Spitfire People

by Paul Beaver

This book presents a fresh angle on the Spitfire by examining the contribution to its development and achievements by over 65 people - some famous, others not - ranging from politicians to pilots.

Spitfire People

Author: Paul Beaver

Publisher: Evro Publishing Limited

ISBN: 9781910505052

Page: 256

View: 358

This book presents a fresh angle on the Spitfire by examining the contribution to its development and achievements by over 65 people - some famous, others not - ranging from politicians to pilots. Published to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, this book presents a fresh angle on the Spitfire by examining the contribution to its development and achievements by over 65 people, some famous, others not. Without the courage and tenacity of some leading political and military figures and the hard work of lesser-known mortals, there would have been no Spitfire, no Battle of Britain and no ultimate victory in 1945. Many people in positions of power played their part in the ultimate success of the Spitfire, but a few staked their reputations on a radical design that brought together the best in British design, technology and ingenuity. This book tells many significant individual stories. - Political people: Sir Winston Churchill (voice in the wilderness and wartime leader), Air Marshal Sir Wilfred Freeman (senior champion of the Spitfire in the Air Ministry), Lord Beaverbrook (Minister for Aircraft Production). - Design and development people: Reginald Mitchell (chief designer 1934â??36), Joe Smith (chief designer 1936â??47), Jeffrey Quill (test pilot), Ernest Hives (Rolls-Royce experimental head and key player in the design of the Merlin engine), Sir Stanley Hooker (mathematician and Merlin engine developer), the ladies of Vickers Supermarine at Trowbridge (factory workers). - Operational people: James ‘Johnny' Johnson (highest-scoring Spitfire ace), Henry Cozens (first squadron commander), Geoffrey Wellum (youngest Battle of Britain pilot), Douglas Bader (Spitfire wing leader and inspirational disabled pilot). - Experimental people: Tony Martindale (RAE Farnborough test pilot), Eric ‘Winkle' Brown (chief naval test pilot and the first man to land a Seafire on an aircraft carrier). - Heritage people: Ray Hanna (Old Flying Machine company), Carolyn Grace (the only female owner/pilot in the world), Phill O'Dell (chief test pilot at Rolls-Royce and Spitfire display pilot). - Published to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

Spitfire

by John Nichol

Barnato Walker, Diana, Spreading my Wings (Grub Street, 2003) Beaver, Paul,
Spitfire People (Evro, 2015) Beaver, Paul, Spitfire Evolution (Beaver Westminster,
2016) Bird, Brian, That Was my Life (Personal Memoir) Bogart, Charles H., ...

