Pathfinder Aircrew

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Pathfinder Aircrew

Author : Jennie Mack Gray
Publisher : Perardua Books
ISBN 13 : 1999331788
Total Pages : 410 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (993 download)

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Book Synopsis Pathfinder Aircrew by : Jennie Mack Gray

Download or read book Pathfinder Aircrew written by Jennie Mack Gray and published by Perardua Books. This book was released on 2021-06-30 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who were the RAF Pathfinders in the Second World War? Who led them? What gave them the courage to carry on despite flak, night-fighters, and the many other hazards of air warfare? The Path Finder Force was RAF Bomber Command's only official elite Force, and it played a vital part in the Command's campaigns against Nazi Germany. This detailed and sympathetic account, based on 25 years' research, vividly describes what sort of people the Pathfinders were, what sustained them during their highly dangerous operations, and how their comrades, friends and families dealt with the all-too frequent losses - at sea, in Occupied Europe, in Germany, or in terrible accidents on British soil. Most of the personal documents used in Pathfinder Aircrew have never been published before. Based almost entirely on wartime or immediate post-war records, including aircrew letters and diaries, this book tells a very human story of members of an elite which was a byword for perseverance, technical excellence, and the most magnificent bravery.

Pathfinder Pilot

Author : R. A. Wellington
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1526779714
Total Pages : 243 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (267 download)

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Book Synopsis Pathfinder Pilot by : R. A. Wellington

Download or read book Pathfinder Pilot written by R. A. Wellington and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2020-08-31 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A riveting account of surviving sixty RAF bombing missions during World War II. During the Second World War, 55,573 RAF Bomber Command aircrew were killed, a shocking 44.4% death rate. A further 8,500 were wounded, and 9,800 became prisoners of war. The author of this thrilling memoir defied the odds, becoming one of the few Lancaster captains to survive his quota of sixty bombing missions. ‘Wimpy’ Wellington’s skills must have been exceptional. After serving in 106 Squadron under the legendary Guy Gibson, he and his crew moved to the elite 83 Pathfinder Squadron, where they coped with the prolonged strain of constant mortal danger, nighttime sorties to distant targets such as Milan, and the steady loss of comrades. Every night they danced with death, surviving enemy fighters, intense flak, and mechanical problems. On completion of flying duties Wellington was sent to the USA and South America to bolster support for the Allied cause. In this vivid account, the decorated and highly accomplished airman tells his story.

A Pathfinder's War

Author : Ted Stocker
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1909166715
Total Pages : 192 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis A Pathfinder's War by : Ted Stocker

Download or read book A Pathfinder's War written by Ted Stocker and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2012-11-15 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The only RAF flight engineer to be awarded a Distinguished Service Order recounts his prolific WWII combat career in this engaging military memoir. Flight Lieutenant Ted Stocker lived a charmed life. Joining the Royal Air Force as a teenager, he trained as one of the famous Halton Aircraft Apprentices known as Trenchard’s Brats. Stationed at RAF Boscombe Down, he flew prototype Stirling and Halifax bombers just as the Second World War broke out. Qualifying as one of the RAF’s first flight engineers, he went on to join Bomber Command’s elite Pathfinder Force. Stocker was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1943 and eventually completed more than 100 bombing operations, often as a master bomber. Although his aircraft was frequently hit, and he survived a crash landing, Stocker was never wounded. His achievements were recognized with the only known Distinguished Service Order issued to a flight engineer. In this candid and fascinating memoir, co-written by acclaimed aviation historian Sean Feast, Stocker relates his incredible tale of singular courage and miraculous survival.

Pathfinder Pioneer

Author : Raymond E. Brim
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1612003532
Total Pages : 289 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (12 download)

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Book Synopsis Pathfinder Pioneer by : Raymond E. Brim

Download or read book Pathfinder Pioneer written by Raymond E. Brim and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2016-04-19 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One young man’s story of combat in the air, constant battles for survival, and the development of radar technology for use against the Luftwaffe. This is the story of how an eighteen-year-old miner shoveling ore from deep in the ground in Utah suddenly found himself, only two years later, 30,000 feet in the air over Nazi Germany, piloting a Flying Fortress in the first wave of America’s air counteroffensive in Europe. Like thousands of other young Americans, Ray Brim was plucked out by the US Army to be a combat flyer, and was quickly pitted against the hardened veterans of the Luftwaffe. Brim turned out to have a natural knack for flying, however, and was assigned to the select squadron developing lead pathfinder techniques, while experimenting with radar. He was among the first to test the teeth of the Luftwaffe’s defenses, and once those techniques had been honed, thousands of other bomber crews would follow into the maelstrom—from which 80,000 never returned. This book gives us vivid insights into the genesis of the American air campaign, told with the humor, attention to detail, and humility that captures the heart and soul of our “Greatest Generation.” Brim was one of the first Pathfinder pilots to fly both day and night missions, leading bomb groups of six-hundred-plus bombers to their targets. At the onset of his missions in the spring of 1943, B-17 crews were given a fifty-fifty chance of returning. All his raids were nerve-wracking forays into the unknown, struggles to survive the damage to his plane caused by flak and German fighter attacks and bring his ten-man crew home, often wounded—but still alive.

