 as a bomber squadron and served in that role throughout World War II, flying Battles, Blenheims, Wellingtons and Liberators. The unit operated initially as part of Bomber Command and then, from late 1941, in the Mediterranean theatre. Disbanded again in 1947, it was reborn as a transport squadron, flying Avro Yorks during the Berlin Airlift, transferring once more into Bomber Command, equipped with Canberras, from 1953 to 1956.

David Gunby has meticulously researched the history of No. 40 Squadron, deriving material from documentary sources at the Public Record Office / National Archives, RAF Museum, the Air Historical Branch of the Ministry of Defence, and the Imperial War Museum, as well as from Canadian, Australian and New Zealand archives. What makes this work so valuable is the very large amount or survivor narrative that forms the core of the book.

Complete with comprehensive loss and casualty lists, and a wealth of photographs and maps, Sweeping the Skies is a work as scholarly as its is vividly evocative of squadron life over a forty-year period.

Softback edition, 293 pages, 11 in x 8 1/2 in, £15

The Battle of the Barges

The RAF's Campaign Against Hitler's Invasion Fleet

Julian Foynes

THE BATTLE OF THE BARGES examines the British campaign in the summer and autumn of 1940—both by Royal Air Force bombers and Royal Navy warships-- against the armada assembled in Channel and North Sea ports for “Operation Sealion”, the German invasion of England.
It is written almost entirely from primary sources—and follows the key principle that every British operation and tactical shift is set against its real impact as recorded by the Germans, and also Dutch, Belgians and French, in their own languages.
Six of its chapters provide a detailed day-by-day account of the campaign throughout September and the first half of October 1940, as experienced by both sides and the occupied-nation civilians caught in the middle. These chapters describe the RAF operations, target by target, squadron by squadron, and often crew by crew, and compare the British claims of success with the reality as recorded on the spot.
However, its other fourteen chapters cover much more ground. They examine the reasons for the campaign, and the strengths and weaknesses, hopes and fears, plans, intelligence, decisionmaking, and propaganda, of both sides. They also look at the historical controversies surrounding “Sealion” and the RAF and Royal Navy’s attempts to pre-empt it, and examine several associated myths and misunderstandings.

11 x 8 1/2 inches, 146 pages, illustrated softback. £15 worldwide.

Ken Marshall's acclaimed history of No. 4 Group, Bomber Command in World War Two was first published in 1996 in hardback. To mark the twentieth anniversary of this authoritative work, the book has been updated with additional photos and published in paperback. Ken's book tells the operational history of the squadrons that made up the group for the duration of the Second World War, including the early days when the mainstay of air operations was the often overlooked Whitley bomber.

Gone the Dark Night

The Story of New Zealand's First Night Fighter Squadron

In 2008 Graham Clayton published Last Stand in Singapore: The Story of 488 Squadron RNZAF. After the fall of Singapore, the squadron was disbanded, then subsequently reformed in the UK in June 1942 as an RAF unit, 488 (New Zealand) Squadron. Its role was to take on the German Luftwaffe in the night skies over the UK and Europe. Gone the Dark Night is the long-awaited sequel and completes the wartime history of 488 Squadron.The aircraft and equipment were rudimentary, and a huge effort was made to develop night fighting defences that might defeat the Luftwaffe bombers in the air after dark over the UK and Europe. Success was to be a long time in coming. Initially equipped with the Bristol Beaufighter, the unit was later supplied with the night fighter variant of the iconic de Havilland Mosquito. The crews, mostly young New Zealanders, were at the forefront of a struggle against seemingly impossible odds. From the early days they struggled to survive not only enemy attacks but also the dangers of flying at night in adverse weather conditions. At the same time, they had to become proficiency with new technology that seemed to change on a weekly basis. Teamwork was vital to the success of each operation and to ensure their own survival in the night skies. This was an occupation fraught with continuous danger; the hunter could very quickly become the hunted, and the possibility of being shot down by your own side was also very real. These young men showed a determination that ultimately gained them success and victory in Europe. Their pathway to victory was paved with a life and death struggle to gain ascendancy over a skilful and wily enemy, and much personal tragedy was encountered on the way. After half a century after they played such a large part in defeating the Luftwaffe menace, their heroism is still an example to us all.

6 in x 9 in format, 409 pages, £15.00 / US$ 20.00 / Eu 18.00 or thereabouts.

The Conception and Development of Radar

Alan Stapley FIET

Radar is accepted as having played a critical role in saving the British Isles from invasion by German forces in the Second World War. Work had been taking place for several years beforehand, however, and the detection and ranging of aerial threats was an idea whose time had come when hostilities broke out.
 

Alan Stapley was a radar specialist in the Royal Air Force and has an expert understanding of the race by the British and the German scientific and military establishments to gain and maintain supremacy in using what was cutting-edge technology. In retirement, Alan compiled a comprehensive set of notes explaining the principles of radar, its development history, and technical details of how components work. It provides a fascinating source of information behind what turned out to be Britain’s best-known and most effective wartime secret weapon.

Authentic Notes

Authentic Notes is a series of publications containing the unedited notes and observations of subject matter experts on various facets of the war in the air, especially in the Second World War. Whilst not initially written, or edited to read, as an engaging narrative or structured volume, these comprehensive notebooks contain information that the authors believed should be preserved for the benefit of future students and historians. We publish them exactly as they were written.

Softback, A4 format, 206 pages, illustrated with photos and technical diagrams. £13.50

R.A.F. Flying Training Manual 1926

In 1926, less than a decade after the First World War, the biplane was state-of-the art for powered heavier-than-air flight, and it is these machines that are the main subject of this book.

Flying techniques, aerobatics and manoeuvring of aircraft were still rudimentary, and the manual offers an invaluable perspective on reality and the art of the possible, as it was seen and taught at the time.

Reproduced by permission of the Ministry of Defence, this is a fascinating book for students of military aviation and enthusiasts of flight generally.

Please note this manual is reproduced for historical interest only and must not be used for any flight training or the operation of any aircraft.

