This series is the definitive source of information about the aerial war over and around the Mediterranean Sea throughout WWII. Tactics, aircraft and operations - it's all there in enormous detail. 

Volume One: North Africa, June 1940 - January 1942
The first volume of this series deals with the initial 19 months of the air war over the Western Desert of North Africa.

Volume Two: North African Desert, February 1942 – March 1943
Picks up the story as the 8th Army, following its hard-fought success in Operation Crusader, was forced back to the Gazala area, roughly mid-way between the Cyrenaican/Tripolitanian border of Libya and the frontier with Egypt.

Volume Three: Tunisia and the end in Africa, November 1942 – May 1943
The third volume in this series returns to November 1942 to explain the background to the first major Anglo-American venture – Operation Torch, the invasion of French North Africa. It deals with the fratricidal combats which followed the initial landings in Morocco and Algeria for several days. It then considers the efforts made – unsuccessfully in the event – to reach northern Tunisia before the Germans and Italians could get there to forestall the possibility of an attack from the west on the rear of the Afrika Korps forces, then beginning their retreat from El Alamein.

Volume Four: Sicily and Italy to the fall of Rome 14 May, 1943 – 5 June, 1944
The fourth volume in this momentous series commences with the attacks on the Italian island fortress of Pantellaria which led to its surrender and occupation achieved almost by air attack alone. The account continues with the ultimately successful, but at times very hard fought, invasions of Sicily and southern Italy as burgeoning Allied air power, now with full US involvement, increasingly dominated the skies. The successive occupations of Sardinia and Corsica are also covered in detail.

Volume Five: From the fall of Rome to the end of the war 1944-1945
During the final year of World War II, the defending Axis forces were steadily driven from southern skies by burgeoning Anglo-American power. This was despite the steady withdrawal of units to more demanding areas. In this fifth volume of the series the activities of the Allied tactical air forces in support of the armies on the ground – as their opponents were steadily extracted from northern Italy and the Balkans for the final defence of the central European homeland – are described in detail. The book commences with coverage of the final fierce air-sea battles over the Aegean which preceded the advance northwards to Rome and the ill-conceived British attempt to secure the Dodecanese islands following the armistice with Italy

 

Praise for previous editions

‘The start of a long-awaited, comprehensive and definitive set of books.’ Flypast

‘It is a valuable addition for the libraries of those with a serious interest in wartime military aviation.’ Air-Britain Aeromilitaria

‘A monumental book. This is only the first volume of the Mediterranean Air War and when the series is completed it will constitute the most complete record of this theatre of war to have been compiled. It is unlikely to be surpassed.’ Britain at War

‘Given the excellence of the History of the Mediterranean Air War series, and volume three in particular, readers should be clamouring for the next instalment. Highly recommended and quite likely to be nominated as one of the best new books of the year.’ Stone & Stone

N.B. There may be a short delay in supplying these excellent books.

When Argentinian forces invaded the Falklands in April 1982, the British government responded by despatching a task force to the Atlantic to wrest back control of the islands. The resulting war saw modern weapon systems tested in combat for the first time, to tragic effect. In the aftermath, official documents were released, but many were heavily censored, and others withheld altogether, so that a full understanding of those events could not be gained. Drawing from recently declassified and previously unpublished reports from the official inquiry, Dr Paul Brown details the true story behind the dramatic events that led to the loss of six British ships – HMS Antelope, Ardent, Coventry and Sheffield, RFA Sir Galahad and SS Atlantic Conveyor – as well as the controversial sinking of the Argentinian cruiser ARA General Belgrano by HMS Conqueror.

Paperback

The moving story of youths turning to young men as they fight a well equipped and determined enemy with outmoded equipment and often in appalling conditions. Perhaps lacking the glamour of flying from the great carriers, those who flew from MAC ships (merchant ships converted to carry aircraft) nonetheless made a huge contribution to winning the Battle of the Atlantic.

Sub Lt Stanley Brand pranged W5856, the world's oldest flying Fairey Swordfish, in 1944 due to an engine failure on take off. We're happy to report that W5856 currently resides in our hangar and is a very popular addition at air displays around the UK.

Paperback.

From the television footage shown in all its stark reality and the daily coverage and subsequent memoirs, the impression delivered from the air battles in the Falklands Conflict was that of heroic Argentine pilots who relentlessly pressed home their attacks against the British. While, by contrast, there is a counter-narrative that portrayed the Sea Harrier force as being utterly dominant over its Argentine enemies. But what was the reality of the air war over the Falkland Islands?

While books on the air operations have published since that time, they have, in the main, been personal accounts, re-told by those who were there, fighting at a tactical level, or back in their nation’s capital running the strategic implications of the outcome. But a detailed analysis of the operational level of the air war has not been undertaken – until now. At the same time, some analysts have inferred that this Cold War sideshow offers little insight into lessons for the operating environment of future conflicts. As the author demonstrates in this book, there are lessons from 1982 that do have important and continued relevance today.

Using recently released primary source material, the author, a serving RAF officer who spent two-and-a-half years in the Falklands as an air defence navigator, has taken an impartial look at the air campaign at the operational level. This has enabled him to develop a considered view of what should have occurred, comparing it with what actually happened. In so doing, John Shields has produced a comprehensive account of the air campaign that has demolished many of the enduring myths.

This is the story of not why, but how the air war was fought over the skies of the South Atlantic.

