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Scramble 1940 - Official Newsletter of the Battle of Britain Historical Society

An engaging review of the RAF war experience from the views of those who served, from an author with a particular interest in training and combat. The scale and variety of experiences for air and ground crew during WWII is hard to fully appreciate today – Very Highly Recommended

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Firetrench

Eyewitness RAF: The Experience of War, 1939–1945 is a new (2020) collection of first hand accounts that covers all aspects of service in the RAF during the war. Each Command of the RAF is considered as well as chapters devoted to training, accidents, being taken prisoner through to demobilisation. A wide range of sources have been used to produce a comprehensive picture of service through the war. Probably the best single volume overview of the RAF available, for those looking for personal accounts of the experiences of the men and women involved.

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WW2 Today

What a fantastic book to read, about the RAF during world war two, this book takes a look at recollections, accounts and stories of the men and women who served in the RAF at that time. The book covers everything really from training to working in different roles, casualties and finally being demobbed. You can tell the author James Goulty writes from a university background, not because the book is very formal but because of the way it is structured. I loved the writing enormously, very well-paced and the right balance was struck between who was written about and the amount each section was covered. But the best was the real telling of the stories and the humour emphasis of the author, a man who has and shares the good dry wit that was similar to the people he was talking about. It was nice to read about the role and voice of women, as many of these books about the forces are male-centric. The notes section was good and informative, I’ve taken a few titles down to do further reading. (lookout my local library). The glossary was also informative and handy, it is good to have a book that supports all the acronyms and abbreviations it uses. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in the RAF and its role in WW2, one of the best books I have read in a while.

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UK Historian

Featured in

Everyone's War, The Journal of the Second World War Experience Centre, No.42, 2021

An insightful tale

While this review barely scratches the surface, the book provides a true, yet often heart-wrenching narrative, detailing a force facing seemingly insurmountable odds.

FlyPast, March 2021

This is a good introduction to Britain's war in the air, an introduction by those who were there, whether in training, serving with bombers, or in fighters, with coastal command, shot down and captured, returning home...

The chapters are logically organised, there are extensive notes, a bibliography, an index. Such conventions should be deemed as essential, and would have been twenty years ago. The first-hand accounts are skilfully inter-woven with the author's narrative and the maps and photos are added bonuses. By this and read Dilip Sarkar's 'Letters from the Few' alongside it.

Paul Nixon

James Goulty, who holds a masters degree and a doctorate in military history from the University of Leeds, has used a wide variety of sources to put together a work which has much historical value, while offering hours of interesting relaxation for anyone with an interest in the workings of the RAF of those days.

Air Transport Group of the Railway and Canal Historical Society

"The words of those who were there".

This is a good introduction to Britain's war in the air, an introduction by those who were there, whether in training, serving with bombers, or in fighters, with coastal command, shot down and captured, returning home...

The chapters are logically organised, there are extensive notes, a bibliography, an index. Such conventions should be deemed as essential, and would have been twenty years ago. The first-hand accounts are skilfully inter-woven with the author's narrative and the maps and photos are added bonuses. By this and read Dilip Sarkar's 'Letters from the Few' alongside it.

4 Stars

Amazon UK Review

"Well researched & good use of personal testimonies".

I received a review copy of this book direct from the publisher.
This latest book by James Goulty makes good use of the personal testimony of those who served, giving a vivid description of all aspects of the RAF from recruitment and training to morale and motivation - and he leaves no stone unturned, covering the 'chair polishing' experience of admin, groundcrew, Coastal Command, plus WWAFs, POWs, repatriation and demobilisation.
It is apparent from the introduction alone that Goulty is a gifted writer with the ability to seamlessly marry a multitude of memoir with official works. What contributes to the readability of this book is his eye for the (very British) sense of humour and irony in personal testimonies. For example, on the subject of the character of the RAF, one chap states: '...insouciance and understatement were the form.' Coming from an RAF family myself, I can relate! On the motivation to join: '...looked good in his blue uniform and all the girls fancied him.' NAAFI: 'heavy cups of newspaper-grey tea.' The little gems such as these will raise a knowing smile from those who served, past and present.
That aside, there is also the educational and enlightening, such as tactics outlined in chapter 2 The Experience of Bombing Operations and chapter 3 Flying with Fighter Squadrons. The stark reality of war is also uncovered: flying fatigue, coping with fear and one's own mortality, the Polish pilot flying his Spitfire to the limits, the POWs who found home-coming a challenging time (chapters 7-8).
You will find that is not a book you will just dip in and out of; prepare for being fully engrossed as you are are caught up in the experience. That, indeed, is surely the mark of a good book.

5 Stars

Amazon UK Review

James has an excellent personal touch... it's so well written I found it a real inspiration.

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