Paperback, 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 in, 280 pages, £14.25

Authentic Notes

Bombing and Gunnery

RAF Air Crew Lecture Notes

Please note this title is an expanded edition previously published as Bombing and Bomb Aiming notes. If you purchased the original edition please email us and we will replace it.

This is a collection of introductory notes produced by the British Air Ministry and issued to RAF aircrew at the start of their careers. These notes cover the theory and principles of bombing and air gunnery. They were current in 1944 and, with permission of the Ministry of Defence, are reproduced in the format in which they were issued.

The notes give a fascinating insight into the principles and theory of aerial bombing and gunnery as taught to RAF Bomber Command aircrew in the Second World War. They include many technical details of equipment and ammunition in use at that time and provide much useful information for researchers, historians and others with an interest in the subject.

​They are reproduced from the original notes passed to the collater by Warrant Officer Ken Staveley RAFVR.

11 inches by 8 1/2 inches, 140 pages in softback, £9.99.

Ready, Willing and Able Two

by Sean Feast

Howard Battson was one of life’s great characters. Born in Hertford, the son of a prominent local councillor, Howard was training to become an architect in London before the war interrupted his studies and he volunteered for aircrew. Hopes of becoming a pilot receded in favour of becoming an air bomber, and after training in Canada he returned for operational training in the blacked-out skies of Britain, surviving a terrible crash and narrow

ly escaping with his life. Posted to 460 Squadron, an Australian unit, in the early summer of 1944, and flying with an Australian pilot and mixed RAF/RAAF crew, Howard was in his element, fighting hard and playing harder. During an eventful tour in which they had their fair share of scrapes and near misses, they also had the near-unique experience of ‘looping a Lanc’ to escape a night fighter attack and living to tell the tale. Howard stayed on in the RAF immediately after the war, becoming the last Commanding Officer at RAF Silverstone before it was handed over to the army. Emigrating to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Howard pursued a successful second career as a surveyor, working primarily on the railways, and coming across Prime Ministers Ian Smith and Robert Mugabe. Eventually returning home and retiring to Surrey, he became an active member of Silver Line and the RAFBF Telephone Friendship Group. Appointed to the Legion d’Honneur, Howard died on August 13, 2020.

6 x 9 inches, 131 pages, illustrated. £9.99 plus delivery.

Thus We Keep Faith

The Operational History of

196 Squadron RAF 1942 - 1946

Steve Holmes

196 Squadron was formed in late 1942 as a night bomber squadron, in No. 4 Group Bomber Command. It was February 1943 before the squadron became operational
with the first sorties being bombing raids on U Boat pens at Lorient, France flying Vickers Wellington aircraft. As well as the bombing raids the squadron also was used for ‘gardening’ (minelaying) sorties.
The unit was then transferred to No.3 Group and re-equipped with Mk III Short Stirlings. Soon afterwards, the Stirling was removed from front-line bombing operations, in favour of the Lancaster and Halifax.
Later in 1943 the squadron transferred once more, this time to 38 Group, Allied Expeditionary Air Force (AEAF). Its new role included glider-towing, troop carrying and secret operations for the S.O.E. and S.A.S. The squadron took part in all the main invasion operations on and after D-Day, including the ill-fated Arnhem operation and then the successful Rhine Crossings. Its operational effectiveness was at the cost of numerous aircraft and crews. When the war in Europe ended the squadron was used to repatriate troops and help misplaced refugees. 

11 in x 8 1/2 in, 229 pages. Softback edition £15.

A Thousand and One

Flight Lieutenant Humphrey Phillips DFC

Flight Lieutenant Humphrey Phillips DFC, MiD (twice) became one of the very first of the new breed of flight engineers. Posted initially to 103 Squadron, he flew in the first two of the historic, showpiece 1000 Bomber raids against Cologne and Essen as part of a scratch crew of tour-expired instructors. Posted to 1656 Conversion Unit he survived a number of scrapes with novice pilots (many who went on to have distinguished careers) and was Mentioned in Despatches for inventing two devices to instruct new engineers on the Lancaster’s fuel and hydraulics systems. Keen to operate, he completed a tour with 626 Squadron, at the height of the Battle of Berlin, whilst also the squadron’s flight engineer leader. Humphrey swas awarded the DFC, and returned to instructing, being once more Mentioned in Despatches with 1668 HCU before the war’s end. In 2017 he became what is believed to be Britain's oldest first-time published author.

The Incidental Navigator - Sir Maurice Rault, QC.

Edited by Sean Feast from a translation by Danielle Lagesse.

Maurice Rault was no ordinary Bomber Command navigator, and this no ordinary memoir. Born on the small island of Mauritius, Maurice is drawn by a love of two countries – Britain and France – to join the RAF to help rid the continent of Nazi tyranny. He is also driven by a romantic ideal, and a sense of Chivalry from a previous age, to put right what he sees as a terrible wrong, a betrayal of France, and a burning passion to see the Allies prevail.With 103 Squadron at Elsham Wolds he experiences the terror of bombing operations over Germany in the last stages of the war, including a dramatic operation to Bremen which is nearly his last. In a few short weeks, his Squadron loses eleven crews – more than seventy men – at a time when the Germans still fail to acknowledge they are beaten. At Elsham he joins a secret society known as ‘the zoo’, to share a love of books and culture as an escape from the horrors of war. Through ‘Gilbert’, ‘Nestor’, the ‘Bigamist’, and the hideous ‘Palmer’, Maurice reveals a different side to war, of compassion and loathing for men facing similar fears. Whether these characters are actual people or imaginary is for the reader to decide, but his affection for his squadron, for Elsham, for ‘the Butcher’, and for his fellow man is very real indeed.

9 in x 6 in, 163 pages, £12 plus p&p.