Imprint: Air World
Pages: 384
Illustrations: 16 black and white illustrations
ISBN: 9781399007528
Published: 30th October 2021

... From the First World War to the Present Day

Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare unlocks the history and theory behind the shadowy art of how aircraft hunt for submarines. Written by a veteran US Navy submarine hunting pilot, this book will take aviators, naval enthusiasts, and military scholars behind the scenes to understand how technical breakthroughs, the evolution of weapons, and advances in sensors have shaped this high-risk game of cat and mouse. On 15 September 1916, the French submarine Foucault was spotted and attacked by a pair of Austro-Hungarian flying boats in the Adriatic. During the bombing that followed, Foucault was so badly damaged that she was eventually abandoned by her crew – all of whom survived. This was the first time in history that a submarine had been sunk by an aircraft. It was an engagement which set in motion a constantly evolving aspect of underwater warfare. In this book, Michael Glynn explores a journey through the history of more than 100 years of aerial sub hunting. From the Great War, through the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War and on to the secret confrontations of the Cold War, the reader will witness the parallel evolution of both aircraft and submarine as each side tries to gain supremacy over the other. In so doing, he distils complicated oceanography, operations analysis, and technical theory into easily digested concepts, helping the reader understand how complex weapons and sensors function. By reviewing the steps of a submarine hunting flight, the reader can quickly understand how theory and practice fit together and how aviators set out to achieve their goal of detecting their submarine targets. Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare is a thrilling read for those seeking a glimpse into an arcane and high-stakes world.

• Publisher: ‎  Frontline Books (30 Mar. 2022)
• Language‏:  ‎English
• Hardcover‏: ‎345 pages
• ISBN: ‎         9781399092739

In 1913, Frank Barnwell designed the Bristol Scout, which was the fastest and most manoeuvrable warplane for the first eighteen months of the First World War, and became the prototype single-seat fighter from which all later fighters were derived. As a result Barnwell became one of the seminal figures in the development of aircraft design. In 1916, Flt Sub Lt F. D. H. Bremner RNAS flew Bristol Scouts for No. 2 Wing in the eastern Mediterranean. In 1983, his grandson David discovered three aircraft parts from Scout no. 1264 in his late grandfather's workshop and twenty years later he, together with his friend Theo Willford, researched the possibility of rebuilding her from these three parts. This book interweaves the previously unpublished early life of Barnwell and his brother Harold, the operational and technical history of his creation the Bristol Scout, Bremner's flying career, and the challenges faced by Theo together with David and his brother Rick in recreating 1264 and getting her back in the air. Neither Frank Barnwell nor the Bristol Scout have received the acclaim due to them in the history of military aviation and this lavishly illustrated book attempts to put the record straight.

Publisher: Grub Street Publishing 
ISBN: 9781911621072 
Number of pages: 224 
Dimensions: 234 x 153mm
Published: 23 August 2013

Buccaneer Boys 2: More True Tales by Those Who Flew the 'Last All-British Bomber' - Hardback

Following the critically acclaimed publication eight years ago of Buccaneer Boys, long-serving Buccaneer navigator Air Commodore Graham Pitchfork has now followed up the great success of the book with more true tales from those who flew the last all-British bomber. Thirty 'Buccaneer Boys', drawn from the Fleet Air Arm, the Royal Air Force and the South African Air Force, outline their experiences in the maritime role, operations overland, including the first Gulf War, and operations by the South Africans in the Border Wars. In addition to the aircrew, air engineer officers and ground crew have also contributed. The reader is left in no doubt that the 'Buccaneer Boys' knew how to work hard and play hard. The skill, professionalism and excitement of operating and servicing this iconic British aircraft shines throughout every page. This book is lavishly illustrated with 100 black and white photographs and two-colour plate sections of 40 photographs, many never previously published.

Publisher: Grub Street Publishing 
ISBN: 9781911667186
Number of pages: 224
Dimensions: 156 x 234mm
Published: 30 July 2021

Author's biography:

Air Commodore Graham Pitchfork spent 36 years in the RAF, as a navigator. He was director of Air Warfare and, before retiring in 1995, was a director of Military Intelligence at the MoD. Now living in Gloucestershire, Graham is the author of several aviation books, including Buccaneer Boys and Beaufighter Boys (Grub Street). In 2012 Graham received both the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators Award for Aviation Journalism and the Air Power Association Award of the CP Robertson Memorial Trophy for his services to aviation writing. He has written over 600 Air Force obituaries for the Daily Telegraph in the last 16 years.

Eric Brown: A Pilot's Story (DVD) - Britain's Greatest Aviator in His Own Words

The title says it all. The story of the world's greatest test pilot. An 80-minute DVD is barely able to do justice to the fascinating story of a man who had an extraordinary life. Winkle contributed so much to the development of aviation in general, and naval aviation in particular, in the 20th century. He holds numerous 'firsts', is credited with over 2,400 carrier landings (no one else has come close) and his record of 487 different types of aircraft flown will never be broken.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, we’d like to introduce you to ex-matelot, now author, Paul White.

Paul White walked through the gates of HMS Raleigh in 1973 and never looked back.

During a long career, including time on HMS Tiger where he came to know the Sea King and Lynx pilots and crews of 826 NAS (and their passion for eggy bacon butty's when night flying), Paul became imbued with the traditions of the Royal Navy. Who better to write books about the food, tales and vernacular of the Senior Service?

He now lives on the outskirts of a quiet Yorkshire market town but is often away traveling - the wanderlust he acquired in the Royal Navy never left him.

