The History Of The Battle Of Britain Fighter Association
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| Author | : Geoff Simpson |
| Publisher | : Pen and Sword |
| Total Pages | : 193 |
| Release | : 2015-01-30 |
| Genre | : History |
| ISBN | : 1473852315 |
In 1945 it was announced that Allied airmen who had taken part in the Battle of Britain in 1940 would be entitled to the immediate award of the 1939-1945 Star, with Battle of Britain Clasp. This was the only Clasp awarded with the 1939-1945 Star.In the following years holders of the Clasp held informal get-togethers. In 1958 the Battle of Britain Fighter Association (BBFA) was formed, with full membership only available to holders of the Battle of Britain Clasp. Lord Dowding was the first President. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother became Patron. That post is now held by HRH The Prince of Wales.As well as organising reunions and providing some welfare assistance to members and widows, the Association has played a key role in researching entitlement to the Clasp and pronouncing on claims for the Clasp. A considerable part of the knowledge existing today on these matters came from the work of successive BBFA archivists, the late Group Captain Tom Gleave and the late Wing Commander John Young.The Association has also become closely associated with the Battle of Britain thanksgiving service held every September in Westminster Abbey.The Association's archives are held in part by the Secretary of the BBFA, Group Captain Patrick Tootal and in part by the Air Historical Branch, RAF (AHB) at RAF Northolt.Geoff Simpson has now been invited by the Association to use these archives as the basis of a book on the history of the organisation.
| Author | : Philip Kaplan |
| Publisher | : Pen and Sword |
| Total Pages | : 399 |
| Release | : 2008-03-25 |
| Genre | : History |
| ISBN | : 1783409029 |
This book examines the reality behind the myths of the legendary RAF fighter aces during the Battle of Britain. The accounts of the experiences of fighter pilots are based on archival research, diaries, letters, published and unpublished memoirs and personal interviews with veterans.
| Author | : Dilip Sarkar MBE |
| Publisher | : Air World |
| Total Pages | : 362 |
| Release | : 2021-06-09 |
| Genre | : Biography & Autobiography |
| ISBN | : 1526795272 |
Adolph Gysbert Malan was born in Wellington, South Africa. A natural leader and driven individual with a totally positive outlook, aged fourteen Malan became an officer cadet in the South African Merchant Navy, before being commissioned into the Royal Navy Reserve. Well-travelled and worldly-wise, aged twenty-five the intrepid adventurer applied for a Short Service Commission in the RAF. Universally known as ‘Sailor’ in the RAF, Malan became a fighter pilot. Shortly after war was declared, Malan was involved in the infamous ‘Battle of Barking Creek’, in which 74 Squadron mistakenly destroyed friendly Hurricanes. Then, over Dunkirk in May 1940, Malan’s exceptional ability was immediately demonstrated in combat and a string of confirmed aerial victories rapidly accumulated. The following month, Malan scored the Spitfire’s first nocturnal kill. By August 1940 he was commanding 74 Squadron, which he led with great distinction during the Battle of Britain. In March 1941, Malan was promoted and became the first Wing Commander (Flying) at Biggin Hill, leading the three-squadron-strong Spitfire wing during operations over northern France. After a break from operations, Malan went on to command a succession of fighter training units, passing on his tactical genius and experience, and producing his famous ‘Ten Rules of Air Fighting’ which are still cited today. By the war’s end, Group Captain Malan was the RAF’s tenth top-scoring fighter pilot. Leaving the RAF in 1945 and returning to South Africa, he was disgusted by Apartheid and founded the ‘Torch Commando’ of ex-servicemen against this appalling racist policy. This part of Malan’s life is equally as inspirational, in fact, as his wartime service, and actually tells us more about the man than just his RAF record. Tragically, in 1963, he died, prematurely, aged just fifty-three, of Parkinson’s. Written with the support of the Malan family, this biography is the full story of a remarkable airman and politician.
| Author | : Len Deighton |
| Publisher | : Penguin UK |
| Total Pages | : 336 |
| Release | : 2021-07-15 |
| Genre | : History |
| ISBN | : 0141995947 |
'The most honest attempt yet to tell how the Battle of Britain really was' Andrew Wilson, Observer History is swamped by patriotic myths about the aerial combat fought between the RAF and the Luftwaffe over the summer of 1940. In his gripping history of the Battle of Britain, Len Deighton drew on a decade of research and his own wartime experiences to puncture these myths and point towards a more objective, and even more inspiring, truth. 'Revolutionised thinking about the Battle of Britain in a way that has not been seriously challenged since' The Times
| Author | : Dilip Sarkar |
| Publisher | : Amberley Publishing Limited |
| Total Pages | : 511 |
| Release | : 2009-09-15 |
| Genre | : History |
| ISBN | : 144560986X |
The history of the Battle of Britain in the words of the pilots from a unique archive of first hand accounts.
| Author | : Guy Mayfield |
| Publisher | : Imperial War Museum |
| Total Pages | : 176 |
| Release | : 2016-11-10 |
| Genre | : Biography & Autobiography |
| ISBN | : 1912423294 |
Guy Mayfield was the Station Chaplain at RAF Duxford during the Battle of Britain. His diary is a moving account of the war fought by the young pilots during that summer of 1940, providing a unique and intimate insight into one of the most pivotal moments in British history. Frequently speaking to pilots who knew they may not survive the next 24 hours, Mayfield’s diary provides a vivid account of the fears and hopes of the young men who risked their lives daily for the defense of Britain. Interspersed with photographs of the men and contextual narrative by IWM historian Carl Warner, this book brings a compelling and direct new perspective to this historic battle.