Lancaster Bale Out

Clive Smith

Reworked and updated, Clive Smith’s story of his second cousin, Jack Hougham, is available through Amazon worldwide for the first time. Jack was shot down and killed in a 106 Squadron Lancaster in 1943. Jack's crew-mate Fred Smooker grew up near Durham and left school in 1930 at the age of 14.  He followed his Father into Coal Mining, but at the age of 17 decided to further his education and begun studying for a senior mining qualification.  Mid-way through his exams in 1941, Britain had been at war for 18 months and things were going badly for the Allies.  Fred came to the decision that 'aircrew were more important than coal miners' so he volunteered to join the RAF.  After being accepted he was called up in June of that year, and 20 months later found himself flying operations over Germany as a Bomb Aimer, flying in Lancasters with 106 Squadron based at RAF Syerston. The events that followed during the next 2 years would live with him for the rest of his life.  Fred passed away aged 91 in 2008. He had outlived the rest of his crew by more than 64 years and for his whole life had lived with the question, “Why me?”

Dambusters: The Complete WWII History of 617 Squadron

by Chris Ward with Andy Lee and Andreas Wachtel

This is an amended version of the 75th Anniversary Revised 617 Squadron Profile and contains the same information with a handful of additional photos. The book builds on the authors' earlier work, Dambusters - The Definitive History (Red Kite Publishing 2003), catalogued by the Imperial War Museum as 'a book of national interest.'

'Dambusters - The Complete WWII History of 617 Squadron' is also Chris Ward's celebration of twenty years of research on the subject, and includes a fitting tribute to his late father. It also presented a chance to team up with artist Simon Atack, whose work Chris has always admired, and in so doing sandwich the most detailed account yet written of 617 Squadron's war between two of the finest portrayals ever produced of Operation Chastise. Originally formed in 1943 to attack the Ruhr Dams, 617 Squadron was subsequently tasked with highly-specialised and incredibly risky missions which have become the stuff of legend. The unit carried out hazardous raids against the Dortmund-Ems Canal, strongpoints linked to the dreaded V2 rockets, attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz, as well as other problematic targets.The story of the ‘Dambusters’ is widely-known but many myths and inaccuracies have crept in as the tale has been retold. Chris Ward’s profile of the unit sets the record straight on these and relates the full wartime history of 617 Squadron. Comprehensively illustrated, this book sheds new light on the most famous unit in the history of aerial warfare.

For Canada, the Amazon.ca link is https://www.amazon.ca/Dambusters-Complete-WWII-History-Squadron/dp/1911255525/ref=sr_1_29?keywords=Dambusters&qid=158806

3801&s=books&sr=1-29

A4 format,  photos printed in b/w. 406 pages. £20.

Casualty of War

Chris Ward

Flight Lieutenant William ‘Bill’ Astell DFC was an experienced pilot who, after training in Rhodesia, had been posted to 148 Squadron in the Middle East. His experiences in that theatre included an horrendous accident, in which he suffered a head injury. Returning to ops, he was then shot down behind enemy lines, but evaded capture and got back to base, for which he was awarded the DFC. Eventually posted back to England, he joined 57 Squadron at RAF Scampton before moving with the unit’s ‘C’ Flight across the airfield to form the embryonic 617 Squadron. Numerous family photographs, along with Bill’s letters, cables and airmail cards home from his postings, tell his personal story, ended only by his untimely death on 17th May 1943. Bill’s letters are original and unedited, and reflect some language and attitudes that were of their time. In the interests of accuracy, his words are unchanged, giving the reader an authentic voice of pre-war Britain. A4, 116 pages, illustrated.

These Are But Words

An Anthology of Bomber Command Poems

Collected by Ken Marshall and Steve Allen

Someone once said that there'd be no great poetry from the Second World War such as there was after the First. The poems in this collection have proved this to be a fallacy. The attrition of Bomber Command aircrew probably came closer to emulating the carnage of trench warfare on the Western Front than any other campaign, and the emotions and impressions of those serving are captured in stark reality by the words contained in this anthology.Almost all the poems were written by Bomber Command airmen at the time, or whilst their ordeal was still fresh in their minds. It is heartfelt, poignant and intensely moving; at times it also reflects the humour and determination of a breed of very young men and women who were, without a doubt, our greatest generation.Steve Allen and Ken Marshall started collecting Bomber Command poems when they discovered each had a close relative who had served on bombers and had also written poems about their experiences. It's been a labour of love and respect for the brave boys (for that's all they were back then), of Bomber Command. These may just be words, as the title suggests, but they are words that sit righfully along the equally magnificent men of the previous generation such as Rupert Brooke, John Macrae and Wilfred Owen, whose own works are celebrated.Read, be moved and remember.

9 in x 6 in, 116 pages, £9.99

Formed at Farnborough in 1915 as an artillery observation unit, 10 Squadron was absorbed into the fledgling RAF before being disbanded for the first time in 1919. The squadron reformed in 1928, specialising in night bombing. The outbreak of the Second World War saw 10 Sqn stationed at RAF Dishforth, where it was the first operational unit to operate the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley twin-engined bomber. On the night of 1st / 2nd October 1939, three Whitleys of 10 Sqn became the first RAF aircraft to undertake operational sorties over Berlin in WW2, although they dropped leaflets rather than bombs. In very poor weather, one other Whitley did not reach the target. After distributing its paperwork over Denmark the aircraft and crew tragically failed to return.As part of No. 4 Group, Bomber Command, the squadron underwent subsequent moves to RAF Leeming and RAF Melbourne in the early years of the war. Whilst at Leeming, the venerable Whitley was replaced by the redoubtable Halifax bomber, Mks II and III being operated, the latter type equipping 10 Sqn for the remainder of the war.In total, 10 Sqn’s crews carried out 609 operations, totalling 6233 sorties. 156 aircraft were lost, 2.5% of the total. The squadron is still operational in the present day, flying the Airbus Voyager in the transport / tanker role.

8.5 x 11 in, 396 pages, £15 / US$20

35 (Madras Presidency) Squadron Profile

Chris Ward

Towards the end of 1940, the new generation of heavy bombers, the Halifax, Manchester and Stirling, were ready to be introduced into squadron service, and a squadron was formed for each to carry out the process. 35 Squadron was reformed at Boscombe Down and handed the responsibility of bringing the Handley Page Halifax to operational readiness to replace 4 Group’s aged and obsolete Whitley.
 

