Fighting High Ltd – förlag

At dawn on 2 September 1942, a Hudson aircraft lifted into the pale Icelandic sky, and was never seen again. On board was Flight Lieutenant Alfred ‘Ginge’ Culver DFM, just twenty-five years old, together with three fellow airmen of Coastal Command’s No. 269 Squadron. With them flew Eric Ravilious, the brilliant war artist whose luminous watercolours had captured the uneasy stillness of Britain at war. Within hours, all were gone.What happened in those final moments remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of the Second World War. Were they victims of a German U-boat or battleship? Did ice and mechanical failure bring them down? Or were they struck by a Luftwaffe reconnaissance plane over the Atlantic?For decades, questions haunted the families left behind. Carol Lockwood was only eight weeks old when her father, ‘Ginge’ Culver, disappeared. Anne Ullmann was seventeen months old when she waved her father Ravilious goodbye for the last time. Both daughters grew up in the long shadow of loss, their lives intertwined by tragedy. In Love as Strong as Death, Melody Foreman uncovers the story of two remarkable men – one a romantic, book-loving pilot, the other a visionary artist – whose fates were sealed on that September morning. At once an intimate family history and a moving act of remembrance, this book honours their courage, celebrates their art and service, and pays tribute to a generation of children who never knew their fathers.

The distinctive black and yellow chequered markings of the 353rd Fighter Group, the ‘Slybirds’, made them one of the USAAF ‘Mighty’ 8th Air Force’s most colourful fighter groups. Flying P-47D Thunderbolts and later P-51D Mustangs the 353rd’s appearance in the skies over occupied Europe witnessed growing American air power and helped to change the course of the air war. From mid-1943 until the end of hostilities in Europe, the 353rd participated in all major aerial battles from the 1943 Regensburg and Schweinfurt raids to ‘Big Week’, the attacks on Berlin, and the support of the D-Day landings and Normandy campaign in 1944. They went on to win the Distinguished Unit Citation during the Arnhem operation of September 1944 and after converting to P-51 Mustangs they continued to play a full and prominent role in the final smashing of the Third Reich from the air.Fighting High Publishing has come together with respected 8th Air Force historian Graham Cross to tell the story of the ‘Slybirds’. With access to an unparalleled photographic archive built up over nearly thirty years of close association and friendship with the group, the author provides a detailed representation of all aspects of the group’s key activities. Focussing not just on the aircraft and pilots but also the vital work of the ground crews and service personnel, this is a stunning tribute that fills a major gap in the history of 8th Fighter Command. A full honour roll to those who made the ultimate sacrifice is included along with details of all POWs and all confirmed claims by the Group’s air-to-air aces.Packed with nearly 450 photos, the majority of which are previously unpublished, unseen wartime colour photos and detailed captions, this book is a visual and information feast. This latest volume in Fighting High Publishing’s ‘Odyssey’ series is the most in-depth photographic record of the 353rd to date and provides a unique window on a fighter group at war.

Wing Commander Eric Benjamin was no stranger to danger or excitement. In an action-packed career as part of the RAF Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR), he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross twice for his bravery under fire. He flew Fairey Battles with No. 150 Squadron during the Battle of France, Main Force Avro Lancasters with No. 61 Squadron during the Battle of Berlin, and De Havilland Mosquitoes as an elite Pathfinder Master Bomber in the latter stages of the war. He survived being shot down on his first operation, when his air gunner was severely wounded, and was among the last RAF aircrew to be evacuated from France in the summer of 1940. He was pulled clear of the mangled wreckage of a Vickers Wellington that crashed in flames during a spell as an instructor, narrowly escaping with his life for a second time, and ‘starred’ as a Flight Commander interviewed for Pathé News after a successful raid on Berlin in 1943. Towards the end of 1944, he achieved his ambition of flying Mosquitoes, and was selected and trained as a Master Bomber, operating as part of No. 54 Base in No. 5 Group and helping to mop up what was left of German industry and military might. It was from one of these sorties that his aircraft failed to return. Authored by Sean Feast and Eric’s daughter Jeannie, the book includes numerous previously unpublished photographs of Eric, his colleagues, and the aircraft he flew. An inveterate letter writer, Eric once said of flying that there was ‘no greater sport’. He died as he had lived, doing what he loved best.

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.

