In the next few chapters Gibson recounts his time on the Hampden medium-bomber with nerve jangling, fatigue ridden, accounts of flying deep into enemy territory. In Chapter 10 Gibson crosses to the other side and joins 29 Squadron, a night-fighter unit equipped with the Bristol Beaufighter. Not sure what was distracting me on my first listen but now I realize that Gibson provides an engaging month by month, hands-on view of how Britain's bomber war changed over the course of the war.

Guy Gibson led a critical raid against three dams in the Ruhr Valley - his squadron is still known as the Dam Busters. in the age of the dictators and the appeasers, joining the RAP pre-war when it was the best flying club in the world. The ending of the book was a record of the Dam buster Mission, but at the end of the book I was left hanging.

It certainly goes some way to capturing both the transformation of Bomber Command throughout the war, as well as the experiences and mood of those who fought for it. Gibson’s account of air fighting in WW2 is authentic and fascinating, especially his account of the preparation and execution of the Dams raid. He wrote for advice to Vickers, receiving a reply from their Chief Test Pilot, Captain Joseph " Mutt " Summers ( 1904 - 1954 ), who wrote that the young man should first learn to fly by joining the R.

If you are looking for a firsthand account of life in the RAF during the Second World War including the inter-service rivalry and animosity (the RAF accidentally attacked Royal Navy vessels and vice versa, and the army were resentful of the lack of air support during the Dunkirk evacuation; a criticism not entirely justified) then you could do a lot worse than read this. If their destruction or paralysis can be accomplished THEY OFFER A MEANS OF RENDERING THE ENEMY UTTERLY INCAPABLE OF CONTINUING TO PROSECUTE THE WAR. This is the story of a British bomber pilot from the immediate pre war period and culminates in the destruction of the Ruhr Valley damns. Here each bomber has to negotiate the dam's immediate terrain and defenses (if any -- recon missions might have revealed that some dams are undefended, making them prime targets, but if security has been compromised the player may discover that the Germans have added defenses). The events described therein are testament to the abilities and courage of someone quite rightly held up as one of the finest leader of men in wartime.The Target Maps are intended to portray (and analyze) four key elements in a bomber’s attack: altitude, speed, distance from the dam, and the angle of approach to the face of the dam’s wall. There is a small mark on the spine, 2 corners are bumped, there is a dink on the bottom edge of the front board and a name on the front end paper. Squadron, which he led in the "Dam Busters" raid in 1943, resulting in the breaching of two large dams in the Ruhr area of Germany] With a Foreword by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris | Introduction by Chaz Bowyer. There’s absolutely no obligation and you have nothing to lose by asking – that elusive piece may be closer than you think!

when at the forefront of the battle, back in England he was hero-worshipped by many, respected, loved, feared and cordially disliked by others. Due to the secrecy surrounding the weapon, Gibson uses a lot of pseudonyms to thinly disguise names and code words. I enjoyed this book, as it gives an insight into a man who was not super human, but just a man in an unimaginable time of war and uncertainty.It’s not the most professionally written biography but you know as you read it that Gibson wrote every word himself and he glosses over nothing. The concussion would crack the structure, and the water’s mass held back by the dam would push open the crack, creating a breach in the wall. That, sadly, was also the age at which he perished, in a Mosquito over Holland on a raid he should never have been on. I really appreciate the time that narrators put into doing their work for us and this one seemed engaged and professional.

A Trustee of both this Association and the Barnes Wallis Memorial Trust, he has contributed to numerous publications and documentaries. Gibson in his own words is not the marionette others have made him out to be NOR the firm jawed hero as portrayed by Richard Todd in the film but a far more complex and thoughtful character.He completed a total of 99 operational sorties, during which he was credited with 4 confirmed kills ( although one was qualified as " unconfirmed " ), was promoted to Acting Squadron Leader ( A/S/Ldr, June 1941 ) and was awarded a Bar to his D. The book's underlying theme of boozy revelry continues, and one occasion the author ends up in front of a magistrate.