Spitfire

Author: John Nichol

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

ISBN: 1471159221

Page: 352

View: 241

THE SUNDAY TIMES NON FICTION BESTSELLER WHSmith NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018 'The best book you will ever read about Britain's greatest warplane.' Patrick Bishop, bestselling author of Fighter Boys. ‘A rich and heartfelt tribute to this most iconic British machine. By focusing on the men (and women) who flew the Spitfire, John Nichol has brought a fresh and powerful perspective to the story.’ Rowland White, bestselling author of Vulcan 606 'A thrilling and often moving tribute to some of its greatest heroes.' Jon Dennis, Mail on Sunday magazine. 'A stirring portrait of a piece of aviation art in motion flown by the bravest of the brave. Nichol's Spitfire is still a sky-borne prima ballerina that kicks like Bruce Lee.' The Royal Air Force Times. 'A superb and compelling book. Brilliantly written with some incredible and astonishing stories; it is gripping, moving, emotional and sometimes humorous – just perfect' Squadron Leader (Ret) Clive Rowley, former Officer Commanding RAF Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight 'A superb journey through the remarkable tale of that British icon, the Spitfire ... Truly stunning.' Andy Saunders, Editor, Britain at War Magazine. Achtung, Spitfire! The iconic Spitfire found fame during the darkest early days of World War II. But what happened to the redoubtable fighter and its crews beyond the Battle of Britain, and why is it still so loved today? In late spring 1940, Nazi Germany’s domination of Europe had looked unstoppable. With the British Isles in easy reach since the fall of France, Adolf Hitler was convinced that Great Britain would be defeated in the skies over her southern coast, confident his Messerschmitts and Heinkels would outclass anything the Royal Air Force threw at them. What Hitler hadn’t planned for was the agility and resilience of a marvel of British engineering that would quickly pass into legend – the Spitfire. Bestselling author John Nichol’s passionate portrait of this magnificent fighter aircraft, its many innovations and updates, and the people who flew and loved them, carries the reader beyond the dogfights over Kent and Sussex. Spanning the full global reach of the Spitfire’s deployment during WWII, from Malta to North Africa and the Far East, then over the D-Day beaches, it is always accessible, effortlessly entertaining and full of extraordinary spirit. Here are edge-of-the-seat stories and heart-stopping first-hand accounts of battling pilots forced to bail out over occupied territory; of sacrifice and wartime love; of aristocratic female flyers, and of the mechanics who braved the Nazi onslaught to keep the aircraft in battle-ready condition. Nichol takes the reader on a hair-raising, nail-biting and moving wartime history of the iconic Spitfire populated by a cast of redoubtable, heroic characters that make you want to stand up and cheer. John Nichol's new book, Lancaster: The Forging of a Very British Legend, is available for preorder now.

SpitFire The Makings of a Revolutionary

by Ashanti. A. A. Ali

Freedom fighter implies just that: someone or some people who deem they are
not free and thus seek it. Was it not Comrade Assata who said, “People try to act
like they don't know?” I would go on record as saying I'm fond of the brother Al ...

SpitFire The Makings of a Revolutionary

Author: Ashanti. A. A. Ali

Publisher: Califa Media Publishing

ISBN: 1952828988

Page: 156

View: 119

Compiled over the span of years, this text recounts the experiences of one participant in the struggle for Black Liberation in America. While students of history may be familiar with the broad strokes of that era, this memoir serves as a lens to see the movement in detail through the eyes of a youth comprising the body of that movement.

Spitfire Girl

by Diana Mackintosh and Douglas Thompson

since a great people is truly such if it considers sacred its own duties and does
not evade the supreme trials that determine the course of history. We take up
arms to resolve – after having resolved the problem of our land frontier – the
problem ...

Spitfire Girl

Author: Diana Mackintosh and Douglas Thompson

Publisher: Boldwood Books Ltd

ISBN: 1913721019

Page:

View: 804

Diana Mackintosh came of age to the drone of sirens alerting the people of Malta to the arrival of relentless flights of belligerent German and Italian menace – the bombers she first imagined as a swarm of black flies, pests that stung and cursed her Mediterranean homeland. The three-year onslaught never took a day off; it was endless, but supplies were not. The hope of a shipment of high protein became an ongoing dream. The only time Diana wasn’t hungry was when she slept. Her story of that time, and in 2020 she is one of the very few remaining who experienced it first-hand, makes it clear why Malta was collectively awarded the George Cross, the highest British civilian honour for heroism. Of course, as she argues, no one was trying to be heroic, but somehow they helped reverse the fortunes of the Second World War in the Mediterranean and North Africa. Now at the age of 101, Diana is also celebrated for her children’s achievements — she helped her eldest son, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, and worked as his unpaid secretary — and for a life in the wings of British cinema, Hollywood and theatreland. Spitfire Girl recounts Diana’s extraordinary life, more than a century in the making.

Secrets of the Spitfire

by Lance Cole

herein presented (in alphabetical order); any omissions are entirely accidental
and apologies offered for any errors in what is intended as an attempt to more
fully credit the Spitfire's people. Supermarine Technical, Drawing Office, and ...

