Air books

It is notable that, as was the case with RFC experiences after WW1, books are still coming out about flying in WW11, long after the conflict has ended; which may be no bad thing, because it is said that history should be allowed to mature before being written about. The Wingham Press, of 28 High St, Wingham, Kent, who are in the fight to save the battle of Britain aerodrome at Hawkinge from being buit over, publish lists of such books. Three of these are Nine Lives, by Air Commdr Alan Deere, DSO, CBE, DFC and bar, about flying Gladiators and Spitfires out of Hornchurch and Manston (22 enemy aeroplanes destroyed, 18 damaged, 10 probables), Tumult in the Clouds by Lt Col James A Goodson in which he describes graphically, with a long “escape story”, the American view of flying and being shot down, and the great pilots he knew in the RAF Eagle squadron and the US 4th Fighter Group before becoming an 8th Air Force Squadron Commander, and Dimsie by Donald Stokes, about flying Hurricanes in many theatres of WW2 before becoming a one-eyed test-pilot and serving in Africa and Malaysia. Recommended to our readers who are interested in aviation, the first of these two books sell for £14.95 each and the last for £15.00. WB