Nigel Walpole – författare

RAF and East German Fast-Jet Pilots in the Cold War is the result of ten years of research, involving many visits to the former German Democratic Republic by a small Anglo/German team of military specialists. Their purpose was to explore the lives of RAF and East German ?ghter and ?ghter-bomber pilots, in the air and on the ground, at work and play, during the Cold War in North Germany.The book is based largely on personal testimony from these pilots, coupled with facts drawn from of?cial archives and comment from other historical sources. Where possible, political considerations have been avoided and no outright criticism has been intended, readers being left to draw their own conclusions on the thinking, strategies, equipment and tactics discussed. Far from being an intellectual polemic on the Cold War, the text and photographs merely record a slice of history as seen through the eyes of a select few who took up arms in the defence of their respective homelands - and faced each other daily across the Iron Curtain.In an insightful conclusion, Nigel Walpole reassess the threat that both sides believed was genuine during those tense decades of the Cold War and examines the possible course and nature of a conflict which neither NATO nor the Warsaw Pact wanted but both actively planned for.

From September 1940 until May 1941, Britain - especially Greater London - suffered heavily under a barrage of day and night-time raids by the then mighty Luftwaffe; raids which killed some 20,000 people and destroyed or damaged one million homes during what came to be known as the London Blitz. A baby blitz' followed, from January to May 1944, which was destined to be the final manned bomber offensive by a much depleted Luftwaffe. Afterwards, there came the last gasp, the final blitz on London, this time delivered by the V1 flying bombs and V2 rockets which were aimed at the capital. Overall, the V weapons killed or seriously injured 31,000 in London and destroyed or seriously damaged 1.6 million houses throughout Britain. Yet despite all this, British industry, economy and morale remained largely intact.Group Captain Nigel Walpole grew up in London during the Blitz and he has traced the full history of the V1 'doodlebugs' and V2 rockets that terrorised so many at this time. He looks at the infamous missile development site at Peenemunde and the engineers who brought Hitler's horrific visions to life. He reports his vivid memories of the three Blitz campaigns and the countermeasures taken in response to them. Having been granted direct access to the history of the V weapons, he describes the evolution, development, production deployment and launch of the flying bombs and rockets. Whilst acknowledging the terrible damage inflicted by these weapons, Nigel also recognises them as an example of Germany's extraordinary capacity for innovation and determination during one of the darkest periods of world history.

This book is about the tactical reconnaissance mark of the Hunter FR10 and its front line operation between 1961-70. With the Hunter already well proven in ground attack role, this variant was an ideal platform for the excellent Vinten F95 strip aperture cameras. The heavy armament of four 30-mm Aden cannon was retained for use in defense suppression and target marking, unilateral action against high value targets (assigned or opportunity) and if necessary in self-defense.It follows that the pilots selected for this demanding operating regime had to show an ability to operate alone over long distances using basic pilot navigation techniques only at high speeds and ultra low levels; in the main, therefore, they were second or third tour fast jet pilots.

The Supermarine Swift was rushed into service with the RAF during 1954 to become Britain's first second-generation jet fighter. In this role it was not deemed a success and has been burdened with a bad reputation since that time. It was eventually replaced by the famous Hawker Hunter that had been extensively delayed because of teething troubles. This book covers the development and operational history of a vital aircraft that is a part of aviation legend.

“A slice of the RAF and NATO in Germany through the Cold War . . . cover[s] the range of jets used by the RAF, from the Vampire to the Tornado.” —Firetrench   This is an anecdotal history of the largest RAF station in Germany. Optimized for a new breed of aircraft, and to NATO requirements, this huge airfield was cut out of the Elmpt Forest, on the German border with Holland, and completed in one year to become operational in 1953. First occupied by a fighter wing equipped with Vampires, Sabres and Hunters, its “Seek and Strike” motif took on real meaning when the station re-equipped with strike, attack and reconnaissance Canberras, followed by strike/attack Phantoms, Jaguars and finally Tornados.   RAF Brüggen was at the forefront of the Cold War, during which innovation and determination brought it many accolades. It further distinguished itself in the Gulf War and continued to play its part in subsequent monitoring operations in that theater; it was also the only Tornado Wing to operate directly from its home base during the Kosovo campaign.   This is the story of a station at war, of the men and women at the sharp end and in support. At work and play, it was they who made Brüggen what it was, excelling in all things and justifying a claim to have been RAF Germany’s “jewel in the crown.” With its closure in 2001, the RAF relinquished its last main operating base outside the UK. Brüggen was indeed “last and best.”  “A story of the people who served at Brüggen, their families and the local population, and how their lives were entwined with the station.” —Flight Line Book Review

"e;A slice of the RAF and NATO in Germany through the Cold War . . . cover[s] the range of jets used by the RAF, from the Vampire to the Tornado."e; -Firetrench This is an anecdotal history of the largest RAF station in Germany. Optimized for a new breed of aircraft, and to NATO requirements, this huge airfield was cut out of the Elmpt Forest, on the German border with Holland, and completed in one year to become operational in 1953. First occupied by a fighter wing equipped with Vampires, Sabres and Hunters, its "e;Seek and Strike"e; motif took on real meaning when the station re-equipped with strike, attack and reconnaissance Canberras, followed by strike/attack Phantoms, Jaguars and finally Tornados. RAF Bruggen was at the forefront of the Cold War, during which innovation and determination brought it many accolades. It further distinguished itself in the Gulf War and continued to play its part in subsequent monitoring operations in that theater; it was also the only Tornado Wing to operate directly from its home base during the Kosovo campaign. This is the story of a station at war, of the men and women at the sharp end and in support. At work and play, it was they who made Bruggen what it was, excelling in all things and justifying a claim to have been RAF Germany's "e;jewel in the crown."e; With its closure in 2001, the RAF relinquished its last main operating base outside the UK. Bruggen was indeed "e;last and best."e; "e;A story of the people who served at Bruggen, their families and the local population, and how their lives were entwined with the station."e; Flight Line Book Review

During the mid-1950s the United States Air Force was given its most powerful single-seat, two-engine fighter to date. The Voodoo would be deployed before the end of that decade in the tactical nuclear bomber and tactical reconnaissance roles world-wide, and in homeland defense with the two-seat, all-weather variant. In December 1957 it took the World Air Speed Record to Mach 1.6 - over one and a half times faster than the sound barrier.This book looks at the evolution of the original design and its introduction into service. Chapters cover operations in Korea, Vietnam, the Cuban Crisis and in Europe during the Cold War years. Many first-hand accounts from pilots are included and the author's own experiences with the aircraft are given with fascinating insight.The Voodoo was an elegant, mean-looking fighting machine that epitomized fast flying in the fifties and sixties. It continues to be a revered airplane.