Secrets of the Spitfire

Author: Lance Cole

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

ISBN: 1781599963

Page: 272

View: 719

This book tells the tale of the brilliant aerodynamicist Beverley Shenstone MASc, HonFRAes, FAIAA,AFIAS, FCASI, HonOSTIV. As R.J. Mitchells chief aerodynamicist, it was Shenstone who designed the Spitfires wing the wing that gave the Spitfire it crucial advantage in the Battle of Britain and beyond. A quiet man, Shenstone never sought glory for his work, yet in recent years he has been credited as the man who persuaded Mitchell to adopt the ellipse a modified ellipse that was unique in its shape and its combined use of two integrated aerofoil sections. Shenstones knife-edge shape reached far back into early aeronautics for its inspiration. This book also names the other forgotten Spitfire design contributors who were Mitchells men Mr Faddy, Mr Fear, Mr Fenner, Mr Shirvall, a Prof Howland and others.Intriguingly, Shenstone had left his native Canada and early training as an RCAF pilot, to study at Junkers and then under the father of the delta wing Alexander Lippisch in Germany in the early 1930s. There, he became immersed in delta wings and flying wings. He also became a glider pilot. The story of how Beverley came to be in the right place at the right time is revealed for the first time. So too are the enigmatic tales of his involvement with the military, the intelligence world, Lord Beaverbrook , the USAF, and Canadian aviation.During the war Shenstone worked at the top secret Wright Patterson air force base and was involved with the Air Ministry and the pro-British movement in America when Shenstone worked for Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfrid Freeman, the unsung hero behind British defence procurement. Shenstone achieved high office a President of the Royal Aeronautical Society, technical director at BOAC, chief engineer at BEA and a consultant to several aircraft makers. He was courted by Avro, de Havilland and Vickers, and was the force behind the renaissance of human-powered flight.Using exclusive access to his family documents, his unpublished autobiography and many notes and stories, as well as forensic research, this book details for the first time, a new twist to the Spitfires story and the secrets of its advanced science. A tale of design and military intelligence reveals a story of a man whose name should be more widely known in the UK, Canada and the aviation world.

Spitfire Stories

by Jacky Hyams

By then, Joy was engaged to George (Jiri Hartman), a Czech Spitfire pilot with
310 Squadron. Flying had more or less taken over her ... 'People often say, does
it seem real now, flying Spitfires while war and chaos was all around you?' said
Joy.

Spitfire Stories

Author: Jacky Hyams

Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books

ISBN: 1782438173

Page: 256

View: 848

Spitfire Stories, published in association with Imperial War Museums, is a fascinating anthology of first-hand stories from Spitfire heroes and heroines of the Second World War. The Spitfire is the world's most iconic aeroplane. Coming into its own during the Battle of Britain, it became famous during the Second World War as the only plane that could match the enemy fighters in the sky. Yet, even today, the history of the Spitfire contains many hitherto hidden or little-known stories of the men and women behind the plane; not only the gifted creators and inventors who brought the Spitfire to life, or the brave fighter pilots from many countries who triumphed in battle, but also the thousands of other people whose lives were affected by their personal connection to it - engineers, ground crew, factory or office workers, and their families. Spitfire Stories recounts the memories and stories of these people, from the birth of the iconic Spitfire in the 1930s to the present day. Among these accounts is the extraordinary tale of the fighter pilot who only discovered, fifty years on, the tragic truth of his last Spitfire flight, the businessman whose blank cheque changed the course of the war, the ninety-five-year-old Royal Air Force engineer who was determined to be reunited with his beloved Spit before he died, and the little girl who inspired the plane's creation - and went on to marry a movie star. Using documents, letters and photographs from the Imperial War Museums' unparalleled archive, plus exclusive first-hand interviews, these stories of the Spitfire are a revelatory collection of small but significant histories, to be treasured by all who love and admire the iconic plane.

But for These Things Leicester and its People in WWII

by Vincent Holyoak

As part of this policy the need to move Spitfire production away from the vast (and
potentially vulnerable) Vickers Armstrong factory at Castle Bromwich saw the
premises of Alfred Davies Ltd in Weymouth Street (cardboard box manufacturers)
 ...

