British pilot memoirs

[Jukka Juutinen]

Any recommndations of pilot memoirs by wartime and pre-war British pilots (fighters, flying boats and light bombers will do but not heavies)? I am looking for something written in the style of Goronwy Edwards´s "Head in the Clouds".

[Jim Oxley]

Try Gordon Olive's autobiography 'The Devil At Six O'Clock'. He was an RAAF pilot on temporary commission with the RAF during the late 30's.

The first part of the book deals with peacetime flying, the second with his war career. He flew in the Battle Of Britain. His comments on actual flying time and training are most illuminating. The RAF was very much at that time "The Club" to be a member of.

[Nick Beale]

"Night Fighter" by C.F. Rawnsley & Robert Wright (Crécy Pubishing, 1998) ISBN 0 907579 67 1.

The author visited Germany often in te inter-war period and saw how ugly things were getting, he then joined the RAF in 1936 and flew as a Navigator/Radar Operator (Cunningham was his pilot) right from the earliest days.

Because night fighting was a fairly small circle of people, he knew many of the most important figures and the book gives a good picture of night fighting development overall as well as the author's vivid persoanl experiences. (And it's only £5.99 in paperback).

[Dick Powers]

Two of my favorites:

"Messerschmitt Roulette" by Wing Commander Geoffrey Morley-Mower, DFC.AFC., 1993.
Subtitled The Western Desert 1941-1942. The author was an RAF pilot attacged to an RAAF tactical recon squadron flying Hurricanes. Internional or not, it's a funny book. MASH-funny.

"Pursuit Through Darkened Skies" by Michael Allen, DFC, 1999. Allen was RO for Harry White. They were one of 100 Group's most successful night fighting teams. Thet also started in Havoc Turbinlights. Can't find that eslewhere. A very good book dealing with RAF night fighting.