Air force blue : the RAF in World War Two : spearhead of victory

On 1 April 2018, The Royal Air Force Will Be A Hundred Years Old - A Short Life By Military Standards But An Extraordinarily Important And Eventful One. From The Start It Was Special, Standing Sometimes Awkwardly But Always Proudly A Little Apart From The Existing Services. It Was A Product Of The Modern Age, Whose Fortunes Depended On Ever-more Sophisticated Machines And The Right Calibre Of Men To Fly Them And To Keep Them Airborne. Its Achievements Between 1939 And 1945 - When It Was Britain's Last Line Of Defence And The Spearhead Of Its Counter-attack, Were Central To The Entire War Effort. During These Years, One In Four Of Those In Uniform Wore Air Force Blue And The Ethos Of The Raf Was Indistinguishable From The Spirit Of The Nation. Air Force Blue Tells Personal Stories Of Those Who Served, Using The Letters, Diaries And Memoirs Of The Participants To Create A True Picture Of What It Was Like To Be A Pilot, A Navigator, A Gunner, A Fitter Or A Waaf Ops Room Clerk. Patrick Bishop. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.

This edition does not include illustrations. This edition does not include illustrations. At last, new archival discoveries reveal the truth about the German Deputy-Führer's incredible solo flight to Britain in May 1941, and explain the British government's sixty-year silence as to what the Hess mission was all about. At last, new archival discoveries reveal the truth about the German Deputy-Fü hrer' s incredible solo flight to Britain in May 1941, and explain the British government' s sixty-year silence as to what the Hess mission was all about. On the night of 10 May 1941, in one of the most extraordinary and bizarre incidents of the Second World War, a Messerschmitt-110 crash-landed on a remote Scottish hillside. Its pilot, who had parachuted to safety, was Rudolf Hess, the Deputy-Führer of the German Reich. Hess's remarkable solo flight was immediately dismissed in both Britain and Germany as the deranged act of a disordered mind. He was disowned by Hitler, and Winston Churchill's government insisted that his unexpected arrival on British soil was of no lasting consequence. On the night of 10 May 1941, in one of the most extraordinary and bizarre incidents of the Second World War, a Messerschmitt-110 crash-landed on a remote Scottish hillside. Its pilot, who had parachuted to safety, was Rudolf Hess, the Deputy-Fü hrer of the German Reich. Hess' s remarkable solo flight was immediately dismissed in both Britain and Germany as the deranged act of a disordered mind. He was disowned by Hitler, and Winston Churchill' s government insisted that his unexpected arrival on British soil was of no lasting consequence. Nevertheless, the mysterious circumstances of the flight, and Hess' s unbroken silence during fifty subsequent years of imprisonment, have led to endless speculation as to his true motives. Until now, no one has found the crucial pieces of evidence which prove that a small group of men within the British government and intelligence services were in fact conducting a brilliantly clever plot which was not only to lead to Hess' s flight, but would also have a decisive impact on the course of the war. Martin Allen' s researches in archives in Britain, Germany and the United States have unearthed many documents previously undiscovered by historians. The details they reveal are explosive, and alter our perception not only of the conduct of the Second World War, but of the secret forces which shaped post-war Europe and global politics.

In 2018 the RAF is one hundred years old. In his new book, destined to be a classic, Patrick Bishop examines the high point of its existence – the Second World War, when the Air Force saved the nation from defeat then led the advance to victory. A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Air warfare was a terrible novelty of the modern age, requiring a new military outlook. From the beginning, the RAF's identity set it apart from the traditional services. It was innovative, flexible and comparatively meritocratic, advancing the quasi-revolutionary idea that competence was more important than background. The Air Force went into the war with inadequate machines, training and tactics, and the early phase was littered with setbacks and debacles. Then, in the summer of 1940, in full view of the population, Fighter Command won one of the decisive battles of the struggle. Thereafter the RAF was gilded with an aura of success that never tarnished, going on to make a vital contribution to Allied victory in all theatres. Drawing from diaries, letters, memoirs, and interviews, Air Force Blue captures the nature of combat in the skies over the corrugated wastes of the Atlantic, the sands of the Western Desert and the jungles of Burma. It also brings to life the intensely lived dramas, romances, friendships and fun that were as important a part of the experience as the fighting. Air Force Blue portrays the spirit of the RAF – its heart and soul – during its finest hours. It is essential reading for the millions in Britain and the Commonwealth whose loved ones served, and for anyone who wants to understand the Second World War. Air warfare was a terrible novelty of the modern age, requiring a new military outlook. From the beginning, the RAF's identity set it apart from the traditional services. It was innovative, flexible and comparatively meritocratic, advancing the quasi-revolutionary idea that competence was more important than background.0The Air Force went into the war with inadequate machines, training and tactics, and the early phase was littered with setbacks and debacles. Then, in the summer of 1940, in full view of the population, Fighter Command won one of the decisive battles of the struggle. Thereafter the RAF was gilded with an aura of success that never tarnished, going on to make a vital contribution to Allied victory in all theatres.0Drawing from diaries, letters, memoirs, and interviews, Air Force Blue captures the nature of combat in the skies over the corrugated wastes of the Atlantic, the sands of the Western Desert and the jungles of Burma. It also brings to life the intensely lived dramas, romances, friendships and fun that were as important a part of the experience as the fighting