But for These Things Leicester and its People in WWII

Author: Vincent Holyoak

Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd

ISBN: 1783064021

Page: 320

View: 548

There have been several books on Leicester during the Second World War, but I felt that some significant omissions remained. First and foremost I wanted to give a voice to the people who lived through those times, but whose personal stories are rarely heard in the official records. I also wanted to touch upon some of the themes not generally covered or glossed over in other histories, notable amongst which were the crime wave which swept the city during the war and the race disturbances that occurred during 1943-44. Balanced against these are other untold stories, such as the gallantry and sacrifices of the men, women and children of the city, the requisitioned factories and offices which from 1939 onwards became home to the Army’s largest ever pay office, and the contribution made by the city's industry to the war effort. Finally, I also wanted to take a little time to explore what happened after the celebrations had ended and the bunting had been put away. Although some of the stories may make uncomfortable reading, I have tried to be as balanced in my reporting as possible.

Spitfire Dive Bombers versus the V2

by Bill Simpson

For the Dutch people, under grinding occupation, there was the boost to morale
in seeing the Spitfires flying over them day after day. It is striking that those who
suffered often say how much they were heartened by the bravery of the pilots ...

Spitfire Dive Bombers versus the V2

Author: Bill Simpson

Publisher: Pen and Sword

ISBN: 1473818486

Page: 258

View: 499

On 8 September 1944 the first of over 1,000 V2 missiles aimed at southern England exploded in west London. It had been launched from a wooded street corner in Den Haag in the Netherlands. Fighter Command was responsible for defending Britain from air attack and thus Air Marshal Roderic Hill countered the threat by using six squadrons of Spitfires from 12 Group bases in Norfolk to discover and then dive-bomb the mobile V2 launch sites scattered throughout the Dutch towns and countryside. This was no easy task as the missiles were well camouflaged and often positioned adjacent to dwellings occupied by civilians. The RAF was under orders to cause minimum damage to Dutch property and life, therefore precision bombing became a necessity. This is a full account of the campaign including discussions of the strategy and tactics employed and the equipment used and it also considers the effect upon Dutch civilians. It draws upon the experiences of sixteen Allied pilots, ground crew and the Dutch who were at the receiving-end of the attacks.

Gentlemen in Blue

by Hans Onderwater

But fortunately they had the company of day fighter squadrons so they could rely
on refuelling, but little else for the night-fighter crews had nothing in common with
the Spitfire people. Radar coverage was good over the sea but suffered over ...

Gentlemen in Blue

Author: Hans Onderwater

Publisher: Pen and Sword

ISBN: 147381457X

Page: 512

View: 523

This is the history of 600 City of London Squadron from when they formed in 1925 to their disbandment in 1957.

Dallas and the Spitfire

by Ted Kluck

All that to say, it's every coffee shop in every suburban strip mall in every city in
America. It's where I'll meet Dallas Jahncke for the first time. Our church—a
smallish[2] Reformed church in East Lansing, Michigan—is big on people
meeting with ...

Dallas and the Spitfire

Author: Ted Kluck

Publisher: Baker Books

ISBN: 1441270140

Page: 192

View: 534

A Suburban Dad and an Ex Con Show What Discipleship Looks Like Ted is an educated thirty-something father of two who's been going to church his whole life. Dallas is a twenty-one-year-old former cocaine addict with a prison record who has recently become a Christian. When they agree to meet regularly for "discipleship," they know that chatting once a week in a coffee shop just won't cut it. Instead, they decide to get to know each other while restoring an old Triumph Spitfire. Filled with surprises and humor, Dallas and the Spitfire tells a gripping story of two lives changed, and along the way gives readers a new model for men's ministry.

The Decisive Duel

by David Isby

Spitfire vs 109 David Isby ... The legends and myths are often what end up being
valued, a past people can invest with their emotions and significance for their
own lives. It is no easy matter to distinguish legends and myths from facts; all
alike ...

