“I am absolutely thrilled with this new book, which really encapsulates all of my Battle of Britain research between two covers. There will never be another book like this and I am proud to mark the 70th anniversary in this way.” Dilip Sarkar
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| Dilip Sarkar with his new book – featuring accounts from over 100 Battle of Britain survivors! |
30 years ago, Dilip Sarkar began interviewing surviving Battle of Britain fighter pilots and support staff. Back then, the famous pilots remained alive, many of whom had published their accounts or had been the subject of biographers. Dilip’s main concern, therefore, was not with the famous but with what Battle of Britain Hurricane pilot Peter Fox described as ‘the also rans’, in which category this modest man included himself. These men lived in obscurity, their memories locked away together with their wartime souvenirs. Dilip, however, recognised that their oral accounts were a crucial but diminishing primary resource – so without any formal training in historical research or, indeed, funding, he set out to research the Battle of Britain from what he calls ‘the human perspective’. In so doing he travelled countless miles around the UK to interview survivors, and wrote thousands of letters to survivors worldwide. The memories consequently preserved are both extensive and unique – placing Dilip Sarkar perfectly to write ‘The Few: The Battle of Britain in the Words of the Pilots’, marking the Battle of Britain’s 70th anniversary.
Just one of innumerable inspirational account included in ‘The Few’ was supplied by Group Captain GAL ‘Minnie’ Manton: -
‘From those hectic times I remember one particular incident, probably because it occurred shortly after I had taken over the Squadron following two-and-a-half years behind a desk at the Air Ministry. Every moment with No 56 Squadron, therefore, was new and exciting for me. After only my first or second combat, I was returning to North Weald, trying desperately to gather my wits, when another No 56 Squadron machine came alongside and formated on me. The pilot opened his hood, gave me a great grin, a thumbs up and then one finger to indicate that he had made a kill: it was ‘Squeak’ Weaver.
‘Squeak went missing on the very day I left the Squadron on posting to command RAF Manston – or at least what was left of it! They rang me from North Weald the next day to tell me the news, such was Flight Lieutenant Weaver’s standing in the Squadron.
‘Whilst most eulogies tend to go overboard, my recollections of Squeak Weaver are all clear and sincere. Of all the boisterous, reckless young men in the Squadron he stood out. He was universally liked and because of his irrepressible good humour, enthusiasm for life and everything he did, and his fearless attitude to battle, he became an absolute lynchpin in the Squadron. His loss was, I know, felt most deeply at a time when we all tried to shrug off such things for obvious reasons.’
‘The Few’ is a 105,000 word day-by-day, blow-by-blow account of the Battle of Britain, featuring the most up-to-date research into both personalities and incidents. Most importantly, the work draws upon the memories of over 100 survivors – most of which have sadly died since Dilip recorded these wonderful accounts. For that reason alone there will never again be another book like this – no other author has interviewed as many survivors as Dilip Sarkar, so this book represents the pinnacle of his achievement.
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| Missing pilot: Flying Officer Franek Gruszka, a Polish pilot with 65 Squadron reported missing on August 18th 1940 – and later the subject of controversy between the authorities and aviation archaeologists when his crash site was located at Grove Marshes, Wickhambreaux, near Canterbury |
The Battle of Britain was not just fought by Hurricanes and Spitfires, but by Defiants and Blenheims too. The happy groom is Pilot Officer Philip Ensor DFC, a Blenheim night-fighter pilot of Wittering’s 23 Squadron. Just 10 days after the wedding Mrs Ensor was a widow, her husband having been killed in action on September 8th 1941. |
Pilot Officer Dudley Stewart-Clark, an Old Etonian and Volunteer Reservist who flew Spitfires with 603 Squadron. On September 3rd 1940 he was shot down by Hauptmann Erich Bode, Kommodore of II/JG 26, but baled out safely. Sadly he was killed in action the following year. |
‘The Few’ also features 126 photographs. The majority are veterans’ personal snapshots now in Dilip’s important collection, this further emphasising the refreshing originality of this work.