It was not until the night of the 10/11th of March 1941 that 35 Squadron launched the first tentative sorties, and, thereafter, the type operated intermittently and in small numbers for the remainder of the year.
The squadron took part in the high-profile operations Veracity I and Veracity II against the German cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau at Brest in December 1941, before adopting the name Madras Presidency in January 1942.The battleship Tirpitz, at berth in a Norwegian Fjord, became a target for the squadron in April 1942, and it was present on all three “Thousand Bomber” raids in May and June. In August 1942, the squadron was selected as the 4 Group founder member of the new Path Finder Force and would remain a proud part of this elite group until war’s end.
The squadron was at the forefront of the offensives against the Ruhr, Italy and Berlin, and, after relinquishing its Halifaxes in favour of the Lancaster in March 1944, played a full part in the pre- and post-invasion transportation plan, and the campaigns against V-Weapons and oil. It was also heavily involved in tactical support for the ground forces, and, whatever its assigned target, was frequently called upon to provide the Master Bomber and Deputy pairing. The squadron served with distinction to the end of the bombing war in April 1945.

11 x 8 1/2 inches, 496 pages, fully-illustrated softback, £18 worldwide.

44 (Rhodesia) Squadron Profile

Chris Ward

Originally formed in July 1917 as part of the Royal Flying Corps, it is as a heavy bomber unit in the Second World War that 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron is best known. Manned by a large proportion of aircrew from southern Africa, the squadron was renamed in 1941 in their honour. The crest is based on the seal of the Matabele chief Lobengula, the elephant featured depicting the weight of attacks the squadron was to carry out.At the start of the war, 44 Sqn flew the Handley-Page Hampden. Famously, the squadron was the first to be fully equipped with the Avro Lancaster, the bomber that was to change the fortunes of the RAF in the strategic campaign against Germany. Becoming fully operational with the type at the beginning of March 1942, six weeks later the squadron had the opportunity to fully test their new weapon in the Augsburg Raid. Five of the six 44 Sqn crews failed to return, along with two of the six crews from 97 Sqn. S/L John Nettleton, who led the 44 Sqn contingent, was awarded the VC.Stationed at RAF Waddington at the outbreak of the war, the unit moved to RAF Dunholme Lodge in 1943 before a further move, in September 1944, to RAF Spilsby. Involved in all the major battles of the strategic bombing campaign in Europe, 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron inevitably paid the price in aircrew and aircraft, losing 43 Hampdens and 149 Lancasters in action.Chris Ward’s Profile of this fine squadron explains in detail the significant contribution to the war effort made, and the sacrifices suffered, by the officers and men of 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron.

11 in x 8 1/2in. 529 pages, fully illustrated. Softback edition £20 (worldwide).

Hardback edition available on Amazon.com and worldwide including in EU.

The hardback edition is not available in the UK due to EU restrictions. Bizarre but true.

50 Squadron - Bomber Command Squadron Profile

by Chris Ward

When the Second World War broke out, 5 Group of RAF Bomber Command stood ready with six squadrons, five in the front line and one in reserve to train new crews. 50 Squadron was among the former. The squadron enjoyed a fairly gentle start to the war, but, once the gloves came off, first, with the Norwegian campaign of April 1940, and then the Nazi advance into the Low Countries and France in May, it was thrust into a hectic round of bombing and mining operations, which would see its crews operating against the enemy almost nightly throughout the summer and autumn. It was during this time that future stars began to shine, and, in the course of the ensuing two years, many passed through, who would go on to greater things, among them John Hopgood, Henry Maudslay, “Mickey” Martin and “Les” Knight and their crews, who would gain fame as Dambusters, some to lose their lives and others to survive. The squadron was blessed with outstanding leadership in the form of “Gus” Walker, Bill Russell and Robert Frogley to name but three of them, and, there is no question, that their willingness to lead from the front inspired those under their command. The squadron took part in all of the Command’s major campaigns, contributing in particular to those in 1943 and later against the Ruhr, Hamburg, Berlin, pre-invasion railway and coastal battery targets, flying bomb sites, canals, oil and tactical support for the ground forces. Its lower than average casualty figure speaks volumes for its professionalism and dedication to excellence, and its wartime record may be equalled, but never surpassed.

8.5 x 11 inches, 498 pages, fully illustrated. £18.

Chris Ward’s Profile of 75(NZ) Squadron is the long-awaited, definitive and comprehensive wartime account of this well-known and highly-regarded Bomber Command outfit. Produced with the full support and assistance of squadron veterans, the Royal New Zealand Air Force Association and the New Zealand Bomber Command Association, it is a testament to the duty and sacrifice of all those who served with this famous unit throughout the Second World War. Chris Ward’s detailed narrative, based on the squadron’s Second World War Operations Record Book, is complemented by several hundred photographs, many published for the first time.
In 1938, the New Zealand government had ordered thirty Vickers Wellington Mk1 bombers. RNZAF aircrew were despatched to train on the new aircraft at RAF Marham, and then take them to their new home in the Southern Hemisphere. When war broke out, the New Zealand Government placed the aircraft and their crews at the disposal of the RAF to help fight the new enemy. Already known as ‘The New Zealand Squadron’, the unit was given the number 75 on 4 April 1940, the previous unit so numbered having been disbanded. This meant that the original nucleus of personnel remained together as an operational unit of the RAF.
On 4 April 1940, The New Zealand Squadron was renamed 75(NZ) Squadron. Although often referred to as an RNZAF unit, it was wholly equipped and controlled by the RAF until the end of the conflict. It was a key component of No. 3 Group, Bomber Command, and was based initially at RAF Feltwell, then RAF Mildenhall, RAF Newmarket and RAF Mepal, in Cambridgeshire. The unit saw action over France, Norway, Belgium, Italy, Sweden and Germany, distinguishing itself in the process.
The squadron operated with a strength of three Flights after receiving Short Stirling bombers. In line with the rest of No. 3 Group, the squadron re-equipped with the Avro Lancaster in 1944, the type seeing the unit through to August 1945.
75(NZ) Sqn operated against the Germans from 1940 to VE Day, flying more sorties than any other allied heavy bomber squadron, suffering the second highest number of casualties. A Victoria Cross was awarded to Sgt J A Ward for climbing out onto the wing of his Wellington on an operation over Europe, in an attempt to put out an engine fire. Although badly damaged by enemy fighters’ cannon shells, the aircraft managed to return to its base. 8.5 in x 11 in, 477 pages, £20 / US$ 25.

