Dowding's Eagles
Dowding's Eagles

Author: Norman Franks

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 2015-09-30

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 1473844207

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The Battle of Britain fought by The Few, as Churchill famously called them, will remain a legendary feat of arms for centuries to come. Sadly there remain only a handful today who can tell their stories so this collection of personal accounts is extremely timely. The Author has over the years gathered the stories of twenty-five survivors and in Dowding's Aces he brings these stirring stories together. Each account describes the actions and impressions of the individuals who fought lonely battles against a numerically superior enemy. The odds were stacked against The Few. Over 500 pilots were killed in action during the summer of 1940 and this book is as much about those who gave their lives for their country as those who risked everything but managed to survive. Together with photographs of the men and their aircraft, this is an inspiring book.

Air Marshal Sir Keith Park
Air Marshal Sir Keith Park

Author: Murray Rowlands

Publisher: Pen and Sword Aviation

Published: 2021-03-03

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 1526767910

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A long-overdue biography of the dedicated commander from New Zealand who helped ward off the Luftwaffe and save Britain from a Nazi invasion. The Battle of Britain from July to September 1940 is one of the finest moments in Britain’s history. While credit rightly goes to “The Few,” victory could never have happened without the inspirational command and leadership of New Zealander Keith Park. He and Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding ensured that Fighter Command was prepared for the Nazi onslaught. Promoted to Air Vice Marshal, Park took over No 11 Group, responsible for the defense of London and South East England in April 1940. A shrewd tactician and hands-on commander, Park carefully husbanded his limited resources and famously wore down Goering’s Luftwaffe, thus forcing Hitler to abandon his invasion plans. Shamefully, Dowding and Park were dismissed from their commands in the aftermath of victory due to internal RAF politics. Fortunately, Park’s career was far from over and his management of the defense of Malta made a significant contribution to victory in the Mediterranean. This balanced and well overdue account aims to ensure that Air Chief Marshal Sir Keith Park receives the credit for this victory that he so richly deserves. Includes photographs

Eagle Day
Eagle Day

Author: Richard Collier

Publisher: Canelo + ORM

Published: 2021-12-16

Total Pages: 271

ISBN-13: 1800325886

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This is the gripping story of the Battle of Britain; of some of the most fateful weeks in history. Drawing on eyewitness accounts from both the RAF and the Luftwaffe, this is a compelling story of history in the making through an intensely fought battle, taking the reader into the heart of the action as told by those who fought and experienced it. The book not only captures the often savage reality of the air battles over the Channel and southern England, but it also traces the true course of the Battle of Britain as it unfolded between August 6th and September 15th, 1940 as the German and British Commanders made their fateful decisions, and Spitfires and Messerschmitts whirled and fought in the skies. It was in these six weeks that the fate of the war, and Britain, were to be decided. A classic account of one of the Second World War’s most iconic battles, perfect for readers of Max Hastings or James Holland.

The Battle of Britain in the Modern Age, 1965–2020
The Battle of Britain in the Modern Age, 1965–2020

Author: Garry Campion

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2019-09-26

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 3030261107

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The Battle of Britain has held an enchanted place in British popular history and memory throughout the modern era. Its transition from history to heritage since 1965 confirms that the 1940 narrative shaped by the State has been sustained by historians, the media, popular culture, and through non-governmental heritage sites, often with financing from the National Lottery Heritage Lottery Fund. Garry Campion evaluates the Battle’s revered place in British society and its influence on national identity, considering its historiography and revisionism; the postwar lives of the Few, their leaders and memorialization; its depictions on screen and in commercial products; the RAF Museum’s Battle of Britain Hall; third-sector heritage attractions; and finally, fighter airfields, including RAF Hawkinge as a case study. A follow-up to Campion’s The Battle of Britain, 1945–1965 (Palgrave, 2015), this book offers an engaging, accessible study of the Battle’s afterlives in scholarship, memorialization, and popular culture.

