For 100 years, the world's oldest independent air force, the RAF, forged a distinguished record in military air operations from the First World War through to recent operations over Iraq and Syria. There is, however, a field of endeavour in which the Royal Air Force has excelled: selling its public image. Of the three armed services, the air force ......
This is the first ever publication of the recently discovered Grand Tour journal of Edward Geoffrey Stanley (1799-1869), future 14th earl of Derby and three-time prime minister. In 1820-22 Stanley travelled throughout northern and central Italy and the Swiss Alps, recording the insights and experiences that were to shape his character.
The story of one of Britains most distinguished RAF stations. Not as well-known as Biggin Hill, Manston was the nearest airfield to the Luftwaffe and suffered accordingly. The stations motto was Arise to Protect and in two wars Manston carried out that role. It was the only station that housed aircraft of every command as well as the USAAF.
A remarkable true story of an RAF fighter pilot and his incredible adventures. Nothing perhaps was more astonishing than his survival after hitting a duck at 500 mph and his subsequent fight back to become not only pilot in command once again, but to fly Heads of State and The Queen. A miracle that he is still alive, but amazingly he still flies.
610 (County of Chester) Squadron formed in February 1936 as a bomber squadron, but transferred to Fighter Command as World War II loomed. The book's main focus is on 610 Squadron's courageous story during the Dunkirk evacuation and the Battle of Britain, when it paid a heavy sacrifice to become one of Britain's most successful Spitfire squadrons.
Many otherwise average fighter pilots came of age in the skies of Malta-an area dubbed 'a fighter pilot's paradise'. There was seldom a shortage of targets as the Luftwaffe endeavoured to flatten the defences and destroy the small air force, in which task it failed, but only narrowly. 249 Squadron was at the forefront of the fighting for two ......
This book features colour and b&w photographs taken in 1965-69 during family holidays to Spain and Portugal. The emphasis is on broad- and narrow-gauge steam, but diesel and electric-power locomotives are also featured, as are trams and trolleybuses. The photos are accompanied by extensive commentaries.
A senior non-commissioned officer in the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry describes the final years of mounted cavalry in the British Army. The regiment's campaigns in the Middle East, El Alamein, and the fight through Italy in 1944 are described by the author who is later commissioned; always working tirelessly to keep his regiment supplied in war.
