
Scramble
The Dramatic Story of a Young Fighter Pilot's Experiences During the Battle of Britain and the Siege of Malta
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Scramble
The Dramatic Story of a Young Fighter Pilot's Experiences During the Battle of Britain and the Siege of Malta
About this book
This is a fighter pilot's memoir of four tumultuous years, 1938–1942, when he was first trained, then fought and survived in not one but two of the biggest aerial campaigns of the war, the Battle of Britain and the equally epic, but lesser known, Siege of Malta.
When the Germans were blitzing their way across France in spring 1940, Pilot Officer Tom Neil had just received his first posting – to 249 Squadron. Nineteen years old and fresh from training, he was soon to be pitched into the maelstrom of air fighting on which the very survival of Britain would come to depend. By the end of the year he had shot down thirteen enemy aircraft, seen many of his friends killed, injured or burned, and was himself a wary and accomplished fighter pilot.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire, Tom was then shipped off to the beleaguered island of Malta to face a second Luftwaffe onslaught. Again heavily engaged, he shot down another enemy fighter and survived a number of engine failures and other emergencies.
Now ninety-five, he is one of only twenty-five Battle of Britain veterans still alive and this vivid memoir is his last word on his fighter pilot experiences.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Introduction by James Holland
- Author’s Note
- 1: Early Days
- 2: A German Visit and First Thoughts of War
- 3: The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
- 4: The War Starts
- 5: No. 8 Service Flying Training School – Montrose
- 6: Montrose – The Final Weeks
- 7: 249 Squadron: May 1940
- 8: Spitfire Interlude: 1–11 June 1940
- 9: Operational in a Hurricane: 12 June–14 August 1940
- 10: Into Battle from Boscombe Down: 15–31 August 1940
- 11: September 1940 at North Weald
- 12: An October of 109s
- 13: Winter Sets In: November 1940
- 14: The Last of the Year: December 1940
- 15: Offensive Action
- 16: The Start of the Year
- 17: A Time of Change
- 18: Journey to the Middle East
- 19: Flight to Malta
- 20: Action Commences
- 21: Summer Sets In
- 22: August 1941
- 23: A Quiet Autumn
- 24: The Year Dies
- 25: The End in Sight
- 26: Voyage to Egypt
- 27: The Final Stage
- Appendix 1: What Happened after the Battle of Britain?
- Appendix 2: Battle of Britain Log Book