Apart from his fictional books, Paul's focus is on recording Royal Naval social history, capturing the true and honest essence of naval life told by those who lived it.

The result is a collection of books Paul refers to as his 'Blue Books', including 'The Pussers Cook Book', 'Jack's Dits' and 'The Andrew, Jack & Jenny' and 'When I was on the Massive'.

 Now, let Paul introduce you to his books

 When I was on the Massive

When I was on the Massive highlights the collective customary witticism prevalent throughout the Royal Navy.

This book does not solely contain ‘Massive’ jokes, but includes the whole spectrum of Jack's humour, Jokes, Dits, Ditties and Shaggy Dogs, oddities of Royal Naval life, along with the expected boastful entries, known colloquially as 'Black Catting'.

There is an adage which states, 'That many a true word hath been spoke in jest', and this is true of 'When I was on the Massive', where honest and accurate historical attitudes of our society during such times are recorded within the mirth and merriment of this book.

The content is often bawdy, ribald, and rude but always full of ‘Jack’s Humour.

Enjoy.

THE PUSSERS COOKBOOK (revised and updated)

The Pussers Cook Book contains many of the most popular and loved traditional dishes served in the Royal Navy’s Galleys from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s.

Some of these dishes are still being served on the ships and shore bases of today's modern navy, although some have been slightly altered and others given, let's say, more politically correct names.

Woven between the recipes in this book are true facts and tidbits about the food, the cooks and general life aboard ship.

Along with the recipes, this book aims to preserve a segment of British history, Royal Navy social history, which is fading all too quickly and would otherwise be lost in the grey sea-mists of oblivion.

 THE ANDREW, JACK & JENNY

Unlike the civilian nicknames we get labelled with, those our classmates called us at school, the names various work colleagues may apply to us from time to time or the ones our siblings find amusing, a military nickname has greater significance, it holds a value only fully comprehended by our contemporaries.

Arguably, the Royal Navy has the most entrenched tradition among the services for bestowing nicknames, names not only for each sailor but for places, equipment and actions.

This book, The Andrew, Jack & Jenny, focuses primarily on the names given to each skin and essence the moment they became a matelot.

Royal Naval nicknames are not chosen by the recipient, they are bestowed, irrevocably, by custom and tradition. Yet, each sailor soon becomes attached to their 'new' name, which grows into a large part of their identity, even influencing their character. It soon becomes the name which is spoken with pride in answer to the question "Who are you?"

JACKS DITS

With hundreds of men, tons of military paraphernalia, complicated machinery, technological equipment, weaponry, stores and various other forms of kit, you can be assured not every day in the Royal Navy was straightforward and undemanding.

Equipment failed. People made mistakes. Accidents and mishaps occurred. Personalities and characters clashed.

Add to this mix the activities of matelots on a 'run ashore' in far-flung, unsavoury and questionable seaports. Include beer, spirits, wine, women and song into the equation and the resulting concoction is a wonderful hothouse for the creation of imaginative narrative.

The goings-on of Sailors, both aboard and ashore, created astonishing accounts of events to be told at stand easy or after a watch; when the exaggerated telling's of the day's happenings or those of last night's run ashore, would be shared in the mess squares of Royal Navy ships and shore bases throughout the world.

This book is not one which simply and only harks back in nostalgic fashion to the past, Jack's Dit's is an authentic validation, a historical record of Royal Naval Social History; one told by the voices of those who served, those who were there. It is a true and genuine recording of life during the Royal Navy's heydays, the late 1950s through to the earlier part of the 1980s.

One I was proud to be part of.

Jack's Dits 2 – More Tales from the Mess, continues spinning humorous yarns, fables, anecdotes and jokes which originate in the mess squares and on the decks of Royal Navy ships.
Continuing from the original 'Jacks Dit's – Tall tales from the Mess Deck', Jacks Dit's 2 mixes more dit's and more hilarious jokes, interspersed with a further flurry of ditty's, quotes and oddities which will entertain and amuse, along with evoking fond memories.
It is, in a large part, the sharing of such humour between the men who served which made the Royal Navy the best navy in the world. 

 

 

...A History of Rotary-Wing Airborne Early Warning/ Airborne Surveillance and Control in the Royal Navy 1982-2022

A specially commissioned, limited edition hardback book published to coincide with the 40^th anniversary of Project LAST. 

Eyes of the Fleet tells the story of rotary-wing AEW/ASaC in the Royal Navy over four decades. Starting with the hurried conversion of two Sea King AEW helicopters for service in the South Atlantic, this beautifully illustrated volume charts the operational career of the subsequent AEW Mk 2 and ASaC Mk 7 variants through to the final retirement of the ‘Bag’ in September 2018. It goes on to detail the development of the new Merlin Crowsnest capability.

Our thanks to Leonardo Helicopters. Lockheed Martin and Thales for their support.

Few aircraft encompass as many contradictions as the Fairey Swordfish.

The legendary 'Stringbag' naval torpedo bomber was approaching antiquation at the start of the war yet struck mortal blows against some of the most powerful battleships in the Axis fleets. Naval Aviation historian Matthew Willis explores how modern technology such as radar kept the Swordfish effective in the early years of the war and enabled it to find and hit the Italian fleet at Taranto, and the Bismarck in the Atlantic, in circumstances where no other aircraft could have succeeded.

