A Daring Dream Takes Flight: The Story of Amy Johnson While the exact spark that ignited Amy Johnson‘s passion for aviation remains unclear, the context of her time offers some possibilities. The early 1900s witnessed a surge in fascination with flight. Pioneering feats like Louis Blériot’s crossing of the English Channel and Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic […]
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Few people can have crammed more into a life time of service than Ulric Cross and whilst this site is dedicated to all matters 1940s, this gentleman’s story spans a far greater timeline than that and as a result of his overall achievements, we have included a potted life history. Philip Louis Ulric Cross was
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From Instructor to Bomber Ace: The Rise of Arthur Gill, RAF Dive Bomber Pilot While British RAF personnel are more renowned for their fighter pilot or bomber crew roles, Wing Commander Arthur Gill defied expectations. He became arguably Britain’s best dive bomber pilot of WWII, though his achievements remain largely unknown. Early Life and Wartime
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The Lancaster bombers of 61 Squadron thundered down the runway into the gathering gloom on yet another one of their relentless crusades and the early Autumn air was alive with the mix of mown fields and aviation exhaust fumes. That year had been quite a warm one in England and drier than average conditions in
When your luck runs out…the sad tale of Sgt Harry Broadhead Read More »
On a warm spring morning in April 1943, a sardine fisherman spotted the corpse of a British soldier floating in the sea off the coast of Spain and set in train a course of events that would change the course of the Second World War. Operation Mincemeat was the most successful wartime deception ever attempted,
The man who never was – Operation Mincemeat Read More »
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a design team headed by James Kindelberger of North American Aviation (NAA) in response to a requirement of the British Purchasing Commission. The Purchasing Commission approached North American Aviation to build Curtiss P-40 fighters under license
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The “Flying Fortress” Takes to the Skies: Origins of the B-17 The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, a name that resonated with both awe and fear during the Second World War, was a pivotal US heavy bomber that played a crucial role in the Allied strategic bombing campaign against Nazi Germany. Its very inception was a
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Pearl Harbor – A Look at the Road to War “Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan” This pivotal date, forever etched in American history by President Franklin D.
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After Germany invaded the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, the Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin, demanded help and Britain and its allies provided supplies. The most direct route was by sea, around northern Norway to the Soviet ports of Murmansk and Archangel. The first convoy sailed in September 1941. The convoys were coded depending on their route –
The “PQ” Convoys – Hell in the Arctic! Read More »
Alton “Glenn” Miller (March 1, 1904 – disappeared December 15, 1944) was an American big-band trombonist, arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was the best-selling recording artist from 1939 to 1942, leading one of the best-known big bands. Miller’s recordings include “In the Mood”, “Moonlight Serenade”, “Pennsylvania 6-5000”, “Chattanooga Choo Choo”, “A
Big Band Legend: Glenn Miller’s Disappearance Read More »