83 Squadron played a magnificent part during the dark days of 1940 and 1941, roaming deep into Germany to attack economic and industrial targets, albeit, to little effect. Amongst its early establishment was P/O Guy Gibson, who was to achieve immortal fame later on. With 1942 came the passing of the Hampden and the brief interlude with the ill-fated Manchester, but then came the Lancaster. When the Pathfinder Force was formed in August 1942, 83 Squadron was selected as a founder member, representing 5 Group, and drawing fresh crews from its squadrons. It continued proudly to serve the Pathfinders, or 8 Group, as it became, through the campaigns against Italy, the Ruhr, Hamburg and Berlin. Its commanding officers were renowned for leading from the front; three lost their lives on operations, two of them during the Berlin offensive. In April 1944, advances in bombing tactics led to the effective independence of 5 Group, and 83 Squadron returned to its former family to perform a marking and illuminating role on permanent loan from 8 Group until war's end. There was never a time when the influence of 83 Squadron was not felt within the ranks of Bomber Command. It distinguished itself with outstanding performances and below average losses from the first day of the war to the last. 8.5 in x 11 in. £15 / US$ 20.

101 Squadron has a long and glorious history, having been formed within the Royal Flying Corps in 1917. Just before the outbreak of the Second World War, 101 Squadron re-equipped with the Bristol Blenheim, initially as a training and conversion unit. The war became real for the squadron after the fall of France, and it played a full part in the Battle of Britain, attacking enemy invasion barges and airfields, before moving into an anti-shipping role. The intensifying bombing war then occupied the squadron for the duration of hostilities. After eighteen months with the Wellington bomber, 101 Squadron found its weapon of choice, the mighty Lancaster. With this iconic aircraft, the unit became legendary. The Luftwaffe’s night fighters were, by this time, becoming a lethal adversary and counter-measures were urgently needed if the bomber streams were to get through to their targets. 101 Squadron found its ultimate niche in the use of the highly-secret ‘Airborne Cigar’ (ABC) radio equipment, which allowed each aircraft so equipped to jam three German radio channels simultaneously. This had a very significant effect in reducing the capability of the defenders. 101 Squadron and its crews took part in every major campaign by Bomber Command, though this was inevitably at a high cost, with seven Lancasters out of twenty-six lost in a single night. The unit flew on more bombing raids than any other squadron in Bomber Command, but suffered the highest casualties, with 1176 airmen killed in action. Chris Ward’s profile of 101 Squadron is a comprehensive history of the unit through World War Two and contains details of every aircraft operated between 1939 and 1945. The operational records are set in the context of the bombing campaign and leavened with personal stories. It is illustrated throughout with some 200 photographs, many never previously published, these having been provided by the 101 Squadron Association archives and private individuals, including the personal collection of Flight Lieutenant Rusty Waughman, DFC. This book is the definitive history of one of the RAF’s most illustrious squadrons. 8.5 in x 11 in. £15 / US$ 20.

One of the finest units to grace the roll-call of RAF Bomber Command units during the Second World War was 103 Squadron. Immortalised by Don Charlewood in his epic classic of wartime literature, No Moon Tonight, the squadron was at the forefront of the conflict from the first to the last. After its outdated and outperformed aircraft were literally knocked out of the fight during the futile campaign to save France, the squadron returned to English soil where the remnant rose phoenix-like from the ashes of defeat, and, with new equipment, committed itself again to the battle. Even during its bleakest time, when briefly equipped with the unpopular early versions of the Halifax, it retained its esprit de corps. The mighty Lancaster saw it through the campaigns against the Ruhr, Hamburg, Berlin, railways, oil, V-Weapons and tactical support for the land forces, and then the second Ruhr offensive in the autumn of 1944. The squadron’s casualties were amongst the highest sustained by any bomber unit active throughout the five years and eight months of hostilities, but so also was the number of operations it flew and sorties it launched. Over 100 photos, many contributed by historian David Fell, grace this history of a magnificent unit.

106 Squadron Profile

Chris Ward

Hardback Edition, Expanded and Amended

Formed as a bomber unit in June 1938 at Abingdon, 106 Squadron initially operated Hawker Hinds. It soon re-equipped with the Fairey Battle before receiving its first Handley Page Hampdens in May 1939. The Hampden was replaced in early 1942 by the Avro Manchester, which by then was approaching the end of its unspectacular service as a frontline bomber, after which it was replaced by the Lancaster in May 1942. From that point onwards the squadron participated in all of the Command’s campaigns, and was often selected to take on special operations. After squadron CO Guy Gibson’s departure in March 1943 to form 617 Squadron for Operation Chastise, the squadron continued to benefit from outstanding flight and squadron commanders, whose style was to lead from the front. The squadron participated in many notable actions, including the first ‘Thousand Bomber Raid’, against Cologne in May 1942, the low-level attack on the Schneider plant at Le Creusot, Peenemunde and shuttle raids to Italy, before supporting the D-Day landings and attempting to obliterate the V1 and V2 menace in 1944. Its war was hard, but heroic, its entire purpose, perhaps, best summed up by the squadron motto; Per Libertarte (For Freedom).

Amended and expanded edition, now in hardback, 468 pages, 8 1/4  in x 11 in. £25 and paperback, 8 1/2 in x 11 in, £18.

