Description
World War /Two/Aviation/ RAF/Military/interest
AVIATION/PLANES/AIRCRAFT/MILITARY AIRCRAFT /WORLD WAR ONE & TWO/INTEREST
NIGHT FIGHTER ACE
by
SPOONER
PUBLISHED ; SUTTON
1st EDITION 1997
Awarded three DSOs, three DFCs, and A with twenty night and ten day victories to his credit, Bob Braham was one of the most successful Allied fighter aces, becoming the RAF’s most highly decorated fighter pilot of the Second World War. On the ground Bob was a carefree party- lover, but once in the air he became a ruthless killer. Shunning the attentions of the wartime press, he never achieved the public acclaim of his contemporaries like Douglas Bader, Johnnie Johnson or ‘Cat’s—Eyes’ Cunningham.
Bob’s first posting was to 29 Squadron in 1939 where he flew Bristol Blenheims and then Beaufighters, latterly alongside the famous Guy Gibson of later ‘dam—buster’ fame (who had been posted in from Bomber Command to strengthen the squadron). Bob contributed in significant ways to the development of night fighting tactics, and latterly to the successful introduction of novel intruder operations over Germany when in command of 141 Squadron, also flying Beaufighters at night. As that squadron’s CO, he was promoted again, becoming the RAF’s youngest Wing commander, at the age of just 23.
Sadly, Bob’s wartime flying career was cut short on 25 ]une 1944 when his de Havilland Mosquito FBVI was shot down over Denmark while on a daylight ranger sortie, and he had to spend the rest of the war ‘in the bag’ as a POW. The author, Tony Spooner, has been given unrestricted access — both by Bob’s personal armourer and by his widow — to complete and detailed information covering every one of his successful operational sorties. The result is a fascinating story of the RAF’s night fighter air war — the problems of fighting in the dark and how they were gradually overcome, the aircraft, the squadron personalities, the exhilaration of a successful sortie and the black despair of losing friends in action. Illustrated with a selection of contemporary photographs, Night Fighter Ace will appeal to all who have an interest in the history of the RAF during the Second World War, and in particular its ace pilots.
ILLUSTRATED WITH PHOTOGRAPHS
CONDITION V GOOD + ,WITH DUST JACKET
BINDING TIGHT .CLEAN INTERIOR
FEP WITH SOME MARKS
DUST JACKET COVERED IN REMOVABLE MYLAR COVER
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