Steve Darlow – författare

From 1943 to 1945, the Allied bombing offensive escalated to unprecedented levels. "Special Op: Bomber" is an action-packed account of this battle in the skies over Europe, from the perspective of the men who undertook the highly dangerous job of flying the bombers.Throughout the unrelenting and destructive air campaign there were certain vital operations that required the airmen of the RAF and the USAAF to take their skills to new levels, and to display courage above and beyond the call of duty. "Special Op: Bomber" draws upon a wealth of these courageous veterans' stories, many of them previously unpublished.The vivid firsthand accounts convey the peril of Allied air combat in World War II with breathtaking immediacy.

Royal Air Force veteran Wing Commander Richard Pinkham DFC presents the extraordinary and graphic account of his experiences flying 62 World War Two bombing operations. He tells his story with candor and without pulling punches, although the occasional humorous anecdote lightens proceedings. The reader joins Richard in the cockpit of his bomber as he dares the bursting flak, dives to avoid penetrating searchlights, and wrestles his damaged aircraft home.Richard served with the Royal Air Force through the entire war, embarking on his operational career amidst the desperate fight for survival that was the Battle of Britain. He went on to take part in some of the largest bombing raids ever carried out against Germany. With odds of 5 to 1 against him, Richard, unlike so many of his fellow airmen, lived to tell his story. He was then posted to North Africa to blast the Axis forces from Tunisia, and finally spent the last year of the war in the Far East, taking up fascinating accident investigation duties.On Wings of Fortune is an exceptional story by a distinguished and decorated RAF veteran who flew and fought in the World War Two aerial front line. Acclaimed author Steve Darlow provides the general context of the bomber war. Richard Pinkham relives his terrifying, gripping and fascinating story.

During the Second World War Royal Air Force Bomber Command suffered unprecedented casualty rates. Those who served, were killed, and were found, now rest in Commonwealth War Graves Commission graves across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. Of these, almost 30,000 headstones bear emotive and poignant epitaphs, chosen by the next of kin, which, in varied ways, express their loss. Some families selected literary quotes or decided upon a phrase in Latin or other language. Many wished to reflect the sacrifice made in confronting the enemy, in defence of their country, or the sacrifice of a pilot who stayed at the controls of his aircraft to save his crew. Other families referenced siblings of the airmen, who were similarly lost. There were those who chose mild humour. Often the epitaph would mention the wife and children of the casualty, or the bereaved may have selected a phrase from the last letter they received from their loved one. Others found, in their hearts, their own words. In Epitaphs of Bomber Command Steve Darlow and Dave Gilbert select one hundred epitaphs, providing further detail about the respective casualty, along with an insight into the words chosen for the inscriptions. Words that were restricted by a war graves commission limit on the number of letters.This collection, published eighty years after the end of the Second World War and specific to RAF Bomber Command, provides a direct and sombre insight into the cost of war at a personal level. ‘We Will Remember Them’.

The Great Escape has gone down in history as a story of bravery and cunning that ultimately led to the killing of fifty prisoners of war, all officially recorded as ‘beim Fluchtversuch erschossen’ – shot whilst attempting to escape.While the names of surviving escapers may be familiar, having lived to tell their stories, most of the murdered fifty are less well known, and many receive no more than a footnote in the stories, films and documentaries created thus far. So, who were these men? Where did they come from? How much fighting had they done? And how did they come to be prisoners of war?In The Fifty – The Fallen Heroes of the Great Escape, authors Steve Darlow and Sean Feast present the stories of the killed escapers. They look at their early lives, operational careers, and how they came to be in Stalag Luft 3. They touch upon the very human side of the escape and its aftermath, how the families came to be told, and their practical struggles even thirty years after the event to conclude their loved ones’ affairs in obtaining proof of how, where, and when they died. Crucially, the authors look at the way in which the lives of the murdered men are commemorated, and how their families wished them to be remembered.Brought together in a single volume, The Fifty presents a series of profiles of the fallen heroes – an homage for those whose bid for freedom ended in the most tragic circumstances.

