Spitfire!: The Full Story of a Unique Battle of Britain Fighter Squadron

(Paperback)

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As a child, Dilip Sarkar was fascinated by the haunting image of an anonymous RAF Spitfire pilot. Taken minutes after landing from a Battle of Britain combat, this was Squadron Leader Brian Lane DFC, the commander of 19 Squadron, based at Fowlmere - and author of the stirring first-hand account 'Spitfire! The Experiences of a Fighter Pilot', published under the pseudonym B.J. Ellan. Deeply moving was the discovery that in 1942 Brian was reported missing after a futile nuisance raid over the Dutch coast. During the mid-1980s, Dilip began researching the life and times of both Brian Lane and 19 Squadron, forging close friendships with many of the unit's surviving Battle of Britain pilots and support staff. This enabled identification of the wartime censor's blanks regarding people and places in Brian's book, and the publication in 1990 of Dilip's first ever book, 'Spitfire Squadron: 19 Squadron at War 1939-41'. Nearly thirty years later, sadly all of the survivors are now deceased, but Dilip's close relationship has provided a huge archive of correspondence and interviews in addition to a unique photographic collection. Furthermore, the author, a retired police detective, has thoroughly investigated the life - and death - of Squadron Leader Lane. This completely new 'Spitfire Squadron' covers everything we would ever need to know about such a unit during the critical pre and early war period: the social, political, aviation and military history all in one volume - emphasising the human experience involved and the stories of casualties. With an immense photographic collection - many published here for the first time - this book is destined to become a classic. So, strap yourself in, turn gun button to fire', and join 19 Squadron's Spitfire pilots during our Darkest and Finest Hours the ultimate Band of Brothers' AUTHOR: A prolific author, Dilip Sarkar has been obsessed with the Second World War for a lifetime. Recognised with an MBE and a Fellowship of the Royal Historical Society, this retired police detective with a First in Modern History is renowned for his evidence-based approach. Firmly focussed on the human' experience of war, his many previous works include the best-selling 'Spitfire Manual' and 'The Few'. Dilip is a sought-after public-speaker and contributes to TV documentaries. See www.ourfinesthour.net

Reviews

"The book is full of personal vignettes of both pilots and aircrew, revealing their daily lives both in and out of combat."-- "WWII History Magazine"

Author Bio

Dilip Sarkar has now written over sixty well-received books. Having enjoyed a privileged relationship with many of The Few, he is a globally acknowledged expert on the Battle of Britain, currently working on a career-topping eight volume official history for The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust and National Memorial to The Few. Described by the late Dr Gordon Mitchell, son of the Spitfires designer RJ Mitchell, as an aviation detective, Dilip Sarkar did actually begin his professional life as just that a police detective. His evidence-based approach and ability to discover new material is well-known in 2023, for example, he was responsible for having Air Chief-Marshal Sir Keith Park, a New Zealander, officially recognised as one of The Few. Made an MBE for services to aviation history in 2003, Dilip was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Historical Society in 2006, achieved First Class Honours in Modern History as a mature student in 2010, and in 2024 was made both a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and member of Londons Royal Air Force Club. During his long career, Dilip has exhibited and spoken internationally at such prestigious venues as Oxford University, the RAF Museum, IWM Museum, and Airborne Museum, Oosterbeek; he has worked on many TV documentaries, on and off screen, again internationally, and has an engaging presence on YouTube and Facebook in particular. For more information, please see www.dilipsarkarauthor.com