Master Bombers

Author : Sean Feast
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1909166987
Total Pages : 239 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Master Bombers by : Sean Feast

Download or read book Master Bombers written by Sean Feast and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2012-09-26 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The wartime exploits and experiences of an RAF bomber pathfinder squadron are recounted in this WWII history—“A stunning war book” (Oxford Times, UK). Formed in July 1942, the Pathfinder Force was the corps d’élite of the Royal Air Force’s Bomber Command. The Squadrons of the PFF were tasked with marking targets and leading bomber formations to the right place at the right time. And the best of the force formed the crews of the master bombers, the aircraft in charge of the whole attack. It took nerves of steel for the crew to linger high over the target area, often for hours, in constant fear of attack from fighters or flak. In Master Bombers, aviation historian Sean Feast shares the wartime stories of the men and women of No. 582 Squadron. This bomber pathfinder squadron was formed in April of 1944 and began operations with a night raid on Occupied France a week later. The aircrew and supporting staff of No. 582 distinguished themselves in numerous operations, with one pilot, Ted Swales, winning a posthumous Victoria Cross over Pforzheim.

A Pathfinder's Story

Author : W. W. Robinson
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1781594589
Total Pages : 349 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (815 download)

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Book Synopsis A Pathfinder's Story by : W. W. Robinson

Download or read book A Pathfinder's Story written by W. W. Robinson and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2007-11-12 with total page 349 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When he died in 1946, Flight Lieutenant Jack Mossop left behind a widow and child, a chest full of medals, and a diary. He was 25 years old. The diary gave tantalizing glimpses of his career; sixty years on, his son has uncovered the truth. It is the story of an ordinary Durham lad called upon to perform extraordinary deeds.Serving initially as a Wireless Operator in 49 Squadron, he progressed to 76 Squadron under the legendary Leonard Cheshire, and finished as a Deputy Master Bomber with the elite Pathfinder Group in 35 Squadron.To complete even one tour of duty was against the odds. To complete a second and then to volunteer for a third was nigh-on incredible. Small wonder that one of his crewmates called him The bravest man I ever knew. It is all the more tragic that he died a civilians death on board a BOAC Lancastrian after the war, in suspicious circumstances, which attracted the attention of the Prime Minister himself.Jack saw most of the great actions of Bomber Command, from the 1,000 bomber raids of 1942, to the Battles of the Ruhr and Berlin in 1943, and the daylight operations of Normandy before and after D-Day. His story stands as a microcosm of the entire bomber campaign. Bill Robinsons account is a fascinating and stirring account of courage in war: a tribute not only to one mans courage, but also to the courage of the nameless thousands whose stories will now never be told.

Thinks He's a Bird

Author : Ian Campbell
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1922615161
Total Pages : 374 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (226 download)

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Book Synopsis Thinks He's a Bird by : Ian Campbell

Download or read book Thinks He's a Bird written by Ian Campbell and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-01-11 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A remarkable and powerful story of indomitable human spirit, passion and courage. In 1941 when Keith Watson, a teenage postal clerk from country Queensland, enlisted in the RAAF, he had absolutely no idea what he was getting himself into. The following four years were an adrenaline-filled ride of love, loss, mateship, ambition, courage and sacrifice, all recorded in an intimate 800-page diary. This is an account of how war tests character and puts the young on an accelerated path to maturity. From childhood and his first inspirational flight to his emergence as an elite Path Finder Force pilot, Keith’s story is compelling and tragic, yet uplifting. He confronts constant death and injury, challenges authority, learns to skipper a crew and finds his trademark humility running headlong into ego and ambition. Keith’s graphic accounts of Pathfinder missions bring a deepening sense of the relentless physical and psychological toll on the crews of Bomber Command. Counterbalancing these experiences are Keith’s relationships with wartime mates, the woman who loved him, and the UK families who sacrificed much on his behalf. Based on material never before released, Thinks He’s A Bird is a stunning account of service, sacrifice and two enduring and competing passions – flying and Norah, the love of Keith’s life. ,

The Pathfinder Companion

Author : Sean Feast
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1909808822
Total Pages : 450 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (98 download)

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Book Synopsis The Pathfinder Companion by : Sean Feast

