Tony Spooner Livres

"Faith, Hope and Charity" is the story of three Gladiator biplanes flown by six volunteers from their base on Malta. Fighting alone against the Italian Regia Aeronautica between June and October 1940 they refused to bow under the onslaught of this fearsome enemy. Kept airworthy by the resourcefulness of the servicemen who toiled night and day to manufacture spare parts and keep the runway fit to fly on, the aircraft flew constantly in a desperate bid to save the island. This defence of Malta can justifiably be included among the epics of World War II and the part played by the three biplanes is symbolic of the courage and endurance displayed by the people of Malta who gave their lives during the struggle against vastly superior Axis Air Forces.

This is the most comprehensive account of the Air Forces in Malta during Word War II. Malta was a vital base from which Allied aircraft could inflict serious damage on the crucial Axis supply route to Rommel in North Africa. In order to secure that route, the might of the Luftwaffe and Italian Air Forces were thrown together against the tiny island, affecting not just the defending servicemen and women, but the entire population. This book vividly describes how the fighters, bombers, torpedo, and reconnaissance aircraft of the RAF and FAA took the fight to the enemy and triumphantly succeeded with every odd stacked against them.

The remarkable story of a lad from the Rhondda Valley who rose from the rank of Sergeant Pilot to Air Marshal receiving the DSO, three DFCs, an AFC and other decorations along the way. He completed three tours of operations over enemy territory including 31 extremely dangerous low level attacks on enemy targets from the beleaguered island of Malta. This is not only the story of a skillful and courageous pilot but also relates Sir Ivor's varied and interesting post-war life. In 1955 he set a new speed record flying from Canada to England in a Canberra bomber, became Commandant of CFS which included the management of the Red Arrows and he commanded No.11 Group at the height of the Cold War. Clean Sweep provides a fascinating glimpse of RAF life through some of its most eventful years.

Although Adrian Warburton (known to all as Warby) became one of the most highly decorated pilots of World War II, he began his military career as a below-average misfit with 22 Squadron of Coastal Command and was sent to Malta to avoid trouble in the UK. Known at first as a loner, when given his command, the spectacular results he achieved enabled his unconventional behavior to be over-looked. Fearless in the air, the maverick ace shot down nine enemy aircraft and won fame in Malta for his invaluable photo reconnaissance work at Taranto, Sicily and North Africa. On 12 April 1944 Warburton departed in an aircraft on an unusual mission over Europe. Both plane and pilot disappeared without trace, giving rise to a host of rumors that his disappearance was intentional. For almost 60 years the mystery remained unsolved, until a painstaking international search unearthed the truth

Životopis značně samorostlého, zároveň velmi odvážného příslušníka a esa britského královského letectva za 2. světové války - Adriana Warburtona. Enfant terrible britské RAF pocházel z rodiny námořního důstojníka, do armády vstoupil dobrovolně v r. 1938. Přestože nebyl nejlepším pilotem a sloužil u fotoprůzkumné perutě, patřil s 9 sestřely "Warby" k leteckým esům. Proslul značně nekonformním oblékáním a poněkud výstředními nápady, ale byl to právě on, kdo dokázal obdivuhodným způsobem pozvednout morálku spojeneckých vojáků na těžce zkoušené Maltě v letech 1941-1943.K nejpovedenějším kouskům určitě patřil neoficiální let do Egypta pro alkohol na novoroční oslavu 1942 letadlem, které mechanici tajně sestavili z dílů a součástek z rozbitých strojů. Warburton byl zřejmě také jediným pilotem, který při průzkumu neváhal létat tak nízko, že "byl ostřelován protiletadlovou palbou svrchu". 12. dubna r. 1944 nedorazil šestadvacetiletý "Warby" do cíle dlouhého přeletu. Ostatky této výjimečné a dosti složité postavy byly nalezeny až téměř po šedesáti letech u jihoněmeckého Eglingu.

Podtitul: život Air Marshala sira Ivora Bromma, KCB, CBE, DSO, DFC & 2 bars, AFC Pozoruhodný příběh mladíka z jednoho velšského údolí, který se vypracoval z hodnosti pilota seržanta až do hodnosti maršála letectva (generálporučíka) vyznamenaného DSO, DFC (3×), AFC a řadou dalších ...