The Decisive Duel

Author: David Isby

Publisher: Hachette UK

ISBN: 074812361X

Page: 352

View: 109

London, 15 September 1940. The air battle over Britain on that day saw two of the most advanced fighter planes, the British Supermarine Spitfire and the German Messerschmitt Bf 109, battle for supremacy of the skies. The Decisive Duel tells the stories of these iconic, classic aircraft and the people that created them: Willy Messerschmitt, the German designer with a love for gliders and admiration for Hitler; R.J. Mitchell, his brilliant British counterpart, who struggled against illness to complete the design of the Spitfire. In fascinating detail, David Isby describes the crucial role the two opposed planes played, from the drawing boards to Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain to the final battles over Germany.

Malloch s Spitfire

by Nick Meikle

Because Zimbabwe has been through a very turbulent time and many people
perceive it as a failed state. Today Zimbabwe is a far cry from the vibrant country
that existed in the early 1980's, the resilient Rhodesia in which Jack established
his ...

Malloch s Spitfire

Author: Nick Meikle

Publisher: Casemate

ISBN: 1612002536

Page: 320

View: 115

The story of one of history’s greatest fighter aircraft from WWII to its remarkable restoration in 1980 Rhodesia: “an aviation classic-in-waiting” (Airscape). In 1977, the Rhodesian Air Force retrieved a World War II–era Supermarine Spitfire F Mk 22. But while the RAF was embroiled in the Bush War, the dream of restoring the aircraft was frustrated by international sanctions. That’s when legendary pilot John “Jack” McVicar Malloch took control of the project. Not only had Jack flown Spitfires during World War II, he was also uniquely positioned to circumvent sanctions through his airfreight company, Air Trans Africa. With ingenuity, passion, and a team of trusted engineers, Jack realized the dream of putting Spitfire PK350 back in the air on March 29, 1980. In Malloch’s Spitfire, author Nick Meikle tells the full story of this remarkable restoration and reveals some fascinating insights about the aircraft. The reader is taken on a journey through the Spitfire’s life, beginning with her first test flight in 1945. The project’s lead engineer and many of the surviving pilots who flew her also share their memories. For two years, PK350 delighted those fortunate enough to see her fly. Then, on what was planned to be her last flight, Malloch’s Spitfire never returned to base.

Spitfire Girls

by Carol Gould

What could people like Edith Allam possibly have in common with such good
stock? How could Roosevelt allow people with questionable blood lines to hold
powerful positions in post-Depression recovery programs? Thankfully it was an ...

Spitfire Girls

Author: Carol Gould

Publisher: Random House

ISBN: 1407070940

Page: 624

View: 772

Top-class pilots were crucial to the survival of Great Britain during the dark days of the Blitz, and playing a vital role in fending off the German attack were the women's section of the Air Transport Auxiliary, a close and dedicated circle of female pilots. In the midst of events that would shape history, these women risked their lives to ferry aircraft day and night from factory to the arena of war, and lasting friendships were born. Together, Edith Allam and her fellow pilots faced Nazi terror, class prejudice, and the forbidden romances of wartime - yet their remarkable strength carried them through. Spitfire Girls evokes all of the drama of this extraordinary period of history, and is a tribute to the heroism of these brave women, without whom the Battle of Britain might never have been won. Truly inspirational, it is the tale of adventure, courage and the relationships that shape all of our lives.

Spitfire Ace of Aces

by Dilip Sarkar

Afterthe releaseof the film BattleofBritain in1969,when Iwaseight yearsold,
demand for model Spitfires soared. ... Gregarious and loyal, Johnnie made snap
decisions about people and was never wrong – instinctively he knew whether or
not ...

Spitfire Ace of Aces

Author: Dilip Sarkar

Publisher: Amberley Publishing Limited

ISBN: 1445609398

Page: 320

View: 857

The biography of the RAF's top fighter pilot, Johnnie Johnson, who shot down more enemy aircraft than any other pilot during the Second World War.