Paul "Foo" Kennard began his RAF career dreaming of fast jets, but fate placed him in the cockpit of the Chinook – the workhorse helicopter that became his gateway to the front line.From the tense streets of Northern Ireland to the fractured landscapes of Bosnia and the embattled skies of Kosovo, Kennard and his crews flew missions that were as unpredictable as they were vital. The Chinook lifted troops into danger, hauled supplies across treacherous terrain, and carried the wounded to safety – often under fire, and always under pressure.Told with honesty and sharp wit, Chinook Driver captures the exhilaration and intensity of rotary flying in combat zones, as well as the quiet moments of humour, frustration, and camaraderie that defined squadron life. Beyond the action, Kennard reflects on the challenges of operating in politically complex conflicts where peace was fragile and the stakes high.This is more than a pilot’s tale of flying Britain’s most iconic helicopter. It is a revealing, human account of serving during an era when the RAF was repeatedly called upon to deliver under extraordinary circumstances.Fast-paced, candid, and often darkly funny, Chinook Driver takes readers inside the cockpit and behind the headlines, showing what it meant to serve – and to fly – in the uncertain conflicts of the late Twentieth Century.

Herbert Martin Massey was by any measure, a remarkable man. He was wounded three times in three separate conflicts, the first of which, in the First World War, almost killed him. Brought down in flames by one of Germany’s great aces, Werner Voss, he somehow recovered from his horrific, life-threatening injuries to continue his flying career in the Royal Air Force, only to be nearly killed once more in the Palestine Emergency of 1936, when his life was saved by the thin metal of his cigarette case. Then, at the age of 44 and having risen through the ranks to Group Captain, he was shot down over Holland on the second of the Thousand Bomber Raids in June 1942.Massey was taken prisoner by the Germans and sent to Stalag Luft III at Sagan. Here, he was to excel as the Senior British Officer, vigorously defending the rights of his fellow prisoners of war, the men now under his command. Respected and admired by his comrades and captors alike, fate handed to him the decision to authorise the Great Escape, the famous breakout from Sagan in March 1944.Too badly wounded to join the escape himself, Martin Massey was the man to whom the Germans first broke the news of the execution of fifty of those who had been recaptured. Repatriated to Britain because of his wounds shortly afterwards, it was Massey who brought home the details of the murders which began the process of bringing the perpetrators to justice post-war. Decorated for his gallantry and leadership six times, men like Martin Massey come along only rarely. This book, using previously unseen documents and photographs, tells his story.

The raid on the secret rocket research establishment at Peenemünde on the Baltic coast in August 1943 has gone down in history as one of the most successful and remarkable of the war. The site was virtually obliterated, and the Germans forced to move rocket production and development elsewhere. But it came at a terrible cost. More than 40 bombers and 215 RAF aircrew failed to return. After the war, the bodies of many of those who were killed were recovered by the Missing Research and Enquiry Service (MRES) and buried in Commonwealth war graves. But not all. A series of mishaps and miscommunication led the MRES to search in the wrong place. Funds to continue the search dried up. And with the site falling into Russian hands, and access to British and US search parties severely restricted, the search ultimately had to be called off, and the remaining men commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial as having no known grave. But some of the missing men are still there, waiting to be found.With a foreword from Peenemünde raid veteran pilot George Dunn DFC L d'H, and illustrated with a wealth of previously unpublished photographs, Sean Feast and Mike McLeod tell the story of the forgotten graves of Peenemünde, the search to discover the truth about their final resting place, and the chance that their bodies may yet be discovered and returned.

Decorated Polish fighter pilot Witold ‘Lanny’ Lanowski tells his remarkable Second World War story beginning with his dramatic escape from Nazi aggression in Poland, fighting with the reformed Polish Air Force in France, and eventually arriving in England to combat the Luftwaffe.On completion of his tour he joins the United States Army Air Forces and the 56th Fighter Group, ‘Zemke’s Wolfpack’, flying the P47 Thunderbolt, the ‘Jug’, escorting the heavy bombers over hostile territory and hunting down enemy pilots. In addition to flying as wingman to two of the top scoring aces he also commands the Polish Flight, formed of fellow countrymen who utilize their hard won experience to teach new pilots combat skills.Lanny Lanowski’s exploits have become legendary, as has his rebellious nature. His memoir, supported by previously unpublished photographs, recounts an extraordinary personal journey within the life or death context of the European air war – a gripping and revealing insight in to what it was like to be ‘Out in Front’.

On 20 January 1944 Bomber Command Navigator Reginald Wilson’s Halifax, LW337, comes into the sights of an ace Luftwaffe night fighter pilot, and is blown from the darkness above the German capital Berlin. Reg, yet to celebrate his twenty-first birthday, plunges into the dark and parachutes to safety, but the experience of being shot down will haunt him for the rest of his life.In July 2005 Reg embarks on a seemingly impossible quest to discover the fate of his aircraft. Undeterred by the skepticism of family, friends and military archivists, Reg uses the internet and his natural aptitude for problem solving to piece together exactly what happened to the Halifax he last saw plunging towards a Berlin suburb, 61 years previously. Reg’s persistence leads to a most remarkable discovery – something he never anticipated. His life is changed. Perhaps, more importantly, the discovery will change for the better the lives of others he has yet to meet.This uplifting biography traces the extraordinary course of events that led Reg to make two important vows. One of these, made during the London Blitz, was to join the Royal Air Force and fight to defend his country. The second was to solve an intriguing mystery – something which others had tried, but failed, to do. The events described here are a testimony to Reg’s courage and steely determination, and also reflect the extreme sacrifices made by Bomber Command aircrew during the Second World War. What makes this compelling story quite unique is the juxtaposition of past and present, for without twenty-first century technology and the cooperation of a number of highly motivated individuals, both British and German, the real truth about the last flight of LW337 would never have been discovered.

