Group Captain John 'Joe' Collier DSO, DFC and Bar : the authorised biography of the bomber commander, air war and SOE strategist and dambuster planner

The Authorised Biography of the RAF Bomber Commander, Air War, SOE Strategist and 'Dambuster' Planner.John 'Jack' Collier's war began on day one of the war in 1939, flying Hampden Bombers with 83 Squadron alongside his good friend Guy Gibson, as they fruitlessly hunted for the German Battleship KMS Admiral Scheer. By the time of summer of 1940, he was bombing the Dortmund-Ems Canal in Germany at ultra low-level, then the French port of Bordeaux and the KMS Scharnhorst in the French Port of Brest. He was aged 25 and had been awarded the DFC and Bar, and had been promoted from being a Flight Commander to the role of Squadron Commander. His next posting saw him take up the role of being the first commander of the newly formed Canadian 420 'Snowy Owl' RCAF Squadron, after which he was hand-picked to be the commander of the second Avro Lancaster Squadron to operate on that type of Aircraft. His Squadron, 97 (Straits Settlements) Squadron, and their Lancaster Aircrews were to go on and make a spectacular operational debut with the 1942 low level Augsburg Daylight Air Raid. In Guy Gibson's own personal opinion 'Joe' Collier and his Aircrews on 97 were the best squadron in the whole of RAF Bomber Command, and Joe was the Commands best squadron commander. After beating the odds and surviving 63 Operations, Joe Collier was awarded the DSO and grounded from operations (much to his Wife's relief). He was next posted to a ground role at the Air Ministry whereupon he joined the Directorate of Bomber Operations (B Ops 1), and by doing so found himself involved in the very heart of the planning of the upcoming expansion of the air war against Germany and Italy. He helped to organise and co-ordinate with the American Commanders of the USAAF, He issued directives to RAF Bomber Command and its gruff no nonsense commander 'Bert' Harris (earning his respect in the process) and constantly argued for the need to carry out more high precision attacks against vital enemy industries and weaponry of all kinds. It was while posted to B Ops 1 that Jack Collier was to become closely involved in the operational planning for Operation Chastise working alongside the undisputed scientific genius of the Air War, Barnes Wallis. As well as working on the Dams Raid of 1943, he drafted the attack plan for the vitally important RAF operation against the German Baltic Research Station located at Peenemunde (V-Weapons). In his role as one of the Commands target selectors he helped to plan and chose targets for 617 Squadron in 1944 (including specialist "Tallboy'' Operations). He also worked with SOE's so called 'Blackmail Committee' which gave French industrialists a stark choice - sabotage your own plant or be bombed flat by special squadrons with special weapons, like 617. By the time he was posted out to the Pacific and onto India to join Mountbatten's Staff in 1945 as Deputy Director of Combined Ops (in preparation for the planned Invasion of Singapore and Malaya - Operation Zipper), Jack Collier had been involved in helping to plan most of the major initiatives of the Allied Air Offensive by Bombers - including the final destruction in Norway of KMS Tirpitz in 1944. His unpublished memoir of his time inside the highly secretive world of B Ops 1 and his flying logbooks and letters home to his wife all help to give a direct authority to this the first biography of this remarkable flyer, one of the most significant young RAF officers of the war who most people have probably never even heard of before."The beauty of this book lies in the fact that it follows the career of an RAF officer whose duties covered the whole gambit of the arena that was World War Two. Joe Collier was already a regular at the outbreak of war in 1939 after having joined the RAF on a short service commission in 1936. His early war time experiences took him through the hazardous duties of flying somewhat inadequate bombers in the early years and then on to 97 (Straits Settlements) Squadron via duty with 83, 44, and 420 Squadrons, steadily climbing up through the ranks along the way. At 97 he became both squadron and Air Station commander and it was there that his reputation was truly cemented. Having turned an “ordinary” squadron into an elite unit which became one of the very first pathfinder squadrons when that group was formed, Joe was promoted in 1943 to the