Download or read book The Pathfinder Companion written by Sean Feast and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2012-10-24 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Veterans of the RAF’s legendary Pathfinder Force share their personal accounts of WWII in this authoritative history by the author of Master Bombers. During the Second World War, the Pathfinder Force was the corps d’élite of Bomber Command. Literally leading the charge in the Royal Air Force’s bombing raids over Nazi occupied territory, the aircrews of the PFF required top notch skills and nerves of steel. In Pathfinder Companion, aviation historian Sean Feast tells the remarkable stories of these brave men, drawing on extensive interviews with veterans as well as official records and archival documents. Pathfinder Companion highlights the raids and the losses, the successes and failures, the terror and the turmoil these men endured, as well as the inevitable humor in the face of tremendous adversity. Profusely illustrated throughout with photos and memorabilia, the book shows how a poorly equipped, disparate group was forged into one of the most effective fighting forces ever created.

Night Flyer/Mosquito Pathfinder

Author : Lewis Brandon
Publisher : Stackpole Books
ISBN 13 : 0811708691
Total Pages : 514 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (117 download)

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Book Synopsis Night Flyer/Mosquito Pathfinder by : Lewis Brandon

Download or read book Night Flyer/Mosquito Pathfinder written by Lewis Brandon and published by Stackpole Books. This book was released on 2011 with total page 514 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: * Two gripping memoirs by British night-fighter crewmen * Action-adventure tales of aerial combat aboard Beaufighter and Mosquito aircraft * Accounts of Pathfinders who flew ahead of bomber formations and marked targets deep inside German territory * How new technologies like airborne radar, one of World War II's best-kept secrets, were used * How night-fighters helped save British cities from destruction Lewis Brandon was a navigator and squadron leader with the Royal Air Force in World War II, earning the Distinguished Service Order and Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions. Albert Smith joined the RAF at sixteen and completed 90 missions in Wellingtons and Mosquitos.

Air Force

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 930 pages
Book Rating : 4.F/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Air Force by :

Download or read book Air Force written by and published by . This book was released on 1944 with total page 930 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vols. 41, no. 11-v. 42, no. 5 include Space digest, v. 1-2, no. 5, Nov. 1958-May 1959.

Air Corps News Letter

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 836 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (243 download)

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Book Synopsis Air Corps News Letter by :

Download or read book Air Corps News Letter written by and published by . This book was released on 1944 with total page 836 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Mosquito to Berlin

Author : Peter Bodle
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1473816475
Total Pages : 212 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (738 download)

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Book Synopsis Mosquito to Berlin by : Peter Bodle

Download or read book Mosquito to Berlin written by Peter Bodle and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2007-02-28 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A biography of the heroic Bomber Command pilot who made his mark flying de Havilland Mosquitoes on air raids into Nazi Germany during World War II. When Air Vice Marshal Don Bennett formed the Pathfinder squadrons in 1942, the majority of the chosen pilots were highly experienced aircrew. Some, however, were exceptions and found themselves flying with this elite band with no previous combat experience. “Bertie” Boulter was one such pilot. After being accepted for pilot training with the RAF and learning to fly in Canada, Bertie was posted to No. 11 Radio School at Hooton Park as a staff pilot flying Avro Ansons and the lugubrious Botha. In October 1944, he was posted to No. 128 Pathfinder Squadron based at Wyton and flying the legendary de Havilland Mosquito XX. He was now in the thick of Bomber Command’s destruction of Germany’s industrial centers and communications system. November saw the first of his nineteen visits to Berlin and the first bale-out. Flying at 7,000 ft, with seriously malfunctioning Merlins, Bertie and his navigator were forced to abandon the aircraft and landed safely close to the front line. Another bale-out occurred because of dense fog near his home base in January 1945. This was on his return from a raid on Berlin made by 36 aircraft, twelve of which failed to return. Bertie’s logbook records that he flew 48 combat operations during which 128,000 lb of ordnance was dropped on enemy territory. He was still flying a Stearman biplane fifty years later and he still meets regularly with survivors of the Pathfinder squadrons.

Pathfinder Pioneer

Author : Colonel Raymond E Brim
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781636244631
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (446 download)

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Book Synopsis Pathfinder Pioneer by : Colonel Raymond E Brim

Download or read book Pathfinder Pioneer written by Colonel Raymond E Brim and published by . This book was released on 2024-05-31 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A revealing look at how ordinary citizens were plucked from the hardscrabble 1930s and hurriedly turned into flyers--young men then pitted against each other in deadly machines miles above the ground in Europe. Ray Brim led the way for thousands of his compatriots in the type of "total war" in the skies that we will never see again . . .

