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Editorial Review Product Description
Published to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in 2010, Tom Neil is one of only a handful of veterans still alive today.Tom flew 141 combat missions (few pilots reached 50) mostly from North Weald airfield in Essex, and shot down 13 enemy aircraft during the Battle of Britain. Tom Neil really is one of the last of the 'Few', the average age of surviving veterans is 91. Only 20 veterans out of 2947 official Battle of Britain pilots are fit enough to attend Battle of Britain Fighter Association events (although around 90 are still alive in total). He is 89 and lives in Suffolk with his wife who was a Fighter Command plotter when they met in 1940.This is a fighter pilot's story of eight memorable months from May to December 1940. When the Germans were blitzing their way across France, Pilot Officer Tom Neil had just received his first posting - to 249 Squadron.Nineteen years old, fresh from training at Montrose on Hawker Audax biplanes he was soon to be pitchforked into the maelstrom of air fighting on which the survival of Britain was to depend. By the end of the year he had shot down 13 enemy aircraft, seen many of his friends killed, injured or burned, and was himself a wary and accomplished fighter pilot. ... Read more Customer Reviews (1) 
A Diary of Events
For those who have a knowledge of the Battle of Britain this is an interesting first hand diary of the events by young pilot who was skillful and lucky enough to survive. However it is admittedly written in hindsight, compiled from letters and notes taken at the time assembled into a book very much later and as a result seems to lack personality and "feel".
In my opinion it does not match the drama of Geoff Wellum's "First Light" which speaks to the reader with a directness and intensity lacking here and portrays not just the day to day "history" of a Battle of Britain pilot, but follows the tribulations and euphoria of his training, the terror of being lost and the sweat and taste of combat. It also conveys his obvious passion for flying. A "pilots" book.
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