Biography of BoB Pilot Teddy Peacock-Edwards - Coming from Grub Street in September 2025
 

Teddy Peacock-Edwards: Battle of Britain Pilot and Second World War Ace
(Grub Street Publishing - 30 September 2025)
by Rick Peacock-Edwards
192 pages - hardback
£25.00

"The grandson of a prominent Edinburgh lawyer, and the son of a self-made farmer in South Africa and Southern Rhodesia, Teddy Peacock-Edwards was born on 27 May 1915, in Kokstad, South Africa. He was one of eleven young men from Southern Rhodesia recruited into the RAF in 1938 and thence followed a multi-varied time in the RAF encompassing the full span of the Second World War.

This book, written by his acclaimed fighter pilot son, Rick Peacock-Edwards, describes his father’s formative years and gives his overall impressions of his father as an individual, a father, and fighter pilot and then later covers Teddy’s experiences as a Fairey Battle pilot in France from September 1939 to June 1940 as a part of the British Expeditionary Force. The next phase of his life involved conversion to the Hurricane and as a pilot in the Battle of Britain, based at Kenley in Surrey on 253 Squadron. This period was immediately followed by an involvement in the defence of Malta in 1941, mainly as a flight commander on 261 Squadron, again equipped with Hurricanes. The story then progressively moves towards the Far East leading to a period of more than two years in Ceylon where he fought the Japanese during their Easter Sunday 1942 surprise attack on Colombo. Teddy also met his future wife, Jill, whilst in Ceylon. Wartime experiences are enhanced by reference to over 60 letters written by Teddy to his sister back in Rhodesia during the Second World War.

The rest of the book covers the period from his return from Ceylon in the summer of 1944 to his post-war involvement in the RAF, and his return to South Africa. Throughout these pages, Rick gives his overall impressions of Teddy as an individual, father and fighter pilot. A fascinating insight from someone who, because of his comparative experiences and achievements, understands better than most the requirements for becoming a successful fighter pilot. A unique tribute to a remarkable man."

https://grubstreet.co.uk/product/teddy-peacock-edwards/

Re: Biography of BoB Pilot Teddy Peacock-Edwards - Coming from Grub Street in September 2025
 

Out this week in the U.K.
Release date for US is April 27th

Teddy Peacock-Edwards: Battle of Britain Pilot and Second World War Ace
(Grub Street Publishing - 27 February 2026) - UK
(Grub Street Publishing - 27 April 2026) - USA
by Rick Peacock-Edwards
192 pages - hardback
£25.00
$39.95 US

https://grubstreet.co.uk/product/teddy-peacock-edwards/

Re: Biography of BoB Pilot Teddy Peacock-Edwards - Coming from Grub Street in September 2025
 

Whoops! Update from Grub Street.

31 May 2026 - new release date.

https://grubstreet.co.uk/product/teddy-peacock-edwards/

Re: Biography of BoB Pilot Teddy Peacock-Edwards - Coming from Grub Street in September 2025
 

I was asked by the author to match his father's claims with German and Japanese losses. Not much luck I am afraid to say

Re: Biography of BoB Pilot Teddy Peacock-Edwards - Coming from Grub Street in September 2025
 

That is certainly the case with most Allied fighter pilots (WWI & WW2) but many book buyers don't necessarily want to learn this.

Anthony Cooper's research for his books Paddy Finucane and Legend of the Kenley Wing (Fonthill 2016) and Darwin Spitfires (Univ of New South Wales, 2011) shows very few German and Japanese losses compared to claims by RAF & RAAF pilots flying the Spitfire.

My own research on the fighter pilots of the U.S. Fifth Air Force (SW Pacific) show an average of about one actual Japanese loss per every five claims. Some combat missions it could be as low as 1 in 15. Five U.S. pilots are in individual combat. One Japanese Zero / Oscar pilot is shot down and all five of the Americans witness the demise and claim it as their own.

Notable aviation authors such as Chris Shores, Rick Dunn and Dan Ford have long fought to present an accurate record of claims vs. actual losses.