Burma - Book advice please

[Amrit1]

Hi all,

I've just joined today, and have to say that I'm very impressed. My particular interest is the air war over Burma and SE Asia. I've managed to acquire quite a few books, but I've now got to the stage where I'm not sure what else is generally available or what I should have in my library. I'll post my current library (and I hope people don't think I'm being pretentious!). Any advice would be appreciated (BTW, I've not included books on aircraft types):

Wings of the Phoenix – The Official Story of the Air War in Burma (HMSO 1949)

The Forgotten Air Force – The Royal Air Force in the War Against Japan 1941-45 by Henry Probert

The three Shores’ books:

Bloody Shambles: First Comprehensive Account of Air Operations Over South-East Asia, December 1941-April 1942 v. 1

Bloody Shambles: The Complete Account of the Air War in the Far East, from the Defence of Sumatra to the Fall of Burma, 1942 v. 2

Bloody Shambles: Air War for Burma: The Allied Air Forces Fight Back in South-East Asia 1942-1945 v. 3

Buffaloes over Singapore by Brian Cull

Hurricanes over Singapore by Brian Cull

Hurricane in Sumatra by Terence Kelly

By Norman Franks:
Hurricanes Over the Arakan
Spitfires Over the Arakan
Air Battle for Imphal
Frank 'Chota' Carey: The Epic Story of G/C Carey (ordered should be arriving anyday)

Beaufighters over Burma – No 27 Squadron 1942-45 by David Innes

Silently into the Midst of Things – 177 Squadron 1943-45 by A S Brown

Hurricanes Over Burma by Sq/L M C Bush (with The Memoirs of W/Cmd Bunny Stone

Mohawks over Burma by Gerry Beauchamp

Wings of the Dawning – The Battle for the Indian Ocean 1939-45 by Arthur Banks

History of the Indian Air Force 1933-45 (Official history of the Indian Armed Forces in the Second World War, 1939-45) by S. C Gupta (published by The Combined Inter-Services Historical Section India and Pakistan)

THE EAGLE STRIKES : The Royal Indian Air Force 1932-1950 by Sqn Ldr R T S Chhina (published by the Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research, United Services Institute of India)

Wings Over Burma (67 Squadron) by J H Thomas

The Woodpecker Story - 136 squadron V K Jacobs

The Bamboo Workshop – The History of the RAF Repair & Salvage Units India/Burma 1941/46 by R S Sansome

A Flying Tigers Diary – by Charles Bond

Out of the Blue- A Pilot with the Chindits by Terence O’Brien

Unsung Heroes of the Royal Air Force – The Far eastern Prisoners of War by Les & Pam Stubbs

Wings Over Burma (17 Squadron) by K Heminway

Burma Liberators. RCAF In SEAC (Vol 1 & 2)by John R.W. Gwynne-Timothy (2 volumes)

Pamphlet No. 1 – Airfields - Engineer in Chief, India (1944 edition) (probably the nerdiest item that I’ve got!! A 3 inch thick manual on airfield construction in the Far East)

And I'm awaiting delivery of:

Flying Camels -History of No.45 Squadron RAF by C G Jefford

Flat Out - The Story of 30 Squadron by John F Hamlin

[Jim Oxley]

An excellent (and very comphrehensive) collection of books you have Amrit. Your the only other person i know of who has mentioned owning 'Out Of The Blue'.

Others that you may want to ad to your collection are:

Japanese Army Air Force Fighter Units And Their Aces 1931-45. By Hata and Izawa.

Japanese Naval Aces And Fighter Units In WWII. By Hata and Izawa.

Vengeance, The Vultee Vengeance Dive Bomber. By Peter Carey.

By Richard Bueschel.
a) Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa, In Japanese Army Air Force Service.
b) Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki, In Japanese Army Air Force Service.
c) Mitsubishi Ki-21 Type 97, In Japanese Army Air Froce Service.
d) Mitsubishi G3M1 96 Rikko In Japanese Naval Air Service.

Note: These books are not exclusive to Burma, but they do deal with the subject from the point of view of Units/aircraft that saw action in that Theatre.

[Amrit1]

Thank you Jim.

I can get rather obssesive about a subject

I've been looking at Japanese Army Air Force Fighter Units And Their Aces (which also includes work by Shore), and it's definately on my wish list.

However, I've heard mixed reviews about the Naval book (partly due to poor translations and partly the actual content) - but if you think it's worth having, then I shall have another look.

I have Carey's book on the Vultee (a must for anyone interested in the RIAF during the war) - an excellent read, and one I use constantly to defend the poor Vultee's reputatuion on other forums!

And I shall certainly look into the other books in your list.

Cheers
A
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[DavidIsby]

I would add The Friendly Firm, the history of 194 Squadron RAF.


Don't forget the air war over Burma was also waged by the USAAF!