Formed on 1^st December 1917, 115 Squadron did not see action until it arrived in France in September 1918, when it commenced bombing operations against German industrial targets for what remained of the Great War.  Following its return to England, the squadron was disbanded in October 1919, and spent most of the inter-war years ‘on the shelf’. Reformation took place on 15^th June 1937 at Marham, with the squadron initially being equipped with the Fairey Hendon and then Handley Page Harrow bombers, until on 3^rd April 1939 it re-equipped with the Vickers Wellington.

As one of 3 Group’s front-line bombing units, 115 Squadron spent the last few months of peace preparing for the impending conflict. After a low-key beginning the squadron then moved to the forefront of the Group’s operations for the remainder of the war. The Wellington was phased out and 115 Squadron became the first in Bomber Command to take on charge the Hercules-powered Lancaster Mk.II. This was replaced in 1944 by the iconic Merlin-powered Mks I and III Lancasters. Operating successively from RAF stations at Marham, Mildenhall, East Wretham and Little Snoring, in November 1943 the squadron  settled at Witchford, near Ely in Cambridgeshire, from where it saw out the remainder of the conflict. Its battle honours were forged in the heat of all Bomber Command’s major campaigns over Occupied Europe, including The Ruhr, Berlin, Overlord, and the Oil and Transportation Plans.

By the end of hostilities, 115 Squadron had participated in 678 bombing and mining raids, totalling 7,753 sorties. In doing so, the unit lost 208 aircraft on operations, the highest total in Bomber Command.

115 Squadron still serves today’s Royal Air Force, one of the few that can trace their origin back to the Great War. Chris Ward’s profile of this venerable unit covers the hardest days of its history, the Second World War, from which it emerged bloodied but unbowed.

8.5 x 11 inches. 314 pages £15 / US$20

Most of the deeds of Bomber Command’s war are well documented. In the main, the wartime record of each squadron’s service, written with reasonable accuracy at the time, is available for scrutiny. There is just one exception. Such was the secrecy surrounding the activities of the moon squadrons at Gibraltar Farm, which became RAF Tempsford, that records, initially at least, were a luxury only occasionally indulged in. Brief hand-written entries allow a glimpse into this end of the Special Operations Executive, an organisation, which dispensed information on the strictest need-to-know basis. It was not unusual in the early days for a pilot to arrive at Tempsford on posting, only to kick his heels for days and even weeks, before being given an insight into the station’s activities and his part in the grand plan. Later on, the demand to service resistance organizations saw crews pressed into service with much greater alacrity, but the level of security never wavered. Chris Ward’s 138 Squadron Profile, draws in part on the unique insight of F/O Freddie Clark, who flew from Tempsford between late January and early April 1944. Each sortie was an operation in its own right, and had to be dealt with individually. This Profile provides the necessary facts, supplemented by the personal stories of some of those who took part, and includes a large number of photographs including a collection contributed by Piotr Hodyra, relating to the squadron’s ‘C’ Flight, manned by Polish aircrew, between April and November 1943. 8.5 in x 11 in. £15 / US$ 20.

207 Squadron Bomber Command Squadron Profile

Chris Ward

The Second World War was a year old by the time that 207 Squadron came into existence for the third time, having been disbanded in January 1920, before being reformed within two weeks and remaining in existence until April 1940.

Despite operating Fairey Battles in a training role at the outbreak of war, the squadron was not sent to France, and was employed as a Group Pool training unit until being absorbed into 12 Operational Training Unit in April 1940. It remained on the shelf until its resurrection on the 1^st of November 1940, as the 5 Group squadron selected to introduce the new Avro Manchester twin-engine heavy bomber into operational service. It was intended to replace the Hampden medium bomber, with which the group had been equipped since 1938, but problems with the Rolls-Royce Vulture engines soon became manifest, and this would lead to a delay in beginning operations and frequent groundings during its short service life. During this period, 207 Squadron became the destination for many of the finest pilots and crews in 5 Group, some of whom moved on to 97 Squadron to assist in its reformation as the second Manchester Unit.

207 Squadron soldiered on with the type until early 1942, when the four-engine Lancaster, born out of the failure of the Manchester, and destined to become the finest bomber in the European theatre, began to re-equip 5 Group. From that point on, 207 Squadron took its place at the forefront of the Command’s major campaigns, contributing to those, in particular in 1943 against the Ruhr, Hamburg and Berlin, and, in 1944, against Berlin, pre-invasion railway and coastal battery targets, flying bomb sites, canals, oil and tactical support for the ground forces. It ended the war with a fine record of service, of which those associated with it can be justly proud.

8.5 x 11 inches, 435 pages, fully illustrated. £18

Polish airmen came to Britain in 1939 and 1940 with a burning anger, which could only be assuaged through the avenging of the injustices visited upon their people and homeland by the Nazi regime. Unlike the British, who only anticipated invasion, the people of Poland had experienced it in all its hateful forms, and its people continued to suffer under the merciless yoke of tyranny. What the Poles asked for was simple; to be given the means to hit back, and from the moment this was provided, they launched themselves at every opportunity with a fanatical, yet measured, determination, never doubting the eventual outcome, or their ability to help bring it about. It was a case of small beginnings, four squadrons formed in the north Warwickshire countryside during the summer of 1940, equipped with outdated, ill-equipped Fairey Battles, a type effectively knocked out of the Battle of France with catastrophic casualties in less than a week’s fighting. The arrival of the Wellington towards the end of 1940 provided a greater punch, and for the next three years 300 Squadron carried on with this trusty type, as a front-line bomber unit in 1 Group, and then predominantly on mining duties as the Wellington approached the end of its operational life. The dwindling number of Polish aircrew led to the disbandment of one Polish squadron, while another was posted to Coastal Command, and, eventually one to the 2nd Tactical Air Force. This left 300 Squadron to fly the flag for Poland in Bomber Command and the passion, commitment to the cause, raw courage and press-on spirit of the airmen who served with 300 Squadron may occasionally have been equalled, but never surpassed. Their deeds will live on as part of the glorious history of RAF Bomber Command. Chris Ward's detailed narrative is complemented by numerous previously-unseen photographs from Grzegor Korcz. 8.5 in x 11 in. £15 / US$ 20.

