Through Eyes of Blue: Personal Memories of the RAF from 1918 edited by A. E. Ross, DFC. Stackpole Books,
(http://www.stackpolebooks.com) 5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 17055-6921, 2002, 352 pages, $29.95 (hardcover).
This book is worthwhile reading for those with a deep and abiding knowledge of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the desire to learn much more at the personal level. It is comprised entirely of anecdotal pieces, each by a different writer, albeit several contributors have more than one entry. Each is marvelously intriguing, ranging from a lady rigger of the Royal Flying Corps writing at age 100 about how she entered her job in 1918 and served as a rigger for five years, to air chief marshals describing air operations on the Northwest Frontier of India, to Norway, to the Suez debacle of 1956.
The collection of stories is organized into three chronological eras: The Birth of British Air Power, 1918–1939; The Second World War, 1939–1945; and the Modern Period, 1946–2002. Each includes a brief introductory passage followed by individual anecdotes from various participants in the event(s) described. Grouped chronologically and by geographical area or the nature of the operations discussed, the articles cover the entire gamut of RAF activity, from university air squadrons to intelligence to special duties.
Ever wonder what the RAF used autogyros to do? Or what it was like to fly one of the first Meteor jets, described by this pilot as “never a class-act fighter”? There is even something here for the medics of the Air Force, as well as the search and research folks, the judge advocate general corps, and some insight to the staff college in wartime. Veterans of the present war in Iraq may be interested in the RAF Mounted Police serving in Iraq in 1950.
The last section ranges from meteorological activity to aeromedical evacuation duties to combat operations in the Balkans and the desert. The several pieces by women of today’s RAF include one by a female air commodore. The “loggies” have their day in the sun as well—a short piece on the future of logistical support for the RAF.
Overall, this is a great coffee-table piece and an exquisite piece of history viewed from the personal level. It presents the history of the RAF, from its birth to the present, for those who desire to understand how individual men and women feel about their service.
James A. Mowbray, PhD
Maxwell AFB, Alabama
Disclaimer
The conclusions and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author cultivated in the freedom of expression, academic environment of Air University. They do not reflect the official position of the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, the United States Air Force or the Air University.
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