WHAT’S NEW NEW PRODUCT REVIEWS
book briefs
RAF Habbaniya Iraq – Jewel of the Desert (DVD), RAF Habbaniya Association, 120 mins, £14.99- this two-hour programme details the story of the part played by the RAF and Royal Flying
Corps in Iraq from 1915 until the end of the Hashemite monarchy in 1958. It begins with the
murderous siege of Kut and the landings at Gallipoli, moving on to the establishment in 1936
of RAF Habbaniya – which soon became the largest RAF station in the world. Veterans give
fi rst-hand accounts of fl ying, and recall how their fragile training aircraft were converted
into war machines when the base was besieged during World War Two.
http://www.outposts-of-empire.co.uk
100 Years of the RAF (DVD), Signature Entertainment, 98 mins, £7.99 – released on June 4 and
offi cially endorsed by the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, this new documentary celebrates
a century of the RAF. Narrated by former BBC news presenter Sir Martyn Lewis, it includes
fascinating and previously unseen footage from both world wars. It shows how the air force
developed from a small but gallant band of men in 1918 through to its pivotal victories in
World War Two and onwards into the Cold War and modern times. This is a well presented
and poignant tribute to the service – and it supports a very worthy cause.
http://www.signature-entertainment.co.uk98 FLYPAST August 2018Aviation-themed timepiece
http://www.bellross.com
Featuring an understated design that utilises Bell & Ross’s signature style, the BR 03-94 Horolum
watch has a look that is both modern and yet vintage, as the distinctive ‘circle in a square’ is strongly
evocative of a cockpit clock from a 1930s aircraft.
Why Horolum? Well, ‘Horo’ refers to the Bell & Ross concept of using micro-blasted steel with a
matte finish for the case and a ‘sandwich’ dial (essentially two superimposed metal plates) while the
‘lum’ is from lumen, Latin for ‘light’.
The micro-blasting process involves spraying tiny glass beads at high-pressure
onto the metal’s surface to ‘de-polish’ it. This provides a smooth, uniform grey
tone of high purity, while the matte, non-reflective finish also emphasises the
graphic look and utilitarian purpose, while being optimised for readability. The
watch offers outstanding luminescence and excellent night readability. The
indices and over-sized ‘12’ and ‘6’ are very clear and painted on the bottom
plate, while the dial features two counters (one is a chronograph for displaying
short elapsed times, the other a 30-minute timer), a small window for the date
and a tachymeter [for measuring speed] on the flange. It has a 42mm case, an
automatic mechanical movement, a sapphire crystal face treated with an anti-
reflective coating and is mounted on an attractive grey-green calfskin strap.
Priced at £4,300, these exclusive timepieces are available in a limited edition of- DAVE UNWIN
Bomber
Command tribute
http://www.fightinghigh.com
Our Story Your
Story – The
International
Bomber Command
Centre, Steve
Darlow, Mark
Dodds, Dan Ellin,
Sean Feast and
Robert Owen, Fighting High, hbk, illus, 128pp, £25
Published to coincide with the opening of the
International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) in
Lincolnshire, this book details the story behind
its creation. It profiles the people who came up
with the idea and the extraordinary dedication
and creativity that made the project a reality.
The IBCC’s Mark Dodds looks back on its design,
the fundraising bids and its construction, while
Dr Robert Owen provides a military history of
RAF Bomber Command from its first operational
flight in September 1939 to the end of World
War Two. Elsewhere, Steve Darlow relates many
of the personal stories of those who took part
and Dr Dan Ellin provides an insight into the
experiences of the ground personnel. Finally,
author Sean Feast details the tragic losses of
specific crews, all of whom are remembered on
the IBCC’s Wall of Names. The book is lavishly
illustrated throughout with images showing the
development of the new buildings, and wartime
pictures of those whose memory is central to the
project. For more information on the IBCC see:
https://internationalbcc.co.ukDefi nitive
Dambusters
http://www.thehistorypress.co.uk
The Complete Dambusters – The
133 Men Who Flew On The Dams
Raid, Charles Foster, The History
Press, sbk, illus, 320pp, £20
It’s probably fair to say
that researching and
writing about Operation
‘Chastise’, the legendary
Dambusters raid, has been
a lifetime’s passion for
author Charles Foster. A
journalist and designer
whose uncle flew on the ‘op’, Charles also edits
the online Dambusters Blog in which he presents
a phenomenal collection of articles and data:
https://dambustersblog.com
This book contains all the information you
could wish to find about this most famous of
RAF sorties, from crew selection and training
to ‘Chastise’ itself. Most importantly, it profiles
each and every one of the 133 men who took
part. Some of these are famous, even household
names, but far more have rarely – if ever – been
written about in detail. The career and ultimate
fate of each member of each crew is described.
This is probably the first book to compile these
individual stories, and as such The Complete
Dambusters is both a gripping read and an
essential source for research.
Highly recommended.Indispensable
guide
http://www.crecy.co.uk
Wrecks & Relics – 26th Edition, Ken Ellis, Crécy, hbk,
illus, 380pp, £18.95
When it comes to documenting Britain’s
aviation heritage – aircraft or parts of
aircraft that are preserved in various states
and circumstances around the nation – the
ongoing Wrecks & Relics series should require
no introduction. Neither should the name
of its author and compiler, the indefatigable
Ken Ellis, who was of course the editor of this
magazine for many years.
Ken’s latest edition, his 26th in total, further
clarifies the national picture. As always, it’s a
remarkably fulsome document, essential to
any reader who wants to know which airframes
remain extant, including ‘gate guardians’,
instructional exhibits, warbirds and redundant
machines being used for unlikely purposes.
Fully revised and updated with new photos
throughout, the latest volume provides
coverage, county by county, of around 700
locations throughout the British Isles, and
includes details of more than 5,000 individual
aircraft. Written with its author’s unswerving
eye for detail and dry sense of humour, it’s a
vital resource. Wrecks & Relics is one of the
most widely read British aviation titles of all
time, and it’s good to report that it remains in
the rudest of health.