book briefs
page
turners
May 2015 FLYPAST 109Remembering ‘Tante Ju’
Junkers Ju 52 – A History: 1930-1945 by Robert Forsyth with
Eddie J Creek, Crécy, 330pp, illus, hbk, £60
A comprehensive and lavishly illustrated volume, this
history of one of Germany’s greatest transport aircraft and
workhorses covers everything from its concept and design
to its many roles in World War Two. The type continued to
serve successfully as an airliner for many more years, but
this book focuses on its military use. The three-engined machine was fi rst
‘blooded’ in Spain where it was pressed into service as a crude but effective
bomber with the Legion Condor. The Luftwaffe later deployed it in Poland,
Scandinavia, the Balkans and most other theatres of war. It served as a
stalwart transport, often operating in the most hostile conditions, lifting
men, food, supplies and ammunition vital for German military operations.
The ‘Tante Ju’ (as it was nicknamed) was also adapted as a seaplane and
‘fl ying classroom’, and was used in the mine-hunting role. This book forms an
important reference work on this famously robust and reliable aircraft.
http://www.crecy.co.ukBBMF ‘Ops’ Manual
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Operations Manual by Keith
Wilson, Haynes, 157pp, illus, hbk, £25
Author and photographer Keith Wilson has been allowed
unique access to the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
at Coningsby, enabling him to examine and document
every aspect of the team at work. This book – continuing
the tradition of the Haynes Operating Manuals much loved
by car enthusiasts – looks at the day-to-day work of the pilots, ground
crews and backroom staff, and in particular the engineers. Accompanied by
numerous photographs, the author describes how personnel service Merlin
and Griffon engines, rebuild and re-spray a Spitfi re, and re-cover a Hurricane
IIb with new fabric. It also highlights how the Flight is organised and
managed, and follows the display routines usually fl own by the pilots. It goes
on to showcase some of the many events the BBMF has been involved in over
the years – including high-profi le royal occasions and major anniversaries.
http://www.haynes.co.ukVaried History
RAF Winthorpe – The Story of an Airfi eld 1939-1959 by Colin
Savill, Newark Air Museum, 210pp, illus, sbk, £15
This is a comprehensive and well-illustrated examination of
the former RAF airfi eld’s history, now the site of Newark Air
Museum in Nottinghamshire, focusing on its role in World
War Two and the Cold War. During the early part of the war,
Winthorpe hosted two Polish Air Force squadrons, and later
became home to a major No.5 Group Heavy Conversion Unit that trained
bomber crews from around the Commonwealth. Avro Manchesters, Lancasters
and Short Stirlings are among the types known to have operated from the base.
In later years the RAF Central Servicing Development Foundation was based at
Winthorpe. Colin Savill’s excellently researched account features a day-by-day
diary style account of the airfi eld’s activities, and also highlights a number of
personalities and individual stories, all backed up by rarely seen images from
the archive. http://www.newarkairmuseum.orgMemories Of A Different World, Charles Gallagher, 86pp, illus, sbk, £7.99 – a wonderful self-
published account that sees the author refl ecting on his days in Bomber Command during
World War Two. His vivid memories are supported by notes from his wartime logbook, along
with letters home and photographs. Charles’ memoir captures the challenges and thrills of
travel, along with the comradeship and sense of humour displayed by his crew. It also revisits
the fear and the danger, and pays tribute to the 55,573 men of Bomber Command who did not
survive the war. Charles also refl ects on his post-war career, which included a stint with British
South American Airways. http://www.memoriesofadifferentworld.ukEnemy Captured
http://www.diverse-images.com
The latest 1:48 scale model from Diverse Images is of Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6/U2
White 16 NS+FE of 1/JG 301. This World War Two fi ghter was fl own by Leutnant Horst
Prenzel from Épinoy in France in 1944. During a fi ghter sweep, he inadvertently
landed at Manston in Kent in July of that year – Prenzel was captured and his
aircraft sent to the Air Fighting Development Unit at RAF Wittering following
evaluation at Farnborough. The optional fi gures for the model illustrate the
pilot being led away by an RAF Regiment soldier. Prior to his capture, Prenzel
had participated in 25 operational fl ights and scored two victories. White 16 was
eventually written off in an accident during take-off at Wittering on November 23,- This detailed model is a truly exclusive product as only 25 have been made.
Each costs £159 plus postage, and the optional fi gures cost £15 each.
The Sisterhood
http://www.planesTV.com
With Reunion of Giants – The Offi cial
Lancaster UK Tour due to hit British
shelves on DVD and Blu-ray later this
year, PlanesTV has added another
extremely worthwhile reminder of
the Canadian Avro Lancaster’s 2014
visit to Britain. With a running time
of over 100 minutes, Avro Sisters
features this remarkable tour, and
also focuses on fl ypasts over East
Kirkby, home to Lancaster NX611,
and the Lancaster pair teaming up
with another airworthy Avro, Vulcan
XH558. The fi rst part of the DVD is a
‘made for TV’ documentary featuring
all three Lancs and the Vulcan,
commemorating Bomber Command
both in wartime and in its role as
a post-war nuclear deterrent. The second section takes a longer look at each
of the aircraft displaying at several events, simply cut and often without added
narration. It also includes more thorough coverage of the main fl ypasts and a re-
enactment of a World War Two bomber crew briefi ng. Avro Sisters can be ordered
from the website listed, priced at £16.99 on DVD and £24.99 on Blu-ray.108-109_Whats New_fpSBB.indd 109 16/03/2015 09:39