Churchills Few will forever be remembered by history as men who thwarted the seemingly invincible German war machine, when all seemed lost. They countered the full force of the Luftwaffe in the daylight battles during the summer of 1940, and in the night skies of the winter and spring of 1940/41. They were at the time, and still are, perceived as knights of the air, as our heroes. Now, five distinguished RAF airmen, four pilots and one radar operator/navigator, who fought that air battle during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, have recounted their experiences in detail to author Steve Darlow. Their stories have never before been published, and they talk engagingly of their service life, combats, losses, injuries, friendships and fears flying Spitfires, Hurricanes, Blenheims, Beaufighters and Havocs. One pilot tells of the time he fell victim to the enemy My Spitfire stopped being a flying machine, it became a lump of metal. I was going down with it and I couldnt get out. I broke the seat by standing on it. The pressure throwing me into the bottom was terrific A Beaufighter radar operator remembers being involved in shooting down a German aircraft He took a vertical dive, struck the ground and exploded with a shower of incendiaries. I felt like a child with a new toy. I had at last proved myself but for some reason I suddenly felt a little sad. But Five of the Few is not just about the experiences of these men during 1940/41. They would also distinguish themselves in subsequent air campaigns night defence of the UK, offensive operations over the continent and support to D-Day and beyond. In between the aerial combats and ground attack operations, promotions, decorations and command responsibilities would come their way. But not all would make it through safely to the end of the war. One would end up behind barbed wire. Collectively Five of the Few is a war story of youth maturing, through aspiration and idealism, courage and bravado, fear and heroism, memory and reflection. It is a reminder of why so much was owed, and still is, by so many to so few.

During WWII, on one raid alone, Nuremburg March 1944, more Bomber Command airmen lost their lives than were lost in the Battle of Britain. These were ordinary men who became part of extraordinary events. One such was Arthur Darlow, the author’s grandfather. A pilot of a Lancaster crew in 405 RCAF, he was one of the legions of men who took the offensive against the enemy for most of the war. Their story, vivdly recreated here, is special. The crew’s tour starts with Bomber Command’s Main Offensive in late 1943. German night fighters and flak regiments defend their homeland with grim determination and losses are high. But our crew survive. Thousands do not. Darlow’s crew continue, through D-Day and the invasion of Western Europe. One day though, they are shot down over Belgium, to become, in turn, prisoner, evader, casualty. Collectively they experience it all. Not romanticised but written with feeling and respect, this book should be read by all age groups.

Churchill’s ‘Few’ will forever be remembered by history as men who thwarted the seemingly invincible German war machine, when all seemed lost. They countered the full force of the Luftwaffe in the daylight battles during the summer of 1940, and in the night skies of the winter and spring of 1940/41. They were at the time, and still are, perceived as knights of the air, as our heroes. Now, five distinguished RAF airmen, four pilots and one radar operator/navigator, who fought that air battle during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz, have recounted their experiences in detail to author Steve Darlow. Their stories have never before been published, and they talk engagingly of their service life, combats, losses, injuries, friendships and fears – flying Spitfires, Hurricanes, Blenheims, Beaufighters and Havocs. One pilot tells of the time he fell victim to the enemy – ‘My Spitfire stopped being a flying machine, it became a lump of metal. I was going down with it and I couldn’t get out. I broke the seat by standing on it. The pressure throwing me into the bottom was terrific…’ A Beaufighter radar operator remembers being involved in shooting down a German aircraft – ‘He took a vertical dive, struck the ground and exploded with a shower of incendiaries. I felt like a child with a new toy. I had at last proved myself but for some reason I suddenly felt a little sad.’ But Five of the Few is not just about the experiences of these men during 1940/41. They would also distinguish themselves in subsequent air campaigns – night defense of the UK, offensive operations over the continent and support to D-Day and beyond. In between the aerial combats and ground attack operations, promotions, decorations and command responsibilities would come their way. But not all would make it through safely to the end of the war. One would end up behind barbed wire. Collectively Five of the Few is a war story of youth maturing, through aspiration and idealism, courage and bravado, fear and heroism, memory and reflection. It is a reminder of why so much was owed, and still is, by so many to so few.

The grandfather of the author was a pilot in a squadron made up of Britons and Canadians. The story of this crew, from 1942 onwards, is so special because, collectively, they experienced everything possible: dangerous flights, the crash, imprisonment and death.