| The following survivors’ accounts are featured in ‘The Few’: |
Squadron Leader DA Adams
Wing Commander HR Allen DFC
Flight Lieutenant MJ Appleby
Flight Lieutenant LG Batt
Wing Commander RP Beamont CBE DSO DFC
Squadron Leader R Beardsley DFC
Squadron Leader V Bergman DFC
Squadron Leader CN Birch AFC
Group Captain JD Bisdee OBE DFC
Wing Commander F Blackadder DSO OBE
Wing Commander GDM Blackwood
Wing Commander RJE Boulding
Wing Commander FN Brinsden
Air Commodore PM Brothers DSO DFC
Flight Lieutenant BM Bush DFC
Squadron Leader LH Casson AFC
Flight Lieutenant AR Covington
Air Commodore JB Coward AFC
Wing Commander DGSR Cox DFC
Air Marshal Sir Denis Crowley-Milling CBE KCB DSO DFC
Flight Lieutenant W Cunningham DFC
Air Vice-Marshal R Deacon-Elliott CB OBE DFC
Group Captain GL Denholm DFC
Group Captain PK Devitt
Wing Commander RFT Doe DSO DFC
Air Commodore EM Donaldson CB CBE DSO
Group Captain Sir Hugh SL Dundas CBE DSO DFC DL
Group Captain GR Edge DFC OBE
Wing Commander JFD Elkington
Air Commodore HA Fenton CBE DSO DFC
Warrant Officer PH Fox
Group Captain D Gillam DSO DFC DL
Squadron Leader ED Glaser DFC
Group Captain E Graham
Flight Lieutenant JPB Greenwood
Flight Lieutenant RMD Hall DFC
Wing Commander NPW Hancock DFC OBE
Wing Commander FW Higginson OBE DFC DFM
Group Captain JH Hill CBE
Air Vice-Marshal HAV Hogan CB DFC
Squadron Leader JI Hutchinson
Wing Commander BJ Jennings AFC DFM
Air Vice-Marshal JE Johnson CBE DSO DFC DL
Flight Lieutenant RB Johnson
Flight Lieutenant RL Jones
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Flight Lieutenant K Lawrence DFC
Squadron Leader KNT Lee DFC
Group Captain DSW MacDonald DSO DFC
Group Captain GAL Manton DSO DFC
Warrant Officer AL Markiewicz
Squadron Leader LA Martel VM
Air Commodore EW Mermagen CB CBE AFC
Flight Lieutenant DH Nichols
Flight Lieutenant RG Nutter DFC
Squadron Leader AK Ogilvie DFC
Wing Commander P Olver DFC
Mr JK Quill OBE AFC FRAeS
Flight Lieutenant TG Pickering
Group Captain HM Pinfold
Squadron Leader GR Pushman DFC
Flight Lieutenant NHD Ramsay DFC
Air Vice-Marshal FDS Scott-Malden CB DSO DFC
Squadron Leader BG Stapleton DFC
Flight Lieutenant G Stevens
Wing Commander Sir Kenneth Stoddart KCVO KStJ JP LLD
Squadron Leader J Stokoe DFC
Wing Commander GL Sinclair DFC
Wing Commander RS Tuck DSO DFC
Wing Commander HM Stephens DSO DFC
Wing Commander JA Thomson
Group Captain PT Townsend CVO DSO DFC
Wing Commander GC Unwin DSO DFM
Flight Lieutenant WLB Walker
Flight Lieutenant KA Wilkinson
Flight Lieutenant GHE Welford
Squadron Leader GHA Wellum DFC
Air Commodore EM Wootten CBE DFC AFC
Group Captain AR Wright DFC
Support Staff:
Mr W Ellams
Mr G Gwillam
Mr R Johnson
Mr W Kirk
Mr J Milne
Mr R Morris
Mrs J Nielsen (nee Pepper)
Flight Lieutenant HE Morton
Mr F Roberts |
| Bibliographic Information |
| ISBN: |
978-1-84868-215-3 |
| Foreword: |
Lady Bader OBE |
| Binding: |
Hardback |
| Extent: |
314 |
| Size: |
248 x 172mm |
| Illustrations: |
126 black and white photographs, two diagrams |
| Publisher: |
Amberley Publishing PLC |
| Price: |
£20.00 |
SIGNED COPIES
Please contact us to purchase signed copies of The Few and Dilip's other new and forthcoming books.