When it was finally superseded in its main role with the Fleet, the Swordfish fulfilled vital roles protecting convoys from the U-boat menace. The story of the Swordfish's service across the majority of theaters in WW2, from the hunt for the Graf Spee to the beaches of Normandy, is told here with never-before-published accounts from veteran aircrews. Includes 100+ historic photographs and unique images of the Royal Navy Historic Flight's preserved aircraft.

• Format Paperback: 116 pages
• Dimensions: 184 x 248mm
• Publication date 31 Aug 2022
• ISBN: 9781911658498

Steve Bond is back with the final volume in this popular series. Unlike his previous three tomes, with their focus on air/rotorcraft, this book is uniquely dedicated to the personnel of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) themselves. Each chapter will concentrate on the memories of contributors who served in a range of roles, including those below the flight deck. Accounts will focus on the everyday life upon an aircraft carrier as well as the extraordinary challenges faced during operations. There is a fascinating chapter covering exchange services with the RAF and other navies including the French and US; and also insight into the Indian navy’s experience with the Sea Hawk and Sea Harrier.

Within the previous volumes, we met some remarkable characters and there is a chapter devoted to people’s memories of them. The closing section entitled ‘Thoughts’ sees contributors reflect on their FAA career with many deeply moving responses and discourses on the future of the service.

The book is heavily illustrated throughout in colour and black and white with personal photographs from the contributors, artwork and tongue-in-cheek cartoons for which the FAA is famous. Volume Four is the perfect conclusion to the ongoing post-war story of a truly astounding branch of the armed forces.

Signatories.

Pls note that, owing to the nature of the event, we cannot guarantee that all books will be signed by all signatories.

Co-authors Steve and Heather Bond and John Davies (Grubstreet Publishing)

Some recent reviews...

“I have to say this is very much the best, ‘leaving the finest to last’ has a Biblical provenance. The inclusion of many of the ‘non-flyers’ is excellent.” 

William Nicol-Gent 

“As I scanned through the pages, my eye caught sight of Jane Cole-Hamilton's - A Pilot's Wife - and I had to stop and read it. From that alone, your book is a winner with me.” 

Mel Evans 

“Ah, those were the days! A great read."

Mike Turner

“I've enjoyed all the books in the series and I found Vol.4 a particularly thought provoking read. The more action events featured in the earlier books were lapped up by me. I never tire of reading about other flyers experiences and adventures. Interesting, too, to hear the stories from ground crews and maintainers. Vol.4 was more reflective in character and reminded me of a few more sober moments experienced in my eight years in.”

Tony Wilson

 “All four books in Steve Bond's Fleet Air Arm Boys series have been absorbing, filled with the tales of the activities of various areas of naval aviation life, both ashore and when operating from a carrier. This last volume in the series is more concerned with personal reflections of what that life meant to the various individuals involved, particularly poignant were the reflections by those remembering the lives of those lost in flying accidents, and even more so the consideration of the tragic effects on wives, girlfriends and families left behind as a result. A thought promoting consideration of the drives and motivations of those involved in the ever perilous and rarely seen daily working lives of those Fleet Air Arm Boys and Girls who chose this life as a profession. Eminently readable and thoroughly absorbing and enjoyable.”

Tony Wilson on Amazon, rated 5 stars

 “I love Vol.4!! I also suffered a flew flashbacks (all good!)”

Bob Turner

 “I did enjoy reading it and had a few laughs. It was interesting - no doubt. It was a bit of an odd feeling reading about incidents on the Carriers that I do recollect very well, even to this day. Sad at times. I found the article written by Arun Prakash Indian Navy, particularly interesting, more especially his description of the Russian replacement for the Sea Harrier! John Fords ‘In defence of Aircraft Carriers’ was ‘bang on’.”

John Keenan

Wing Commander Bob Crane. Observer.

893 Sqn Sea Vixen HMS Hermes, RAF Phantom, US Navy VF-171 F-4J USS Forrestal, RAF Tornado F.3

 Rear Admiral Tom Cunningham CBE.

Observer. 750 Sqn Sea Prince, 737 Sqn Wessex, 826 Sqn Sea King, 360 Sqn Canberra, 702, 815, 829 Sqns Lynx HMS Amazon, HMS Battleaxe and Gibraltar Flt, Ops Officer HMS Illustrious, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff Air and Carriers

 Leading Wren Beverley McDermott

Radio Operator, Communications Centre Yeovilton

 Leading Airman Richard Dickinson.

Aircraft handler. Portland Wasp and Wessex, HMS Ark Royal, HMS Blake Sea King, 846 Sqn Sea King

 Chief Petty Officer John Keenan.

Aircraft Engineering Artificer. 800 and 809 Sqns Buccaneer, HMS Eagle, Hermes, Victorious, 892 Sqn Phantom HMS Ark Royal.801 Sqn Sea Harrier HMS Invincible, 360 Sqn Canberra

 Petty Officer Terry McDonald.

Radio and radar technician. Hunter, Sea Hawk, Sea Vampire, Sea Venom Lossiemouth. 899 Sqn Sea Vixen HMS Eagle, 848 Sqn Whirlwind HMS Bulwark

 Lieutenant Commander Andrew Murray AFC. Pilot.

705 Sqn Gazelle, 706, 771, 820, 814, 820, 849 Sqns Sea King. 857 Sqn Sea King Afghanistan.. Gulf War 2. HMS Ark Royal, Illustrious, Invincible. 824 Sqn Merlin. Flew last Sea King to HMS Sultan 2018. Deputy Command Flight Safety Officer

 Commander Mike Norman OBE AFC.