The only US 8th Army Air Force fighter group to retain the mighty P-47 Thunderbolt throughout its combat tour in the European Theatre of Operations, the 56th Fighter Group justified its nickname of 'Zemke’s Wolfpack' by the aggressive attitude and tactics instilled by its original wartime commander Hub Zemke. This attitude continued through to VE-Day under the auspices of his successors Dave Schilling and Lucian Dade, and it became the top scoring 8th Air Force group for victories in air-air combat. Justifiably considered one of the greatest tacticians and leaders in VIII Fighter Command, Zemke’s leadership engendered an esprit de corps that was second to none. Fighting High Publishing brings together historians Nigel Julian and Peter Randall to tell the story of the ‘Wolfpack’, complimented by a foreword from the Group’s wartime leader’s son Hub Zemke Jnr. The two authors are the owners of the websites at 56thfightergroup.co.uk and littlefriends.co.uk respectively, universally acknowledged as the two finest sites on the 56th and VIII Fighter Command. Having researched the 56th Fighter Group for many years, they have established an international reputation for their expertise in the history of this famous unit. Looking beyond the Thunderbolt flightline, the authors have delved deep into their own extensive collections, along with the 56th Fighter Group museum archives and the many private photograph albums, made available to them by veterans and veteran’s families, in order to produce the most in-depth photographic record of the Wolfpack and its associated service units published to date. More than 400 photographs, the majority of which are previously unpublished, show views from behind the scenes alongside newly discovered aircraft noseart, social events, maintenance and repairs which, together with detailed captions, make this a visual and information feast. The modern day legacy is recorded with a section depicting memorials to the 56th Fighter Group. A full honour roll of those who made the ultimate sacrifice is included along with details of all confirmed claims by the Group’s air-air 'Aces'.

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’.

John Oliver (Jo) Lancaster DFC had a remarkable career in aviation spanning half a century. Starting out in 1935 as an engineering apprentice with Armstrong Whitworth Jo went on to fly an extraordinary 54 operations against the enemy during the Second World War, piloting Vickers Wellingtons and Avro Lancasters with RAF Bomber Command’s 40 and 12 Squadrons. Jo also took part in the ‘Thousand Bomber Raids’ in 1942 while an instructor at an operational training unit. Subsequently Jo was posted to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down, during which he flew a wide range of types, including captured German aircraft, and this was followed by training at the Empire Test Pilots’ School.    Post-war Jo took up numerous appointments as a test pilot including duties with Boulton Paul and Saunders-Roe, where he test flew the revolutionary Saro S.R. A/1 single-seat jet flying boat fighter. On 30 May 1949, while carrying out test pilot duties with Armstrong Whitworth, Jo was flying the A.W. 52 Flying Wing and became the first pilot to use a Martin-Baker ejection seat in an emergency. Retiring as a test pilot in 1962, Jo was later involved in aerial crop spraying in the Middle East before becoming Aviation Manager for Meridian Air Maps, carrying out aerial survey work from the West Indies to Central Africa and Portugal to Cyprus. By retirement in 1984 Jo had accumulated 11,000 flying hours on some 150 different aircraft types.    Author David Gunby, through extensive interviews and correspondence with Jo, and complimented with diligent archive research, has written a highly detailed account of this outstanding aviator. First Out In Earnest, featuring numerous previously unpublished photographs, is the remarkable account of a life dedicated to flying by one of the rapidly diminishing number of survivors from the golden age in British aviation.