The RAF Pathfinders

Author : Martyn Chorlton
Publisher : Mitchell Beazley
ISBN 13 : 9781846742019
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (42 download)

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Book Synopsis The RAF Pathfinders by : Martyn Chorlton

Download or read book The RAF Pathfinders written by Martyn Chorlton and published by Mitchell Beazley. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The formation of the Pathfinder Force in August 1942 produced a steady but certain change in the fortunes of Bomber Command. Its effectiveness against targets during the early years of the war had been very difficult to gauge. When examined in detail afterwards, aerial photographs showed that only one third of the aircraft were successfully reaching their target area and less than this were actually placing their bombs with target accuracy. It was known during the large-scale bombing of Coventry in the autumn of 1940 that the Germans had used an elite force of pathfinder aircraft, armed with incendiaries, who had acted as target finders for the main force of German bombers. What was now needed for the RAF were some similar specialist squadrons, with crews handpicked for their discipline, courage, high morale and, in particular, skills in a wider than normal range of flying jobs. Sidney Bufton, Deputy Director of Bomber Operations, developed the concept of a new Target Finding Force, and his tenacity in putting pressure upon senior Air Ministry staff to implement his ideas and bring Bomber Command out of the doldrums paid off. The new force was finally accepted and the choice of Don Bennett as its first Commander was inspired. Bennett was restless, imaginative, and receptive to change. He never accepted second best and he became a legend to all who served under him. Pathfinder Squadrons were equipped with the best available aircraft, which included the famous Lancaster bomber and later, increasingly, the Mosquito which was a hugely versatile and successful fighter bomber. To join a Pathfinder Squadron was a rare privilege but with it went a huge leap in the likelihood of being shot down. Pathfinder aircrew and aircraft had to lead the way for their following Bomber Force in hazardous raid after raid. They flew at night but it took a full 25 minutes to run the gauntlet of the Berlin defenses from end to end at full stretch. They were highly vulnerable to the wall of flak thrown up by German city defenders, as well as to attacks by night-fighters. By the end of the war some 56,000 crewmen of Bomber Command had lost their lives. Martyn Chorlton has written a gripping account of the RAF's Pathfinder Squadrons, recalling the challenges faced in the smoke-filled skies over occupied Europe. It is also a tribute to the brave young men whose exploits, lives and, in all too many cases, deaths have left a powerful torch to bear for all who care about freedom.

Cloak of Enemies

Author : Tom Keene
Publisher : The History Press
ISBN 13 : 0752483757
Total Pages : 389 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (524 download)

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Book Synopsis Cloak of Enemies by : Tom Keene

Download or read book Cloak of Enemies written by Tom Keene and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2012-02-29 with total page 389 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: SOE was born from Churchill’s vision to set ‘Europe ablaze’. However, Tom Keene’s book reveals for the first time how close it came to never existing at all. Many saw SOE as a threat to the existence of MI5 and other intelligence agencies, and some in the armed forces refused to work with the new agency, fearing its broad remit and lack of experienced operatives. SOE, in turn, became ever more secretive, hiding details of their operations from anyone outside the agency. This backstabbing climate of rivalry, confusion and secrecy, not only nearly destroyed SOE, but also had tragic repercussions for the daring Commandos who took part in the legendary ‘Cockleshell Raid’.Cloak of Enemies exposes the secret war within Whitehall and its far-reaching consequences.

Air Force

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 826 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Air Force by :

Download or read book Air Force written by and published by . This book was released on 1944 with total page 826 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Bomber Aircrew Experience

Author : Philip Kaplan
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1510702636
Total Pages : 240 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (17 download)

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Book Synopsis The Bomber Aircrew Experience by : Philip Kaplan

Download or read book The Bomber Aircrew Experience written by Philip Kaplan and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016-06-07 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the wartime experiences of the bomber boys in World War II. Flying bombers during World War II was a harrowing ordeal. Unlike the fighter jocks, who pit their skill and wits against each other in agile aerial combat, the bomber boys had to endure the fear and savagery of the air war with grim acceptance—their only option to sit and take it. Manning lumbering machines that could not maneuver or defend themselves effectively, the aircrews had to rely on tight aircraft formations and their own bravery to survive the onslaught of enemy fighters and anti-aircraft artillery. Within these great planes, they developed bonds like no other; young men thrust together in a shared fate, risking their lives in slow-moving yet beautiful and powerful aircraft over the skies of numerous war zones, thousands of feet above the battlegrounds but no further away from the horrors. Fully illustrated with hundreds of color and black-and-white photographs, as well as dozens of interviews, Philip Kaplan’s The Bomber Aircrew Experience offers an intimate glimpse into the life and times of these wartime airmen. The bomber boys recount their harrowing missions over Germany’s industrial heartland, paving the way for Allied victory in the Second World War’s European Theatre. Discover what it was like to man such planes as the great Flying Fortress and the Liberator, and what it was like for the British and Commonwealth boys flying night missions in the Lancasters, Halifaxes, and Stirlings. And then finally, learn about the development of the modern stealth bombers: the F-117 Nighthawk and the B-2 Spirit. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.