Aircraft Artificer, 728 Sqn Meteor, 750 Sqn Sea Venom. Observer. 826 Sqn Wessex 3, Wessex 5, Wasp and 814 Sqn Sea King 2. HMS Sheffield XO and 2 i/c, with the ship until it was sunk by an Exocet missile in the Falklands War. Naval and Air Attache in Portugal, Head of Service in Northern Ireland., Head of service in the Falkland Island garrison, Naval Base Cdr in Hong Kong.

 Lieutenant Kim Sharman. Pilot.

899 Sqn Sea Vixen HMS Eagle, ‘C’ Sqn A&AEE Sea Vixen, 750 Sqn Sea Prince

 Lieutenant Commander Digby Stephenson. Observer.

824 Sqn Sea King HMS Ark Royal, 800 Sqn Buccaneer HMS Eagle, 809 Sqn Buccaneer HMS Ark Royal, US Navy VA42 A-6 USS Nimitz, FRADU Hunter

 Leading Wren Catherine Davies van Zoen. Aircraft Mechanic (Airframes and Engines).   

Visiting Aircraft Section Yeovilton, Hunter, Canberra, Buccaneer, Phantom, Sea Prince, Sea Devon, Wasp, Whirlwind, Tiger Moth, Swordfish 

Hardback
ISBN: 9781911667438
Publisher: Grub Street Publishing

N.B. Only sales here contribute to keeping heritage aircraft flying

The RAF's continuing role in the projection of air power in the defence of the United Kingdom and its overseas interests since the end of the Second World War is well known. However, the same cannot always be said about the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA), in part due to the ten-year gap between the retirement of the Harrier and the arrival of the F-35B and the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. Flying high performance aircraft off a carrier demands not only a high level of skill, but also a considerable amount of courage and determination, not least to land back on a very small piece of real estate bobbing about in a rough sea, often at night, with no possibility of diversion. The nature of these operations has meant that the accident rate and aircrew losses were very high - and accepted as part of the job. With the arrival of the Queen Elizabeth and the Prince of Wales, it is time to redress the balance and bring the FAA's extraordinary story to the audience it so richly deserves through the words of those air and ground crews who have been part of it since 1945. What emerges is an amazing close-knit esprit de corps, often accompanied by a long-standing and still simmering rivalry between the RAF and the Royal Navy over who should project air power overseas. Enormous respect is shown by the aviators and ships' senior officers for the aircraft handlers and maintainers, who work long hours in a highly dangerous environment on the flight deck. This first volume looks chronologically at every aircraft type flown in an air defence role since 1945. Involvement in conflicts including Korea, Suez, the Falklands, Bosnia and elsewhere is included, and perforce the cost in human lives, even in everyday operations, frequently emerges. Balancing this are the everyday grind, the good times, the humour, the 'runs ashore' and the sense of pride in a job well done. All delivered in the words of the men themselves.

We also have a number of copies of Volume 1 signed by FAA Aircrew and Engineers.

Lt Cdr Paul Chaplin - Pilot - Sea Vixen and Phantom
Lt Adrian Tuite - Observer - Gannet, Sea Vixen and Phantom
Lt Kim Sharman - Pilot - Sea Vixen
Cdr Tim Gedge AFC- Pilot - Sea Vixen, Phantom, Sea Harrier
Cdre Duncan Reid MBE FRaeS BA RN - Air Engineering Officer, Task Force Chief                                                                                                                  Aircraft Engineer

About the author

Steve Bond has spent nearly 50 years in aviation. He served in the RAF as an aircraft propulsion technician and was part of the Eurofighter Typhoon project team. He later joined City University London where he developed and ran the world’s first MSc Air Safety Management (ASM) programme, lecturing on the subject all over the world. He has a PhD in ASM, is a chartered engineer, and a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Now a full-time author he was recently elected Freeman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots in recognition of his contribution to aviation.

Hardback
ISBN: 9781911621980
Publisher: Grub Street Publishing

N.B. Only sales here contribute to keeping heritage aircraft flying

 ...True Tales From Royal Navy Men and Women Air and Ground Crew

Helicopters have been going to sea with the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm for over 70 years. Initially used for search and rescue (SAR) duties from aircraft carriers, the rapid development of both the helicopters and service experience resulted in them taking on the vital anti-submarine (and later anti-ship) attack roles.

The 1956 Suez campaign saw the first operational use of Whirlwind helicopters for the insertion of troops by air into a battle zone, a capability which was expanded with more helicopters such as the Wessex, Sea King and today’s Merlin. Through their vital role in the 1960s Indonesian Confrontation, the Commando helicopter force became universally referred to as the ‘Junglies’, by which name they are still known today.

It is often said that if either of the 1982 Task Force aircraft carriers had been lost the Falklands War could not have been won. The same would surely have been true without helicopters. Their vital tasks, including inserting Special Forces behind enemy lines, protecting the Task Force from Exocet missile attack and recovering wounded troops whilst under enemy fire, are rightly hailed as being instrumental.  At home, the essential SAR effort by both the Royal Navy and their RAF counterparts has resulted in incredible stories of saving lives against the odds.

Royal Navy destroyers and frigates have also long since benefitted from having their own helicopter Flight aboard. Frequently operating in extremes of weather, flying a Wasp, Lynx or today’s Wildcat from and back to a heaving deck is every bit as risky as flying fixed-wing aircraft off the carriers of old using the cat and trap system.