Directorate of Bomber Operations where his knowledge as a very experienced operational pilot was greatly needed. He served out the war in Europe with B Ops undertaking very many duties the pinnacle of which must have been his role in planning the Dambuster raid of 1943. At first glance, the second part of Joe’s war duties may appear to have been rather dull. Far from it. Simon Gooch’s narrative makes very interesting reading. This book is well researched and well written. Not once did I lose interest and I found myself eager to reach the end of what is an intriguing biography. This isn’t just another war time book. It’s unique in content and well worth seeking out" - Tony Walter 97 (Straits Settlements) Squadron Association.Simon Gooch studied and worked as a graphic designer and illustrator until travel writing tempted him to stray. Many trips abroad followed, especially to Eastern Europe and the USSR. In recent years he has researched numerous family histories and privately published the definitive study of Holwood, William Pitt the Younger's country estate in Kent. This is his first Pen & Sword Book. John Collier's war began on day one, flying Hampdens in 83 Squadron with his friend Guy Gibson, in a hunt for the battleship Admiral Scheer. By the summer of 1940 he was bombing the Dortmund-Ems Canal at low-level, then Bordeaux and the Scharnhorst at Brest, which led to his DFC and Bar. Given command of 420 (RCAF) Squadron at 25, Collier was hand-picked to direct 97 Squadron, whose Lancasters made a spectacular debut with the 1942 Augsburg Raid. In Gibson's opinion "Joe" Collier's 97 was the best unit in Bomber Command. After 63 missions Collier was awarded the DSO and was selected to join the Directorate of Bomber Operations (B Ops 1) at the heart of the air war: co-ordinating with the USAAF, issuing directives to Bomber Command, and arguing for precision attacks on vital enemy industries and weaponry. In B Ops 1 John Collier was closely involved in planning the Dambuster Raid with Barnes Wallis, drafted the attack on Peenemunde's V-weapons research station, and managed to delay the "buzz-bomb" and rocket assault on London. As target selector for the specialist 617 Squadron, he and Leonard Cheshire VC made imaginative use of Wallis's Tallboy "earthquake bomb". 617 were also linked to Collier's role with SOE's "Blackmail Committee" that gave French industrialists a stark choice: sabotage your own plant or be bombed flat. By the time he moved to India in 1945 as Deputy Director of Combined Ops, John Collier had been involved in most of the major initiatives of the bomber war. His unpublished memoir of B Ops 1 and his logbooks and letters home give direct authority to this the first biography of this remarkable flyer, one of the most significant young RAF officers of the war John Collier's war began on day one, flying Hampdens in 83 Squadron with his friend Guy Gibson, in a hunt for the battleship Admiral Scheer. By the summer of 1940 he was bombing the Dortmund-Ems Canal at low-level, then Bordeaux and the Scharnhorst at Brest, which led to his DFC and Bar. Given command of 420 (RCAF) Squadron at 25, Collier was hand-picked to direct 97 Squadron, whose Lancasters made a spectacular debut with the 1942 Augsburg Raid. In Gibson's opinion Joe Collier's 97 was the best unit in Bomber Command. After 63 missions Collier was awarded the DSO and was selected to join the Directorate of Bomber Operations (B Ops 1) at the heart of the air war: co-ordinating with the USAAF, issuing directives to Bomber Command, and arguing for precision attacks on vital enemy industries and weaponry. In B Ops 1 John Collier was closely involved in planning the Dambuster Raid with Barnes Wallis, drafted the attack on Peenemunde's V-weapons research station, and managed to delay the buzz-bomb and rocket assault on London. As target selector for the specialist 617 Squadron, he and Leonard Cheshire VC made imaginative use of Wallis's Tallboy earthquake bomb. 617 were also linked to Collier's role with SOE's Blackmail Committee that gave French industrialists a stark choice: sabotage your own plant or be bombed flat. By the time he moved to India in 1945 as Deputy Director of Combined Ops, John Collier had been involved in most of the major initiatives of the bomber war. His unpublished memoir of B Ops 1 and his logbooks and letters home give direct authority to this the first biography of this remarkable flyer, one of the most significant young RAF officers of the war. [Elib]