Dowding's Despatch
Dowding's Despatch

Author: Andy Saunders

Publisher: Grub Street Publishing

Published: 2021-10-22

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 1911667661

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In September 1946, the London Gazette published a despatch from Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh C T Dowding that was titled simply: The Battle of Britain. Written and submitted to the Air Ministry in 1941, this document became the very framework for the accepted Battle of Britain narrative which has been established across the following eighty years. Set out by the leader of the ‘Few’ himself, its authoritative tone could surely be considered a definitive outline of the battle, how it was fought and the eventual outcome. It even retrospectively set the dates for the commencement and conclusion of the campaign. In this work, Andy Saunders takes a critical look at Dowding’s despatch and analyses the facts and details contained in that important document. He also puts ‘flesh on the bones’ of the matters that the former commander-in-chief of RAF Fighter Command outlines, adding intriguing historical detail and perspective to the 1946 publication. Additionally, Andy looks at the behind-the-scenes machinations at the highest levels of government and Air Ministry before the despatch finally saw the light of day. As a historical document, Dowding’s London Gazette despatch is worthy of the critical analysis and factual expansion which the author provides in what is a uniquely different look at the Battle of Britain, with illustrations throughout.

Fledgling Eagle
Fledgling Eagle

Author: Mark Andrews

Publisher: Stamford House Publishing

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 425

ISBN-13: 1904985580

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From the days of the Royal Flying Corps in World War I, military and political opinion was divided as to the role of aeroplanes in warfare. Politics, vested interests and personal antipathies, all played a part in defining the development and structure of the newly formed RAF. This military aviation book outlines the history of the RAF.

Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding

Author: John T. LaSaine

Publisher: Brandeis University Press

Published: 2018-05

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 1611689376

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A new biography of the architect of RAF Fighter Command in the centennial year of the Royal Air Force

Dowding of Fighter Command
Dowding of Fighter Command

Author: Vincent Orange

Publisher: Grub Street

Published: 2008-10-30

Total Pages: 375

ISBN-13: 1908117745

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An extensive biography of the life and distinguished military career of the Scottish air chief marshal. Making full use of archival sources, studies by other scholars, and information provided by family members, Vincent Orange has completed the first biography of Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding to cover his entire life. Soldier, pilot, wireless pioneer, squadron commander, spiritualist, champion skier, “Stuffy” Dowding is perhaps best known as the creator of the first radar-based air defense system and his no less remarkable management of such throughout the Battle of Britain. Dowding served in “delightful and dangerous Iraq,” helped to pacify unrest in the Holy Land, was involved in the R.101 airship disaster, and oversaw the creation of Britain’s first eight-gun monoplanes, the Hurricane and Spitfire. Controversially dismissed from Fighter Command and refused the R.A.F.’s highest rank, he nevertheless became the first airman elevated to the peerage since Trenchard. Westminster Abbey was packed for his memorial service in March 1970 with more than 46 air marshals in attendance; and in 1988, H.M. the Queen Mother unveiled a statue in his honor. With his expert eye, respected historian Orange has analyzed and evaluated every episode of Dowding’s exceptional career to produce the definitive biography.

Battle of Britain Attack of the Eagles
Battle of Britain Attack of the Eagles

Author: Dilip Sarkar

Publisher: Air World

Published: 2024-07-04

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 1399057952

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In this unprecedented series exploring the big story of the Battle of Britain, renowned historian Dilip Sarkar investigates the wider context and intimate details of the epic aerial conflict in the summer of 1940 from all sides. In so doing, he gives due acknowledgement to the roles of Bomber and Coastal Commands in addition to the fabled Few of Fighter Command. This unique narrative draws upon a lifetime of research, the author having enjoyed a long relationship with survivors and the relatives of casualties; his innumerable interviews and first-hand accounts collated, in addition to privileged access to personal papers, providing essential human interest to this inspirational story. In this the third volume, Battle of Britain: Attack of the Eagles, Dilip continues to examine the fighting on a day-by-day, combat-by-combat basis between 13 and 18 August 1940. This period began on ‘Eagle Day’ and the start of the Luftwaffe’s ‘Eagle Attack’ on Fighter Command. This period of intense fighting saw the defeat of the much-vaunted Stuka dive-bomber and the great attack on north-east England on 15 August 1940. It was during the aerial combats the following day that Flight Lieutenant James Brindley Nicolson’s Victoria Cross winning action took place over Southampton. All of these actions, and many others, are critically analyzed. Through diligent research, combined with crucial official primary sources and personal papers, Dilip unravels many myths, often challenging the accepted narrative. This is not simply another dull record of combat losses and claims – far from it. Drawing upon unique first-hand accounts from a wide-range of combatants and eyewitnesses, along with Daily Home Intelligence Reports and numerous other primary sources, this book forms part of what is likely to be the first and last such comprehensively woven account of this epic air battle.