Once dismissed as a novelty, the helicopter has more than proved itself. Indeed, for ten years until the arrival of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, the Fleet Air Arm’s operational force was entirely rotary-wing. Today’s Merlins and Wildcats, with their dedicated aircrew, maintenance and support staff continue to demonstrate just how vital an asset the helicopter has become.

Here are the words of the men and women themselves, skilfully brought to life by Steve Bond and profusely illustrated in colour and b/w.

About the author:

Steve Bond has spent nearly 50 years in aviation. He served in the RAF as an aircraft propulsion technician and was part of the Eurofighter Typhoon project team. He later joined City University London where he developed and ran the world’s first MSc Air Safety Management (ASM) programme, lecturing on the subject all over the world. He has a PhD in ASM, is a chartered engineer, and a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Now a full-time author he was recently elected Freeman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots in recognition of his contribution to aviation.

Hardback
ISBN: 9781911667278
Publisher: Grub Street Publishing

N.B. Only sales here contribute to keeping heritage aircraft flying

Since the end of World War 2 the primary role of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm has been airborne power projection; the ability rapidly to respond to any trouble spot across the globe and to protect the interests of the United Kingdom and its partner nations. The principal tools in that response were the strike aircraft which took the offensive to the aggressor. Although from 2010 to 2020 fixed-wing carrier aviation was not part of the Fleet Air Arm, with the advent of the navys two new aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, that capability has been restored. This renewed focus has not only seen the return of flying high performance aircraft from a carrier, but also the regeneration of the necessary skills, and courage, needed to cope with the extremes of weather and the nature of air operations in a very high-risk environment. However the lessons of the past have not been forgotten, and so many of those previous experiences are related within these pages true stories of the last 76 years from aircrew, maintainers, aircraft handlers and many other supporting staff both men and women. Following on from the success of volume one, this second volume covers every fixed-wing aircraft type flown from carriers in the strike, anti-submarine warfare and the vital airborne early warning roles; from Scimitars to Hunters, Buccaneers to Skyraider's & many more, plus an extensive fleet of land-based aircraft. As with the first volume, involvement in operations such as Suez, the Beira Patrol, the Falklands, Belize, Bosnia and elsewhere is included. Despite the intensity and all-to-frequent tragedy of operations, the esprit de corps, and the ability to find the necessary release through laughter, shine through. Here are the words of the men and women themselves, profusely illustrated in black and white and colour. 

About the author:

Steve Bond has spent nearly 50 years in aviation. He served in the RAF as an aircraft propulsion technician and was part of the Eurofighter Typhoon project team. He later joined City University London where he developed and ran the world’s first MSc Air Safety Management (ASM) programme, lecturing on the subject all over the world. He has a PhD in ASM, is a chartered engineer, and a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Now a full-time author he was recently elected Freeman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots in recognition of his contribution to aviation.

Hardback
ISBN: 9781911667179
Publisher: Grub Street Publishing

N.B. Only sales here will contribute to keeping heritage aircraft flying

At the outbreak of the Second World War, British naval aviation was in the midst of chaos and confusion. While the design of aircraft carriers had rapidly advanced, there were few naval aviation and maintenance personnel, few naval air stations and no high performance naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm was heavily dependent on RAF personnel, and signing up was complicated, often taking several months. But as the war progressed, the FAA soon became an essential force in the fight for victory its huge success was one of the major achievements of the Second World War. Fleet Air Arm Handbook is the most comprehensive review available of the Royal Navy's air power during the war years. Starting with a brief history, the book progresses with a full war diary of all the major operations in a gripping narrative account. We see the different functions of the Fleet Air Arm to protect the essential supplies brought by merchant ships, and their close support of sea and ground forces, both from carriers at sea and bases ashore. In-depth analysis reveals what life was like in the Fleet Air Arm during the war; the food, accommodation, training, activities, uniform, and the relationship between aircrew and their shipmates aboard the Royal Navy's carriers. Each squadron, wing and carrier air group is listed along with their operations and locations. This is a well-researched tribute to an important force and is essential reading for anyone interested in naval or aviation activity during the Second World War.

During five years of research for the four volumes of the Fleet Air Arm Boys book series, (see below) covering the post-war FAA, former personnel not only contributed a huge quantity of stories but also sent many thousands of photographs, largely taken by themselves, and mostly never previously seen. It soon became clear that what was needed was a stand-alone photograph-heavy book, showing off many of these superb photos to best effect by giving them up to a full page or more with high quality reproduction.

Whereas the ‘Fleet Air Arm Boys’ books are all about fascinating stories supported by photos, here you have fascinating photos supported by some explanation and the occasional short story. The opportunity has also been taken to expand the coverage to cover the whole history from the start of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) before the First World War to today, illustrating the changing equipment and roles of the service.

Coverage is not limited to just a large representative group of aircraft, but also includes many ships and air stations. Most importantly, air and ground crew are highlighted throughout, both at work and at play, and those who lost their lives are suitably remembered.

Flying with the Navy is a once-in-a-lifetime publication and a must-have for all devotees of this truly astounding branch of the armed forces. 

We have just a few remaining copies signed by: 

Dr Steve Bond PhD CEng FRAeS

Rear Admiral Tom Cunningham CBE, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff Aviation and Carriers (also Observer Sea King, Canberra and Lynx()

Commodore Jock Alexander OBE MA FRAeS, Assistant Director, Carrier Strike and Aviation on the Naval Staff. HWI, Sea King pilot 819 ( also CO) and 820 squadrons

Rear Admiral Ian Tibbitt CBE Aviation Engineering. Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Aviation & Carriers). Defence Equipment & Support (Head of Helicopters One).

