Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

All the Fine Young Eagles

In the Cockpit with Canada's Second World War Fighter Pilots

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

During the six years of the Second World War, Canadian fighter pilots flew and fought with great distinction in every theatre of war to which Commonwealth fighter forces were deployed. All the Fine Young Eagles captures the spirit and magnitude of the Canadian contribution, which began in Europe's Low Countries in 1940 and ended among the Japanese Home Islands in 1945. In keeping with the country's developing autonomy, Canadians served in both RAF and RCAF units, fighting with great courage in their Spitfires, Hurricanes, Kittyhawks and Typhoons.
All the Fine Young Eagles collects the wartime diaries and postwar reminiscences from a great variety of the Canadian fighter pilots who served in World War II. Their vivid first-hand accounts take the reader into the cockpit to experience dogfights, tactical manoeuvres, forced landings and injuries, as well as the often tedious periods between engagements. They also illuminate the day-to-day living conditions on base and include humorous accounts of the vivid personalities and lighter moments of wartime.
To provide context for their stories, Bashow's authoritative voice offers both a large-scale historical framework and detailed information about tactics, equipment and people, including such famous flying aces as "Buzz" Beurling and "Moose" Fumerton.
This updated second edition contains a substantial amount of new material that veterans have contributed since the publication of the first edition.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 10, 2017
      This rich collection of wartime diaries and postwar reminiscences of Canadian WWII fighter pilots provides important historical context for the pilots’ role in the war from the spring of 1943 to the end of hostilities. Bashow (Starfighter), a former fighter pilot (he’s a retired lieutenant colonel) and associate professor of history at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ont., explains in the preface that since the first edition of the book was published in 1996, more veterans have shared their memories with him, inspiring him to add their accounts to this second updated and expanded edition. The pilots give detailed descriptions of the planes they flew and share combat stories of downing enemy pilots, crash landing, and evading capture. Other anecdotes document the lives of fighter pilots, the hardship of flying multiple sorties some days, and the boredom of inaction on others. Bashow’s frequent use of acronyms can be distracting, particularly for readers unfamiliar with military terminology, and a consolidated list of them would have been helpful. This evocative account of the aerial war is an important contribution to historical records as veterans age and memories fade.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Loading