Wesley Craven & James Cate, The Army Air Forces in World War II, Washington, 1983, Air Force Historical Agency reprint, vols. 4- 6.
Dr. Joe G. Taylor, Air Supply in the Burma Campaign. USAF Historical Study no, 75, Maxwell AFB, 1957, USAF Historical Division.
U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey, Pacific War, Military Analysis Division. Air Operations in the China, Burma India Theatre, (Report 67), 1946.
U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey, Pacific War, Military Analysis Division. The Air Transport Command in the War Against Japan, (Report 68), 1946.
Memoirs
James F. Brewer, Harry Howton and Janet M. Theirs, eds. China Airlift – the Hump. Paducah, 1980, Turner.
Dr. Carl Frey Constein, ed., Tales of the Himalayas, Bloomington IN, 2002, 1stBooks.
Jeff Ethell & Don Downie, Flying the Hump, St. Paul, 2004, Motorbooks.
Rudolph F. Gaum, Experiences with the ATC, Gaithersburg, 2005, self-published.
John W. Gordon, Wings from Burma to the Himalayas, Memphis, 1989, Global Press
Otha Spencer, Flying the Hump, College Station, 1992, Texas A&M.
William H. Tunner, Over the Hump, Washington, 1985, Office of Air Force History.
George Wamsley, American Fly-Boy, NY, 1993, Vantage.

Edwin Lee White, Ten Thousand Tons by Christmas, St. Petersburg FL, 1974, Valkriye.

Monroe Withers, A Texan in the CBI, Green Valley, 1993, Green Valley Press.
Unit Histories
Lewis C. Burwell, Scrapbook: A Pictorial and Historical Record of the Deeds, Exploits, Adventures, Travels and Life of the 27th TCS for the Year 1944, Charlotte, 1947, Lassiter Press.
Hugh B. Cave, Wings Across the World, [ATC], NY, 1945, Dodd Mead..
John R.T. Jones, Pictorial History of the 322nd Troop Carrier Squadron, c1982, self-published.
Carmen Kight, There’s Rocks in Those Clouds, [433rd TCG], Lakeland FL, 2005, self-published.
Oliver LaFarge, The Eagle in the Egg, [ATC] Boston, 1949, Houghton Mifflin.
Charles F. Leons, History and Reminiscences (55th TCS), 2002, self-published.
John G. Martin, It Began at Imphal: The Combat Cargo Story, Manhattan KS, 1988, Sunflower University Press.
John G. Martin, Through Heaven’s Gate to Shanghai [10th CCS], Ashland KY, 1993, self-published.
.
W.E. Smith, 2nd Troop Carrier Squadron, AAF, CBI, WWII, 1987, Cullman AL, Gregath.
R.D. Van Wagner, Any Place, Any Time, Any Where, [1st ACG] Atglen PA, 1998, Schiifer.
Gerald A. White Jr. The Great Snafu Fleet [1st CCS], 2000, Xlibris.

[JaganP]

Nice thread , Amrit. I would kill for a library like yours

I can recommend a few books on the Royal Indian Air Force in burma. (I make the recommendations because I see you have the Eagle Strikes in your library and assume you have the thing for Indian AF as well!)

These would usually pale in comaprision with the titles you have in your library, As some of them are quite slim and sparse on details. but knowing how rare books by indians about the burma front are, I am sure you will find something new.

Bios
Saigal, AL Birth of an Air Force : Memoirs of Air Vice Marshal Harjinder Singh
Lal, PC My Years with the IAF
Ramunny, Murkot The Sky was the Limit
Bonarjee, VSC , My days with the I.A.F. and with the ICS
Roopinder Singh. Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh - Rupa Charitravalli series , Rupa Publications 2002
Dutt, K.N. A coin of Indian metal : The life of Wg Cdr KK Majumdar DFC and Bar . Christian Litt Society of India, 1949 (Never located a copy of thsis one)


Histories
Singh, Pushpindar, The Battle Axes - No.7 Squadron
Sabharwal, DP , The Cobras - No.3 Squadron
Unknown, The Royal Indian Air Force Operations in SEAC (No author, but a 120 pg book with lot of illustrations - and a basis for the later official history by SC Gupta)

Non-Indian books that are not in your list
Smith, PC , Vultee Vengeance
Thomas, Geoffrey, Eyes for the Phoenix Allied Aerial Photo-reconnaissance Operations in South-East Asia 1942-1945 Hikoki
Doe, RFT Fighter Pilot
Kightly, James. Westland Lysander. Mushroom Model Magazine Special, Poland 2006. (ISBN:8391717844)
Warner, Graham. The Bristol Blenheim - An Illustrated History. Crecy Publishing Ltd, UK 2005. (ISBN:0859791017)
Russell, Wg Cdr W W . The Forgotten Skies , 1946


There was another book by a Canadian pilot who flew with No.9 RIAF Squadron. I dont recollect the title but will try and post them. Most of the titles I posted here are from memory. The currect titles, ISBNs etc can be extracted out of this page http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Books/Bibliography.html

[Six Nifty .50s]

Edward Young. AIR COMMANDO FIGHTERS of WORLD WAR II (Specialty Press, 2000). 128 pages.

[Oldpilot]

My short list of Flying Tigers books includes:

Tale of a Tiger by R T Smith (facsimile diary: you needn't worry that it was prettied up for publication)

AVG Colours and Markings by Terrill Clements (good photos)

A Flying Tiger's Diary by Charles Bond

Black Sheep One by Bruce Gamble (good account of Boyington's service in the AVG)

And of course my own history of the AVG, Flying Tigers: Claire Chennault etc.

Blue skies! -- Dan Ford