Jim Norris, AEO 899 and 702, Airworthiness advisor to Merlin and F-35 projects

Alistair McLaren, AWI Sea Harrier 800, 801, 809 and 899

Commodore Bill Covington, Lt 809 Falklands, CO 801, 899 and RNAS Yeovilton, Cdre Joint Force Harrier

Brian Stanley, Air Radio Mechanic, Wasp, Sea King, Buccaneer, Sea Harrier FRS1/FA2, 706, 801, 809, 

Phil Thornton, POAEM9(M), Sea Vixen, Wessex V, Lynx, Sea Harrier, 801, 815, 848 and 893

Format: 220 x 290mm Landscape Hardback.
176 pages, lavishly illustrated with 203 powerful images
ISBN: 9781911714033

 

 

Forgotten Few is a homage to the 57 naval pilots who flew in the Battle of Britain. For 20 years, the Admiralty and the Air Ministry did not recognise the valiant efforts of these young men – now historian Paul Beaver has compiled their biographies and explains the award of the coveted Battle of Britain clasp.

Nine of the Forgotten Few died in combat but five became aces. There is no doubt that they contributed to the ultimate victory, even though they were mostly flying their obsolete Sea Gladiator biplanes and obsolescent Fairey Fulmar. Twenty-three more pilots joined famous RAF Fighter Command squadrons and one achieved local notoriety as Douglas Bader’s wingman in fights over London.

In his endeavour, Paul has been supported by the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, the London Memorial team, the Fly Navy Heritage Trust (Navy Wings), Matthew Willis and Geoff Simpson.

• Publisher : ‎ Paul Beaver (1 Jan. 2019)
• ISBN: ‎9780993554537

Only finally recognised in 2012 with the Arctic Star Medal, this was one of the hardest campaigns in military history. Almost unimaginable hardship, risk and sacrifice. This is the story of the convoys that helped to keep Russia supplied with munitions.

'Drawing on hundreds of oral histories from eyewitnesses and veterans of the convoys, plus original research into the Russian Naval Archives at Murmansk, Walling offers a fresh retelling of one of World War II's pivotal yet largely overlooked campaigns.'

Paperback.

Geoffrey Higgs' 30 years career as a naval pilot was inspired by the spectacle of Alan Cobham's Flying Circus. Front line service embarked on aircraft carriers was followed by qualification as an instructor, selection for the Empire Test Pilots School and then qualification as an experimental test pilot. Geoffrey flew nearly 100 different types of aircraft and completed close to 1000 deck landings. A fascinating career that contributed to the development of such aircraft as the EE Lightning and Concorde and included being the first person to fly a Royal Naval aircraft across the Atlantic without in-flight refuelling or navigational aids.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pen & Sword Aviation; First Edition (30 Jun. 2010)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
• ISBN‏ : ‎ 9781848842625
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16.26 x 3.3 x 23.37 cm

Paul Tremelling was just seven years old when he watched the Royal Navy's Sea Harriers leave their home base in Somerset to do battle against the Argentine Air Force in the Falklands War. Two decades later he would join this exclusive club, one of an elite band of Fleet Air Arm fighter pilots, charged with standing in the way of Her Majesty's enemies.

This is the story of what it takes to make it in the dog-eat-dog arena of fighter combat. In the cockpit or crew room, the pressure is relentless, the humour merciless. It's no place for the faint-hearted.

Whether landing on a pitching aircraft carrier deck in the middle of the night or screaming in to save the lives of heroes under fire in Afghanistan, there was no room for self-doubt; only honesty, confidence and do-or-die hard truth. Big Boys Rules.

In return Tremelling and his fellow airborne warriors enjoyed levels of exhilaration and job-satisfaction that would almost unimaginable in any other walk of life.

Either Winston Churchill or George Orwell (or maybe neither of them ...) is reputed to have said 'we sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm'.

For nearly twenty years, Tremelling was one of those men. And never happier than when he was in the cockpit of the legendary British jump jet.

Combining visceral action with sharp intelligence, laced with acerbic humour, Harrier pulls no punches in bringing to life the hi-octane, unforgiving world of the fighter pilot, in the air and on the ground.

Strap-in ...

About the author:-

Paul Tremelling joined the Royal Navy in 1996 & flew the Sea Harrier on 800,801 & 899 Naval Air Squadrons. Qualifying as an Air Warfare Instructor he transitioned to the GR9 & served on the Naval Strike Wing where he became Senior Pilot. Selected for exchange duties with the USN Tremelling flew F/A-18E Super Hornet with VFA-25, The Fist of The Fleet. He fitted in three desk tours, two Battle Staff jobs and operational duties in Afghanistan and off Libya. He was Mentioned in Despatches following an action fought in Afghanistan.

• Published: 27/04/2023
• ISBN: 9781405951937
• Length: 368 pages
• Dimensions: 198mm x 23mm x 129mm

The high-octane memoir of one of the UK's greatest fighter pilots of the modern era.