This book is largely an eye-witness account of the heavy bomber contribution to the success of the D-Day landings and therefore to the winning of the war in Europe. It is told using considerable first-hand experience from the veterans of the campaign, something not really covered in any other books on the subject, together with background information from primary source documents on the tactics and strategy employed. Eight different aircrews, five RAF and three USAAF, tell widely differing stories of operations before, during and after D-Day. Their vivid and dramatic accounts are supplemented by numerous contributions from other aircrew and ground crew veterans, army personnel and French civilians, which have been carefully gathered by Stephen Darlow from interviews with veterans and their relatives, through correspondence and contemporary diaries. Certain raids have been selected and described in detail and there are numerous previously unpublished photographs.As Winston Churchill wrote:'…This is no war of chieftains or of princes, of dynasties or national ambition; it is a war of peoples and of causes. There are vast numbers, not only in this island but in every land, who still render faithful service in the war, but whose names will never be known, whose deeds will never be recorded…'Here is their story, sixty years on.EPUB3: Reflowable

Five of the Many follows the fascinating exploits of five of RAF Bomber Command’s distinguished airmen. The enthralling stories of Wellington pilot Rupert Cooling, Wellington and Mosquito pilot Jack Goodman, Halifax pilot Joe Petrie-Andrews, Lancaster pilot Tony Iveson and Halifax and Mosquito navigator Harry Hughes transport the reader into the intensity of the bomber battle over western Europe. Collectively these men help thwart German invasion plans in 1940, and counter the U-boats on the seas and in the factories. They hinder German military industrial production, taking part in some of the most devastating raids in history. They counter the development and deployment of German V-weapons and fly deep into hostile airspace to attack the heart of Germany, Berlin. They clear the way for the Normandy landings and blast the German reinforcement of the battle area. They indulge in special ops, including sinking the Tirpitz, and they directly support the land advances to Germany and disrupt enemy supply lines during the German Ardennes offensive.These men survive the attrition of Bomber Command's devastating and uncompromising campaign. 55,500 of their colleagues did not. Rupert, Jack, Joe, Tony and Harry come close to oblivion on numerous occasions, buffeted by flak, exposed in searchlights, combating enemy nightfighters, flying lame aircraft on to the target and then home, with wounded colleagues aboard, even ditching in the sea.Their stories are a fitting tribute to the youthfulness of the many, the skill of the many, the determination of the many and the sheer guts of the many. Bomber Command’s motto required its airmen to 'Strike Hard, Strike Sure'. These five special men did just that, fighting hard, flying sure, along the flight path to victory in Europe.

Victory Fighters is largely a collection of eyewitness accounts of the struggle that raged in the skies over occupied Europe after the Battle of Britain. Expertly selected and interwoven by Stephen Darlow, the book centers on the stories of six pilots and one navigator, the telling of which covers every aspect of this battle over land and sea.The author describes and analyses th relevant command decisions from the highest level down and against this background the men give their accounts from the start oftheir flying careers through to the preparations for operation Overlord, the invasion itself, the liberation of France, the crossing of the Rhine, to the end of the warin Europe on VE-Day.Through their eyes, the reader is introduced to a series of different tasks and situations, a multitude of aircraft types Sunderlands, Mustangs, Tempests, Typhoons, Spitfires, Whirlwinds, Mosquitoes and a great many squadrons.Having conducted numerous interviews and undertaken diligent research of documents, diaries and correspondence, that author has produced a fitting testament to these men and the countless others they represent.

In the Summer of 1944 Nazi Germany launched its terrifying Vergeltungswaffen (reprisal weapon) attack against the population of south-east England. Under direct attack the Allies responded. The Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower was quite clear that the V-weapon counter measures were of paramount importance over everything except the urgent requirements of the D-Day and Normandy land battle, ’this priority to obtain until we can be certain that we have definitely gotten the upper hand of this particular business.’ He would use all the resources at his disposal including the Royal Air Force’s heavy bomber force.The task for RAF Bomber Command was simple. If the bomber crews could reduce the number of V1s launched, the fighter aircraft and gun defences had a better chance to intercept and shoot down the flying bombs. But these pilotless aircraft were not the only menace, the V2 rocket offensive would soon be launched, and the Allies closely monitored the construction of what they came to learn was the V3 ‘supergun’ site.When the war came to a close Bomber Command could justifiably claim success against the V-Weapons. There was a cost though – a cost in aircrew lives. V-Weapons Bomber Command Failed to Return tells the story of some of those airmen who were prepared to risk their lives countering the German V-Weapon offensive in direct defence of the civilian population. They had responded to what British Prime Minister Winston Churchill described as the attempt to ‘blast the viper in his nest’. Their story deserves to be told. ‘We Will Remember Them’.