eBook - ePub
The Lion of the RAF
The Extraordinary Life of George Beamish, Second World War Hero and Rugby Star
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
The Lion of the RAF
The Extraordinary Life of George Beamish, Second World War Hero and Rugby Star
About this book
This is the story of a man from early twentieth century rural Cork who rose to the heights of the RAF and excelled as a major figure in international rugby in the 1920s and 1930s. Air Marshal George Beamish was one of the famous 'Flying Beamishes' - six siblings who were all members of the RAF; a record they hold to this day. The highlights of his career include responsibility for the air evacuation after the Battle of Crete in 1941, participation in the Desert War and his spell as Air ADC to King George VI. In 1949, Beamish was appointed Commandant of RAF Cranwell, where he had been awarded the prestigious Sword of Honour in the 1920s. In 1962, he was appointed High Sheriff of County Londonderry and, on the strength of his military and sporting records, ran for nomination for a Northern Ireland seat in Parliament. A good all-round sportsman, Beamish excelled at rugby. He was capped 25 times for Ireland, which he also captained. He participated in the 1930 Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand and captained a regional team in an heroic victory over the Springboks in 1931. Gritty, determined, sporty, gruff and focused, Beamish died in 1967 at the age of sixty-two after a remarkable life and two astonishing careers.
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Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access The Lion of the RAF by Paul McElhinney in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & World War II. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Foreword by Willie John McBride
- Introduction and Acknowledgements
- 1 - Early Years in Dunmanway
- 2 - Castlerock and Coleraine Inst. (Institution)
- 3 - Joining the RAF – ‘The Eagle Takes Flight’
- 4 - From Leicester Tiger to British and Irish Lion
- 5 - Early Years of RAF Service
- 6 - Battle of Crete (1941)
- 7 - Desert War (1941–43)
- 8 - Casablanca and Operation Torch (1943)
- 9 - Sicilian Campaign (1943)
- 10 - End of the War and Final Postings
- 11 - Beamish Brothers and Sisters
- 12 - Retirement to Castlerock
- Plates
- Epilogue
- Appendix 1 - The Best Five Nations Players of the 1920s/ Early 1930s Era
- Appendix 2 - Irish Rugby Internationals Who Served in the Second World War
- Appendix 3 - Famous Figures Involved in RAF Intelligence in the Second World War
- Appendix 4 - Main RAF Squadrons involved in the Battle of Crete
- Appendix 5 - Luftwaffe Figures in North Africa (1940–3)
- Appendix 6 - Key RAF Squadrons under Operation Torch (1942–3)
- Appendix 7 - RAF Aces in the Desert Campaign
- Bibliography
- Notes