Commander Nathan Gray - an elite test pilot serving in the Fleet Air Arm's is currently the UK's top test pilot. He has completed 140 combat missions and is one of the most decorated British military aviators currently flying today - our country's very own Maverick. Hazard Spectrum is the story of his service flying in some of the world's harshest combat zones, flying the deadliest planes technology has so far created and coming out the other end in one piece. With almost two decades of combat experience, Nathan rose to public fame as millions of television viewers tuned in to the BBC series 'Britain's Biggest Warship'. We watched in awe as he trained for, and completed, the first take-off and landing of the world's current best fighter aircraft, the F35, on the flight deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth. Hazard Spectrum details how his career led to that point - his graduation from student to teacher, from the iconic Sea Harrier - flying ops in Helmand Province and going in pursuit of Osama Bin Laden - to the cutting-edge Stealth Fighter of the future, Nathan has left no segment of the hazard spectrum unexplored.

Nathan Gray is an experienced high-risk Test Pilot and Fighter Pilot, flying with the Fleet Air Arm for over two decades, flying various aircraft including the Harrier, F-15, F-16, F-18, and F-35. His stellar career has taken him from the Californian coast of the United States to war zones in the Middle East. Nathan was part of the ground-breaking F-35 development program and conducted the first-ever F-35 launch and recovery on the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers. He has also qualified as a commando green beret, paratrooper, and forward air controller.

The late and much lamented Surgeon Captain Rick Jolly OBE compiled this classic and definitive book during his service as a Royal Marines Doctor. For this, among many other things, we owe him a debt of gratitude.

Illustrated by Tugg

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Osprey Publishing; Illustrated edition (22 Feb. 2018)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 544 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 9781472834133
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.98 x 3.85 x 21.41 cm

In May 1945, with victory in Europe established, the war was all but over. But on the other side of the world, the Allies were still engaged in a bitter struggle to control the Pacific. And it was then that the Japanese unleashed a terrible new form of warfare: the suicide pilots, or Kamikaze.

Drawing on meticulous research and unique personal access to the remaining survivors, Will Iredale follows a group of young men from the moment they joined up through their initial training to the terrifying reality of fighting against pilots who, in the cruel last summer of the war, chose death rather than risk their country's dishonourable defeat and deliberately flew their planes into Allied aircraft carriers. A story of courage, valour and dogged determination, The Kamikaze Hunters is a gripping account of how a few brave young men helped to ensure lasting peace.

Chris Taylor has had a very successful career as a Royal Navy officer, helicopter pilot, test pilot and instructor. His first book, Test Pilot, concentrates on anecdotes and incidents from the most recent phase of his career. His second book, Experimental Test Pilot, is an account of his ten years' service as an experimental test pilot, from 1994 until 2004, at MoD Boscombe Down, the UK's tri-Service home of military aircraft testing and evaluation. Written in the same humorous manner as his previous books, Naval Aviator explains why Chris wanted to become a pilot and how he achieved that through the Royal Navy and Fleet Air Arm. Following the, perhaps misleading, advice of his local careers office, Chris joined the Royal Navy on a University Cadetship which required him to serve initially as a watchkeeping and navigation officer before he could sub-specialise as a Westland Wasp and subsequently a Westland Lynx pilot. This book covers each appointment or ship that Chris served in, and provides a 'no holds barred' account of the many life-threatening and stressful situations he faced, not least working with, and for, some unhelpful if not outright unreasonable colleagues. The operating environment of a small ship's flight is graphically described, including flying in extremely poor weather conditions and high sea states in order to 'get the job done'. His ditching of a Wasp during training and then damaging his helicopter at sea is fully documented. In addition to numerous close calls as an aviator, Chris is unusual in being involved in four major collisions at sea. For one of these collisions he was the officer responsible for conning or 'driving' the ship and, despite his best efforts, his ship rammed a German Frigate in thick fog in the Baltic. Serving on a Hong Kong Patrol boat he had numerous encounters with armed Chinese patrol boats and soldiers; as a Fishery Protection Officer he was attacked with an acetylene blow torch and kidnapped by a French trawler; as a Wasp pilot he almost singlehandedly had to protect the Royal Yacht from the threat of Libyan gunboats; as a Lynx pilot he won the day in numerous major international exercises around the world and served for a month on detachment to a Dutch frigate. All of these accidents, incidents and adventures are fully described set alongside the challenges of trying to maintain a normal domestic life. Naval Aviator accurately captures the ups and downs of life as a Royal Navy Officer and Fleet Air Arm pilot of the Cold War and will be a good read for anyone interested in naval or aviation history. It is also an ideal book for aviators, aspiring aviators, service veterans and anyone who is considering such a career.

Hardcover: ‎320 pages
ISBN: ‎9781399059763

Centuries of operating in a semi-closed and unique society has led the Senior Service to evolve its own language. The enormous scale and longevity of our Royal Navy inevitably led to this language spilling out of military confines and into general parlance. Now there are innumerable phrases in common use everyday where the original meaning and origin are lost to those who use them.

A fascinating book for anyone interested in the either the Royal Navy or the development of our mother tongue. Read it and be amused, surprised and fascinated.

Hardback.

 

 

Brian Allen's career began as a naval Aviation Cadet aboard HMS Indefatigable. Starting on the T22 Vampire he moved through Firefly, Gannet, Avenger (yes, Avenger), Whirlwind and Wasp. During this time, in postings around the globe, he was involved in the U.K.'s atomic bomb testing in Operation Grapple and survived several ditchings and forced landings. This book offers an insight into the very different transitional immediate post war years.

• Publisher  : ‎ Pen & Sword Aviation; 1st Edition (18 Mar. 2010)
• Language ‏: ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏: ‎ 9781848841895
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16.51 x 1.91 x 24.77 cm