Fighter Command 1936 1968

by Ken Delve

Spitfire Vb October 1941; this Mark was produced in large numbers and a
number of subvariants and was the mainstay of the Command from mid 1941 to
mid 1942. To many people the Spitfire is the essence of the Battle of Britain, the
sleek ...

Fighter Command 1936 1968

Author: Ken Delve

Publisher: Pen and Sword

ISBN: 1783408693

Page: 320

View: 214

This is a comprehensive reference to the structure, operation, aircraft and men of Fighter Command from its formation in 1936 to 1968 when it became part of Strike Command. It includes descriptions of many notable defensive and offensive campaigns, the many types of aircraft used, weapons and airfields. The main sections of the book include a general historical introduction and overview, operations, operational groups, aircrew training and technical details of each aircraft type. Lengthy Annexes cover personnel, the squadrons in World War II, orders of battle for each wartime year, maps of airfield locations and numbers of enemy aircraft downed.

Watson s Really Big Wwii Almanac

by Patrick Watson

Belgian ace Jean Offenberg (7 victories) was killed when his “Spitfire” was
involved in a mid-air collision. Fifty-three RoyalAir Force ... Two Royal Air Force “
Mosquitoes” attacked Koln, Germany and killed five people. Twenty-five “Spitfires
” from ...

Watson s Really Big Wwii Almanac

Author: Patrick Watson

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

ISBN: 1469101890

Page: 726

View: 304

Named as the North American Book Exchanges winner of the 2008 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award in the Reference catagory, this book is laid out like a calendar containing information pertaining to World War II. In going to a specific date, you will find it divided by area (i.e. Western Europe, North America etc.). Those areas are further divided by year. What makes it unique is that those years range from the 1800s to the present day. The information includes everything from actual battles, to the final fate of a favorite ship, to the activities of movie stars during the war. It covers the first six months of the year. Volume Two takes care of the last six months.

R J Mitchell Schooldays to Spitfire

by Gordon Mitchell

He had a great kindness of heart , and often helped people in trouble . ... By the
end of 1936 , preliminary work on the production of the Spitfire had started but ,
meanwhile , the only person who really knew and understood the difficulties
under ...

R J Mitchell Schooldays to Spitfire

Author: Gordon Mitchell

Publisher: Tempus Pub Limited

ISBN:

Page: 319

View: 437

Biografi over den enkelske flykonstruktør, der skabte det fra 2. verdenskrig kendte jagerfly Supermarine Spitfire skrevet af hans søn.

How to Fly with Broken Wings

by Jane Elson

Then Fox started to clap and everyone joined in and the clapping got louder and
louder and people were cheering Maisy the Spitfire. Sasha wheeled me forwards
to lookatMaisy. Everyone elsekept what mygran callsa respectfuldistance.

How to Fly with Broken Wings

Author: Jane Elson

Publisher: Hachette UK

ISBN: 1444916785

Page: 272

View: 968

'If Finn Maison shouts jump you jump or you are dead.' Twelve-year-old Willem has Aspergers Syndrome and two main aims in life: to fly and to make at least two friends of his own age. But all the other boys from the Beckham Estate do is make him jump off things. First his desk - and now the wall. As his toes teeter on the edge, Sasha Bradley gives him a tiny little wink. Might she become his friend? Bullied by Finn and his gang the Beckham Estate Boyz, Willem has no choice but to jump. As he flies through the air he flaps his arms, wishing he could fly and escape into the clouds. Instead he comes crashing down and breaks his ankle. Sasha, angry with herself for not stopping Finn and his Boyz, is determined to put things right. And soon, while the gangs riot on their estate, Willem and Sasha form an unlikely friendship. Because they share a secret. Sasha longs to fly too. And when Magic Man Archie arrives with stories of war-flying spitfires, he will change the lives of the kids on the Beckham Estate for ever. And perhaps find a way for Willem and Sasha to fly ... Touching on themes such as friendship and bullying, this is a charming tale about overcoming obstacles and finding friendship in unlikely places. 'heart-rending, heartbreaking and heartening' The Best New Children's Books Guardian Supplement