British Aircraft of World War II ... with Colour Photographs

Frayn-Turner, John

Sidgwick

A century after the Wright Brothers first took to the air, the author records those moments of aviation history that stand out from all the others for their pioneering bravery or gallantry in the face of the enemy. A fascinating potpourri embracing the whole story of aviation from those first faltering flights, through the conquest of the world by flight, the drama of war in the air, right up to the present day and the four ill-fated flights of September 11th 2001. Each story is a superb description of the great moments in the history of aviation A superb read for both the layman and aviation specialist alike

Heroic Flights: The First 100 Years of Aviation

History

Military

Leo Cooper

Douglas Bader: A Biography of the Legendary World War II Fighter Pilot

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

Pen and Sword Aviation

This collection of popular naval stories covers the entire span of World War II, beginning when the British Royal Navy faced fascist forces on its own until the final Allied victory over the Japanese in 1945. Fight for the Sea offers a rich mixture of accounts about such large and well-known battles and operations as the Battle of the Coral Sea, as well as lesser-known actions such as the submarine attack on Corfu harbor, the loss of the USS Leedsdown, and the saga of the USS Rich to characterize the breadth and variety of the war at sea. Also included are memories of John F Kennedy’s heroic actions with PT 109 and George H W Bush’s near-death experience with an aircraft known as the ‘flying casket’. A sailor’s eye view of the war at sea, this compelling compilation has broad appeal. John Frayn Turner’s prose crackles with action and tension to keep the reader’s attention, and even those who know little about the war will find the stories to be a welcome introduction to the subject. Among the book’s special attractions are the little-known contributions of rescue ships and merchant seamen and the adventures of civilians, including Johnnie Ferguson, who spent three weeks adrift in an open boat when her ship was torpedoed. Readers will come away with not only a clear understanding of the giant scope of World War II but of the individual grit and determination that produced victory.

Fight for the Sea: Naval Adventures from the Second World War

Leaders & Notable People

Pen and Sword Maritime

In the pre-dawn darkness of 6 June 1944, the greatest armada the world has ever seen began to disembark an Allied invasion force on the beaches of France’s Normandy peninsula. Invasion ’44 tells the story of that assault from the day over four years earlier, and only a few short weeks after the British disaster at Dunkirk, when a few individuals in the High Command began to turn their thoughts to the possibilities of an eventual return to the mainland, and the story continues up to the time when the Allied beachhead was firmly established on French soil. As the battle progresses, the reader is allowed to view each successive wave as it lands, follow the developing battle line inland, and keep an eye on the vital battles also developing on and beneath the seas off the Normandy peninsula and in the skies above it.

Invasion ‘44: The Full Story of D-Day

Pen and Sword Military

This collection of popular air warfare stories covers the entire span of World War II, beginning when the Royal Air Force faced fascist forces on its own until the dropping of the Atomic bombs on the Japanese in 1945. Fight for the Air offers a rich mixture of accounts about such large and well-known battles and operations as the Battle of Britain, the huge Allied bomber raids over German cities, as well as more specialist operations such as the Dambusters. Individual feats of courage make for inspiring reading. The author’s prose crackles with action and tension and his deep understanding of air warfare is obvious.These short stories give the reader an understanding of the global scope of air operations and their massive contribution to ultimate victory.

Fight for the Air: Aviation Adventures from the Second World War

This unique book, now republished, was the first of its kind to be published on British aircraft of the Second World War. Aviation enthusiasts and aero-modelers can see British aircraft as they really were, through magnificently reproduced color photographs. Each of the forty-nine types of aircraft is accompanied by a brief ‘biography’ together with tables of the most important marks and their specifications, engine, span, length, height, weight, crew number, maximum speed, service ceiling, normal range and armament. There is also a section on British aircraft in action, which includes accounts of outstanding exploits by the pilots of different types. John Frayn Turner, the well-known aviation author, has chosen the pictures and provided the text.

British Aircraft of the Second World War

Historical Study & Educational Resources

Early in WW2, King George VI was deeply impressed by the heroic deeds of servicemen out of the front line and civilian non-combatants in acts connected with the war such as bomb disposal, rescues after air raids. So in September 1940 the King instituted the George Cross for ‘For Gallantry’ away from the heat of actual battle, to be awarded to civilians and servicemen and women. As the war progressed, the range of deeds increased. In April 1942 the unprecedented award of the GC was made to the entire population of the Island of Malta ‘to honour her brave people’. Later the award was made for supreme gallantry to members of the Special Operations Executive, including Violette Szabo and Forest Yeo-Thomas (The White Rabbit). Many were posthumous. The George Cross continued to be awarded in the post war years and up to the present day, and this fine books covers all of these.

Awards of the George Cross 1940 - 2005

Pen_and_Sword

Douglas Bader remains a legendary figure, and the best known of all the Battle of Britain aces. Having lost both his legs in a prewar flying accident, Bader overcame this disability to become not just a superb fighter pilot but a tough and charismatic leader. At a critical time in the War, Bader persuaded his superiors that fighters were best employed in Big Wings and was given the chance to lead five squadrons.This he did with conspicuous success until shot down over France and captured. In addition to describing the dramatic aerial actions of the pilots involved, this book examines the tactics and strategy of the Big Wing principle drawing on the views and opinions of some of the greatest pilots of the Second World War including Johnnie Johnson, Laddie Lucas, Hugh Dundas, Alan Deere and Sholto Douglas.REVIEWS "…an insightful account of the charismatic air race, Douglas Bader, and the five-squadron Bader Wing…"Book News, 07/2008

Bader Wing

The Malta Force submarines had the vital task of interrupting German and Italian convoys crossing the Mediterranean to resupply Rommel and his Army in North Africa. The outcome of the Desert War depended on this.Operations from the beleaguered island were hazardous both at sea and in port. The Naval Base was under constant air attack. Due to the courage and tenacity of the crews by the time the Malta-based submarines were at full strength a staggering 50% of Axis shipping bound for Africa failed to arrive at its destination. The submarines sank some 75 enemy vessels totaling 400,000 tons.Periscope Patrol picks out the highlights of their actions and sets them against the bombed-out background of Malta, the island awarded the George Cross for its single handed stand. This is a hugely readable and informative account of submarine warfare at its toughest and roughest.

Periscope Patrol

Europe

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Books by Frayn-Turner, John