They Spread Their Wings by Alastair Goodrum
What turns an ordinary man into an extraordinary one? The answer lies in the stories of six teenage volunteers for Second World War aircrew who exchanged school uniform for Air Force Blue and took a giant step into the unknown. Based on original research from flying log books, diaries and family archives, this collection of true tales describes the men’s training for those coveted ‘Wings’; the nervous excitement of that first sortie over enemy territory; and flying into the hell of an enemy flak barrage and fighters. From the skies over Europe to jungles and deserts, all endured hardship, adventure and danger. They experienced action under enemy fire, wounds, burns and crash-landings, escape and evasion in occupied territory, and the privations of life as a POW. Seventy years on and these brushes with death are by any measure hair-raising encounters that turned adolescents into men – some of whom survived the war, while others paid the ultimate price.
Alastair Goodrum has held a passion for aviation ever since being taken as a small boy to the 1954 Farnborough Air Show. He spent his career in telecommunications then ran his own company. He held a commission in the RAFVR(T) from 1968 to 1975, is an occasional radio broadcaster, and presents illustrated talks on his pet subject. He has previously written Balloons, Bleriots & Barnstormers: 200 years of Flying For Fun; Dying To Fly: The Human Cost Of Military Flying for The History Press and two earlier books on aviation history. He lives in Spalding, Lincolnshire.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780752487588 |
| ISBN 10 | 0752487582 |
| Title | They Spread Their Wings |
| Author | Alastair Goodrum |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | The History Press Ltd |
| Year published | 2013-01-01 |
| Number of pages | 224 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |