Paul Richey (1916–1989)

Outstanding narration of the first days of WW2, when the British were on their way to Dunkirk and had not yet realized the how overwhelming the Nazi Blitzkrieg would be. Vignettes of bucolic life in the BEF air groups during the "Phoney War". Lunching at the local French local cafes after flying mostly uneventful missions under the "Gentlemen of the Air" rules of WW1. All this ended abruptly when the Germans started bombing villages and strafing refugees on the road. Despite some early deficiencies, wooden props, lack of armor, the Hurricane fighter proved itself a match the Luftwaffe. A key decision, to bring experienced warfighters back home to train others, would make an enormous difference in the forthcoming Battle of Britain.… (mehr)

Revised and expanded version of the 1941 original.
This edition now probably represents the original text as it was before the wartime censors started hacking at it. All names, squadron identifications, places and comments, some of which might not have been politically acceptable at the time, have been restored. No index (1980 edition, but added in a later edition), many additional relevant illustrations and a map.
The book retains the immediacy of the original edition and actually feels similar to the WW1 memoirs of the previous decades. The tiredness and intensity of later WW2 memoirs is missing, instead you have the freshness and excitement of a young pilot (Richey was 24 when he wrote the book) doing what he has spent years training for.… (mehr)