| Author | : Christer Bergström |
| Publisher | : Casemate / Vaktel Forlag |
| Total Pages | : 328 |
| Release | : 2015-09-19 |
| Genre | : History |
| ISBN | : 1612003478 |
In time for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, we now havethanks to Swedish historian Bergströmperhaps the most thorough, expert examination of the topic ever written. Illustrated throughout with maps and rare photos, plus a color section closely depicting the aircraft, this work lays out the battle as seldom seen before. The battle was a turning in point in military history, and arguably in the fate of the world. By late summer 1940 Nazi Germany had conquered all its opponents on the continent, including the British Army itself, which was forced to scramble back aboard small boats to its shores. With a Non-Aggression Pact with the Soviet Union in hand, Hitler had only one remaining object that seasonthe British Isles themselves. However, before he could invade, his Luftwaffe needed to wipe the Royal Air Force from the skies. Thus took place historys first strategic military campaign conducted in the air alone. This book contains a large number of dramatic eyewitness accounts, even as it reveals new facts that will alter perception of the battle in the publics eyes. For example, the twin-engined Messerschmitt Bf 110 was actually a good day fighter, and it performed at least as well in this role as the Bf 109 during the battle. The Luftwaffes commander, Hermann Göring, performed far better than has previously been his image. The British night bombers played a more decisive role than previously thought; meantime this book disproves that the German 109 pilots were in any way superior to their Hurricane or Spitfire counterparts. The author has made a detailed search into the loss records for both sides, and provides statistics that will raise more than one eyebrow. The revisionist version, according to which the courage and skill of the RAF airmen is exaggerated is scrutinized and completely shattered. There is no doubt that it was the unparalleled efforts of The Few that won the battle. The Germans, on the other hand, did not show the same stamina as they had on the continent. The following summer they would show it again when they went in to Russia. In the skies over Britain this work verifies where credit was due.
| Author | : Garry Campion |
| Publisher | : Springer |
| Total Pages | : 259 |
| Release | : 2015-10-06 |
| Genre | : History |
| ISBN | : 1137316268 |
Seventy-five years after the Battle of Britain, the Few's role in preventing invasion continues to enjoy a revered place in popular memory. The Air Ministry were central to the Battle's valorisation. This book explores both this, and also the now forgotten 1940 Battle of the Barges mounted by RAF bombers.
| Author | : Chris Goss |
| Publisher | : Pen and Sword |
| Total Pages | : 350 |
| Release | : 2018-06-30 |
| Genre | : History |
| ISBN | : 1526726521 |
The Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (Knights Cross of the Iron Cross), known simply as the Ritterkreuz (Knights Cross), was the highest German military award of the Second World War. Instituted on 1 September 1939, to coincide with the German invasion of Poland, it was awarded for leadership, valor or skill. As the war progressed, higher variants were instituted, namely the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, and the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves Swords and Diamonds. Similar in design, but larger, than the Eiserne Kreuz (Iron Cross), and worn around the neck as opposed to on the breast, the border and hanging loop on the Knights Cross were made of pure silver which was marked ‘800. The award was made by a number of German manufacturers. On 3 June 1940, the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuz mit Eichenlaub (Knights Cross with Oak Leaves) was instituted, by which time 124 Rittterkreuz had been awarded to all arms of the German military, of which forty-nine had been awarded to Luftwaffe personnel. The first recipient was Generalfeldmarschal Hermann Göring on 30 September 1939; the first Luftwaffe operational Luftwaffe aircrew member recipient, and the fifth overall, was Oberst Robert Fuchs, Kommodore of Kampfgeschwader 26. His award was made on 6 April 1940. The first fighter pilot to receive the Ritterkreuz was Hauptmann Werner Mölders of III Gruppe/Jagdgeschwader 53 (III./JG 53) on 29 May 1940. Only three Luftwaffe officers would receive the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub in 1940, and all of them were fighter pilots – Mölders on 21 September 1940 (he was then Geschwader Kommodore of JG 51), Major Adolf Galland (Kommodore of JG 26) on 24 September 1940, and Hauptmann Helmut Wick (Kommandeur of I Gruppe/JG 2) on 6 October 1940. Throughout the summer of 1940, many more Luftwaffe members, be they serving on fighter, bomber, dive bomber or reconnaissance units, would receive the Ritterkreuz. Some of these awards were made posthumously, whilst others would learn of their awards whilst a prisoner of war in Britain or, later, in Canada. In this book, the renowned aviation historian Chris Goss provides biographical details of all operational members of the Luftwaffe who received the Ritterkreuz during 1940 or were awarded it as a result of their actions in what became known as the Battle of Britain.
| Author | : John Foreman |
| Publisher | : Crecy Publishing |
| Total Pages | : 232 |
| Release | : 1988 |
| Genre | : History |
| ISBN | : |
The complete story of the months of November and December 1940 as a day-to-day narrative covering many aspects of the battle, particularly the part played by both the Coastal and Bomber Commands.