301, 304 and 305 Squadrons Profile

There were no more passionate and determined airmen in Bomber Command than those who came to this country from Poland. After doing whatever they could to resist the German invasion of their motherland, they escaped by whatever means possible and made their way to England to offer their hearts and souls to the only country able to fight back. Initially underestimated by the British authorities, the Polish flyers soon demonstrated their credentials in terms of competence and professionalism, and their desire to avenge the rape of their homeland and liberate their nation from the grip of a ruthless and hated enemy knew no bounds.

300 Squadron (subject of a separate Profile in this series) was the first to begin operations, in the obsolete Fairey Battle in September 1940, before converting to the Wellington to be joined by the other three squadrons, 301 Squadron just before Christmas, and 304 and 305 Squadrons in April 1941. They went to war under the banner of 1 Group and impressed immediately with a passion for operations and a "press-on" attitude surpassed by none.

The supply of Polish airmen was, of course, finite, and the resource had to be husbanded wisely to ensure a Polish presence in Bomber Command to the end. Much credit is due to the Polish authorities, who declined an offer to transfer to 4 Group, where its manpower would be quickly frittered away in Halifaxes, choosing instead to retain Wellingtons and focus to a large extent on mining operations.

Inevitably, the numbers dwindled, and 301 Squadron was disbanded in 1943, by which time 304 Squadron had long since transferred to Coastal Command. 305 Squadron also departed Bomber Command to join the 2nd Tactical Air Force in the autumn of 1943, leaving 300 Squadron to see out the war, from March 1944 as a Lancaster unit.

466 pages,  hardback 8 1/4 in x 11 in: £25, paperback 8 1/2 in x 11 in, paperback: £18.

460 Squadron RAAF

Chris Ward

From modest beginnings as it began its operational career on Wellingtons in March 1942, by the war's end 460 Squadron had carried out the highest number of overall sorties in 1 Group and the highest number of Lancaster sorties in Bomber Command.

When formed in November 1941, 460 became the third Royal Australian Air Force squadron to serve in Bomber Command after 455 and 458 Squadrons. For a brief period between August and October 1942 it flirted with the Halifax, the type which had been intended to replace 1 Group's Wellingtons, but it conducted no operations before a change of policy determined that the future lay with the Lancaster, and once operational from late November 1942, the squadron gradually increased its presence.

As a three-flight unit in a group whose Air-Officer-Commanding believed in loading its aircraft with a maximum bomb tonnage, 460 Squadron regularly put twenty-five Lancasters into the air and elevated itself to the top of most of the statistical ladders. The squadron is credited with delivering 24,000 tons of bombs, the highest total in Bomber Command, and of dispatching the most Lancaster sorties, the latter inevitably leading to the highest number of Lancaster losses in 1 Group and among the highest in the Command, although the percentage loss rate remained average.

Present in all of the Command's campaigns against the Ruhr, Hamburg, Berlin, the pre- and post-invasion Transportation Plan, oil, V-Weapons, tactical support for the ground forces and the second Ruhr offensive in late 1944, 460 Squadron played a full role in Bomber Command's contribution to victory and magnificently represented its proud nation.

Paperback, 398 pages, 11 in x 8 1/2 in, £18

467 Squadron RAAF Profile

Chris Ward

The value of the Australian contribution to the success of Bomber Command cannot be overstated. The BCATP enabled thousands of Australian airmen to train in their homeland and in Canada before joining operational squadrons, and, while many served in RAF units, others were gathered together in those formed within the Royal Australian Air Force. 467 Squadron RAAF was the fourth to be formed in Bomber Command after 455, 458 and 460 Squadrons RAAF, and began life in 5 Group at the end of 1942, although it would be January 1943 before it was ready to go to war.
This was towards the end of the Ruhr offensive, in which it played its part, before becoming involved in the campaign against Hamburg, the attack on Peenemünde, the final push against Italy and the Battle of Berlin. Following the relentless winter offensive, which resulted in heavy losses for the Command at Berlin, Leipzig and Nuremberg, the squadron played a full part in the pre- and post-invasion campaigns against transportation, oil and V-Weapons in a largely independent 5 Group, while providing tactical support for the ground forces.
The squadron remained an integral part of 5 Group’s contribution to victory, participating in a second Ruhr offensive from October 1944 and in attacks on the Dortmund-Ems and Mittelland Canals, which severely inhibited the enemy’s ability to transport raw materials and finished goods to and from the Ruhr. Benefitting from the finest leadership from the front, demonstrated by the loss of four of its commanding officers, the squadron served with distinction right up to the final day of the bombing war, and, its duty done, was disbanded at the end of September 1945.

11 x 8 1/2 inches, 359 pages, fully illustrated softback. £18 worldwide

(Au$ 37.27, printed in Australia for Aussie customers)

514 Squadron Profile

by Chris Ward and Simon Hepworth

Formed as part of the expansion of Bomber Command, 514 Squadron served in the RAF’s No. 3 Group between September 1943 and August 1945. After a short period of operations from RAF Foulsham, the squadron transferred to its permanent home at RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, in December 1943, some aircraft travelling from the old base to the new via a raid on Berlin. The squadron only operated Avro Lancasters, initially the Bristol Hercules-powered MkII and then the more usual Merlin-powered Mks I and III. After its baptism of fire in the Battle of Berlin through the winter of 1943/4, 514 Squadron went on to play a pivotal role in softening up strategic targets ahead of D-Day, then supporting the Allied bridgehead in Normandy, before reverting to attacks on German infrastructure, including transport facilities and oil production plants. The unit specialised in blind bombing techniques in the drawn out and bloody campaign against Nazi Germany, culminating in deploying the highly accurate Gee-H equipment.Its aircrew members were drawn not just from Britain but also Canada, Australia, and New Zealand amongst others. The heroism of their crews was every bit as prevalent as the exploits in more celebrated squadrons and tales abound of unbelievable courage, ingenuity, and sheer guts. The squadron’s service life was only eighteen months but its contribution, and the sacrifice of its crews, was considerable. Over the course of 222 operations 514 Squadron's Lancasters dropped nearly fifteen thousand tons of bombs at a cost of 90 aircraft lost due to enemy action or crashes. Some 437 members of the squadron gave their lives in the cause of our freedom with many others suffering serious injuries.A welcome addition to the Bomber Command Squadron Profiles series, this volume has been written by Chris Ward, along with 514 Squadron researcher and historian Simon Hepworth. It benefits from access to the archive of documents and photographs collated in conjunction with veterans, families, and the Waterbeach Military Heritage Museum.

