I bought Spitfire Women of World War II by Giles Whittell as a present for myself last December and finally read it a couple of months back.
It tells the story of the female pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) which ferried thousands of aircraft throughout the UK during WWII.
Earlier this year the survivors were honoured with a long overdue special badge, and very recently Diana Barnato Walker sadly died.
I found this book to be a thoroughly engrossing read and have no hesitation in recommending it. [My friend Jim spotted that one photo is captioned as an Avro Anson but is clearly an Airspeed Oxford!]
Bomber Boys Fighting Back 1940-1945 by Patrick Bishop is a compelling book about the air crews of Bomber Command throughout WWII.
Many of the facts and figures quoted really do make sobering reading. It’s little wonder that two members of my family who were Bomber Boys said virtually nothing of their experiences.
As well as the crews stories it tells that of Sir Arthur Harris , who headed Bomber Command throughout this period.
This was a more weighty book to read but again I would recommend it unreservedly to anyone interested in this period.
