Busybird Publishing | The Battle of Britain

Reviewed by Kevin Futter

There have been many books written about The Battle of Britain in the decades since those fateful months in 1940, but this latest publication from Australian author Peter Roberts takes a different approach. Entitled The Battle of Britain: Aircrew from Australia, their Aircraft and a Modeller's Guide, it eschews the usual blow-by-blow narrative account of the events as they unfolded, in favour of a series of biographies that focuses on the Australian air crew who participated.

There are 36 air crew biographies across the book's 260 pages, organised in alphabetical order by last name. The opening chapters, however, give an overview of the battle itself, along with a detailed look at the aircraft types operated by Australian air crew during The Battle of Britain. The chapter breakdown is as follows:

The aircraft chapters are supported with diagrams and colour profiles by Daniel Roberts, while the biographies feature colour profiles by renowned aviation illustrator Juanita Franzi. These have been especially commissioned for the book, and are universally excellent.

The heart of the book, however, is the collection of air crew biographies that so distinguishes it from most other titles that cover The Battle of Britain (or indeed, any famous military campaign). This is a uniquely personal approach to this important historical period, reminding us that inside every aircraft that fascinates we enthusiasts to this day, was a young man fighting for his very life. Many of the stories are tragic, but for those who survived the battle, the book follows their story to the end, so that you're not left wondering what became of them. I appreciated this more than I expected to.

What struck me most, however, was just how many of these young men lost their lives within weeks of either getting married, or the birth of their first child. And while the sense of tragedy is palpable, the text manages to avoid becoming morose, or offering any value judgements.

Each biographical chapter closes with a section that details the specific aircraft that the subject flew or crewed on, including known camouflage and markings, and subsequent service history—again, supported by excellent illustrations from Juanita Franzi.

The closing chapter of the book, "The Battle of Britain today", provides an insight into the various museums and memorials that exist to commemorate those momentous events in the skies over England, including extant aircraft displays and restorations.

The book itself is well-written in an accessible style, and is impeccably researched. Supporting period photos are presented where appropriate or available, but they are understandably not the focus of the book.

Conclusion

It's fair to say that Peter Roberts has achieved something special with this book. Its uniquely personal approach will appeal to armchair historians and anyone interested in the personal stories of military combatants. They're rendered with respect, but without any hagiography or unnecessary sense of derring-do.

For the modeller and aircraft enthusiast, this book offers some impeccably researched and documented airframe histories that should serve as inspiration for many a future modelling project. Being able to associate the aircraft you're representing with the personal story of its pilot adds a special poignancy to any project.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book to aircraft modellers, aviation enthusiasts, and armchair historians alike.

Many thanks to Peter Roberts for the review copy.

© Kevin Futter 2024

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This review was published on Sunday, December 15 2024; Last modified on Sunday, December 15 2024