11 in x 8 1/2 in., 227 pages. £15.00 plus delivery.

619 Squadron Profile 

Chris Ward

619 Squadron came into existence when Bomber Command was expanding during the spring of 1943, its high number, like that of the famous 617 Squadron, reflecting the fact that it was not a reforming unit, but was brand new with no history behind it. Like some other squadrons created within Bomber Command at this time, and later, in the autumn of 1943, it would not be awarded an authorised crest and motto during its relatively brief period of service, arriving on the operational scene as it did with just two years of conflict left.

The squadron was formed at Woodhall Spa in April 1943 under the banner of 5 Group, and it would serve as a standard "squadron of the line", beginning operations in June 1943, during the most intense weeks of the five-month-long Ruhr offensive. From that point on, the squadron took part in all the main bombing campaigns, including the devastating four-raid series against Hamburg under Operation Gomorrah at the end of July. The squadron then participated in attacks against Italy, Peenemünde and the start of the Berlin offensive in August. Autumn saw the crippling attacks on Hannover, Mannheim and Kassel in September and October, followed by the main Winter Offensive from November 1943 to the end of March 1944, including the sixteen further raids on Berlin.

At the start of 1944, the squadron moved to Dunholme Lodge, from where it participated in the Transportation Plan and other pre- and post-invasion campaigns, including those against oil refineries, railways and flying-bomb storage and launching sites along with tactical support for the ground forces. The squadron played a full part in the second Ruhr offensive from October 1944, during which period the Command bludgeoned its way across Germany delivering the heaviest blows of the war against its industrial and communications systems.  The squadron took up residence at Strubby towards the end of 1944 and remained there until the end of hostilities. 619 Squadron ended the war with a fine record of service, having made a telling contribution to Bomber Command's part in the ultimate victory.

Chris Ward’s Bomber Command Squadron Profiles series continues with a comprehensively-illustrated, in-depth operational history of this fine unit.

11 in x 8 1/2 in, 228 pages. Paperback, £15

The Wasted Years - An ANZAC Soldier's Life in the Great War

Graham Clayton

Sometimes we do actually publish books that aren't about Bomber Command! This is the story of 44717 Pte Francis James Graham of the 1st Auckland Battalion of the New Zealand Infantry, a surviving member of the Third Auckland Company, who traveled to his own personal Armageddon in Europe with the 24th Reinforcements. It is set in the context of some of the bloodiest fighting in the carnage of the Western Front and is a microcosm of the service and sacrifice of thousands of New Zealand soldiers who answered the call to arms a century ago. It was a time that changed his view of the world forever.

9 in x 6 in, 239 pages, £15 plus p&p.

Soldiers in Petticoats

From the fields and factory production lines, to the front line, the women of Britain and her allies is often overlooked in history of World War Two. The Women’s Land Army, WRNS and the WAAF are perhaps the best-known services in which women contributed significantly to the conflict. Less heralded, perhaps, are the nurses, industrial workers, anti-aircraft crews and, the bravest of the brave, the women agents of the Special Operations Executive. Alan Cooper’s book is an updated version of The Gentle Sex, a comprehensive account of the variety of roles played by the female half of the population, all of which were vital to the war effort. Numerous personal accounts from the women who were there tell the story first hand. They, too, shall never be forgotten.

Flying High in the Sunlit Silence

The Aviation Art of Jack Berry

Jack Berry is an autistic teenager who uses his artwork as a form of communication and release. His favourite hobbies are aircraft and racing cars and he regularly shares his love of these on social media through his artwork. Art is in the eye and mind of the artist, and Jack’s drawings and paintings show the world of aviation, and the odd racing car as he sees them, with a vibrancy and optimism that cannot always be conveyed through a photograph.Jack’s art has a lovely tranquil, radiant and fresh quality to it which is really uplifting and enchanting. Jack wanted to create and publish his own artwork book with his favourite aircraft, accompanied by a write up from his favourite pilots and aircrew. This delightful book has become a lovely link and formed a wonderful friendship bond between Jack and many aviators of the modern day, and those with a personal history in aviation stretching back over decades and generations. He formed an artistic bond in particular with John Henry Meller, who served as a wireless operator in Bomber Command during the Second World War. Created in a period in our history when people have been isolated by a pandemic which has divided and isolated, this book has reached out and linked households and airfields in union. Proof indeed that kindness finds its way across any obstacle.

The author's proceeds will be used to support SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity, the International Bomber Command Centre and Lincolnshire's Lancaster Association.

8 1/4 in x 8 1/4 in, full colour, 91 pages. Kindle £4.99 Paperback £11.99

Dead men told no tales… until now. Imagine setting out in a bomber, night after night, knowing that the might of the Luftwaffe is hell-bent on killing you… …parachuting from a blazing bomber into enemy territory, having just bombed a nearby city… …deciding, day by day, which of your crews you will send out, probably to their deaths, not knowing their fate until they let you know… …having a date with the Chop Girl… …spending the rest of time haunting your former airfield after failing to return from those ops. What’s not to like? In the Second World War more than sixty thousand aircrew of Bomber Command lost their lives on operations or in training. Mostly young and energetic, they died suddenly and traumatically. No spirits could have more reason to remain attached to the places where they lived the last few weeks or months of their earthly lives before they disappeared into the night. Simon Hepworth’s latest paranormal tales put a new spin on the sightings, myths and legends of phantom airmen at old RAF stations across England.