Bomber Command pilot George Dunn DFC L d’H completed forty-four operations during the Second World War. George flew his first tour in 1943, on Handley Page Halifax bombers, during one of the most intense periods of the bombing war. Following two trips as a second pilot with No. 10 Squadron, to gain operational experience, George, accompanied by his usual flight engineer Ferris Newton DFM, then flew with No. 76 Squadron crew from May to October 1943, taking part in the Battle of the Ruhr, the Battle of Hamburg and the raid against the German secret weapon research station at Peenemünde. On completion of his tour, and a period as an instructor pilot, George then took up duties flying de Havilland Mosquitos, firstly with No. 608 Squadron and then with No. 1409 Met Flight.In Resolute, the title being the No. 76 Squadron motto, George and Ferris describe in detail their journey from novice airmen, through training, to crewing up and operational duties. It was a time at which the attrition rates in the air battle over Germany were escalating and the odds were against completing a full tour. Despite the pressures of operations George, Ferris and the crew find time to enjoy life – to the full! In the latter stages of the war, George then recalls with fondness and admiration, the opportunity to fly Mosquitos.Resolute is based on the detailed diary that Ferris kept during the war, and on accounts written by George, along with recorded interviews. Author Steve Darlow, with his extensive knowledge of the Bomber Command story, provides the context in which George, Ferris, and their crew went to war. Illustrated with photographs, and images from George’s logbook, Resolute tells the gripping story of one crew’s fight for survival, and their contribution to the eventual defeat of Nazism.

When Second World War Spitfire pilot John Gillespie Magee penned his poem `High Flight', little did he know that his words would inspire legions of aspiring aviators who had a similar wish to fly their `eager craft through footless halls of air'. Founded on years of detailed research, Roger Cole's book High Flight tells John Magee's extraordinary story, describing hitherto-unknown details of his short life, and providing insight into the inspiration for the poems that have found a unique place in history. Born of an English mother and American father in Nanking in China, Magee grew up and was educated in different parts of the world, proving to be a highly accomplished student. Through his experiences, he developed principles that made him determined to defend the rights of those he loved and respected. Exhilarated by flight and finding unique language in poetry, John was able to use words to express the emotions and sentiments of all who fly in a manner that is acknowledged and applauded throughout the world. The outbreak of war in Europe violated his beliefs, and, determined to fight for freedom, John left America and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, qualifying as a pilot and travelling to England to fight Nazism. Tragically, John would lose his life, aged 19 years, in an accident, so never know how his words would serve posterity. Roger Cole's High Flight traces the path of John Magee's achievement, revealing an incredible story of human endeavor, vision, determination and self-sacrifice.

George Sainton Kaye Butterworth was one of the most brilliant, enigmatic and promising young composers of the early twentieth century. Intensely fond of his country, he composed hauntingly beautiful English choral and orchestral music while struggling to make a living as a reviewer, teacher and demonstrator of Morris dances. He was a direct and diffident man who was fiercely loyal to his few close friends. Under his slightly forbidding exterior was a man with a great sense of humour and a strong sense of duty to his family, friends and country.When Kaiser Bill cast his mad shadow over Belgium and France, Butterworth joined the army as a private in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. He recorded his early military career with a sense of farce and frustration. Within a short time Butterworth and his friends were commissioned in the Durham Light Infantry and eventually sent to France to fight in the unspeakable horror of the Battle of the Somme.This book outlines Butterworth’s brief life and achievements and concentrates on his months in the army culminating with his rendezvous with death at the disputed barricade of Munster Trench just outside of the ruined village of Pozieres near the highest point of the Somme battlefield. Among the illustrations are a number of previously unpublished documents and pre-war photographs from Butterworth’s own album. The author has made use of war diaries and letters as well as conversations with Butterworth’s close relatives. He has walked over the ground that Butterworth and his men fought so hard to hold.George Butterworth turned out to be an outstanding army officer. Conscientious and quick thinking he invariably put his men and his friends before himself. He was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry and had a trench named after him by his men. In his own words: `The war gave me something to do.’

Leonard Cheshire was one of the most highly decorated pilots of the Second World War. As the Royal Air Force’s youngest Group Captain in 1943, he took a drop in rank and went on to command No. 617 Squadron and pioneer low level marking and precision bombing. For this, together with four years of fighting against the bitterest opposition during which he maintained a record of outstanding personal achievement, he was awarded the Victoria Cross. In 1945 he was an official observer of the dropping of the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Post-war his humanitarian work on behalf of the disabled resulted in the establishment of the Leonard Cheshire Foundation (now known as Leonard Cheshire), the world’s leading disability care charity.  First published in 1943, Bomber Pilot is Leonard Cheshire’s contemporary account of his experiences during his first three years with Bomber Command. His light style captures both the exuberance of youth, yet also brings out the growing realisation of the responsibilities and dangers facing the young aircrew of Bomber Command. He describes his experience of operating Whitleys with No. 102 Squadron, first as a novice co-pilot and later as captain with his own crew, providing a vivid description of the action for which he was awarded his first DSO. Following a brief interlude in North America he returned to join No. 35 Squadron as it introduced the Halifax into service before moving on to command No 76 Squadron. In this new edition, Leonard Cheshire’s original text is supplemented with an additional commentary by Dr Robert Owen, aviation historian and Official Historian of No. 617 Squadron Association. Providing additional details of the events described by Cheshire, this commentary places them in the broader context of the Bomber Offensive and includes a full record of Leonard Cheshire’s operations and wartime awards.