Spitfire Pilot [illustrated]: The Experiences of a Battle of Britain Fighter Pilot in 1940 [Kindle Edition]

•This new illustrated Kindle edition published by Spitfire Publishers in September 2018 substitutes David Crook’s anonymous comrades’ pseudonyms (imposed by the wartime censor) with their real identities.

•Illustrated with 11 incredibly rare contemporary colour photographs of the Battle of Britain and 22 in black and white.

•Reproduces David Crook’s previously unpublished combat reports.

•Includes a newly written introduction, glossary and set of biographies of Crook’s fellow pilots and their fate written by historian Jonathan Reeve author of BATTLE OF BRITAIN VOICES (‘A valuable contribution’ BBC WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE MAGAZINE).

•‘A brilliant firsthand account of life of a Battle of Britain fighter pilot’ THE SPECTATOR.

•‘SPITFIRE PILOT is a classic… has an honesty and immediacy lacking in many later accounts. David Crook’s hugely likable character leaps off every page, while the descriptions of aerial combat have rarely been bettered’ JAMES HOLLAND

Written in the heat of the Battle of Britain in 1940, David Crook’s fighter pilot diary has the immediacy and rawness lacking in many firsthand account of the Second World War. By the end of the epic battle for air superiority which prevented Hitler’s invasion of Britain, David was an ‘ace’, and had shot down at least six enemy aircraft. He had survived, but lost many close friends and cheated death during numerous dogfights, grossly outnumbered by Luftwaffe fighters.
Not only does the memoir describe what it was like to fly a Spitfire and blast enemy aircraft out of the sky, but it also tells the highly personal story of a ‘band of brothers’ – David's fellow pilots in 609 Squadron. 609 Squadron was one of the RAF’s auxiliary squadrons, similar to the territorial army, made up of local men from Yorkshire. Many of its intake knew one another, David had known several since his school days so when losses mounted the impact was felt far more keenly.
This new edition finally reveals the true identities of these men, hidden since first publication in June 1942 behind their pseudonyms, at the insistence of the wartime censor. It also includes many pages of extra material including David’s surviving combat reports and rare illustrations.

About the Author

David Crook was born in Huddersfield and enlisted in the RAF in 1938. He joined 609 Squadron flying Spitfires in May 1940 just in time for the beginning of the Battle of Britain and flew throughout the epic aerial conflict to save Britain from invasion. He is credited with six kills in 1940 and was awarded the DFC. First published in June 1942 the wartime censor imposed the use of pseudonyms for David’s fellow pilots. The book was soon out of print and has remained so for most of the last 70 years. Painstaking research by the editor of this new edition, Jonathan Reeve, reveals the real names of Crook’s fellow pilots. David Crook was killed in action in 1944 leaving a wife and three young children.

Praise for Spitfire Pilot

‘A brilliant firsthand account of life of a Battle of Britain fighter pilot’ THE SPECTATOR
‘Truly fascinating reading’ THE TELEGRAPH
‘Spitfire Pilot is a classic… has an honesty and immediacy lacking in many later accounts. David Crook’s hugely likable character leaps off every page, while the descriptions of aerial combat have rarely been bettered’ JAMES HOLLAND
‘Shows beyond doubt that the traditional image of the youthful, fearless and intrepid pilot is really how it was’ RICHARD OVERY
‘A unique personal insight into one of the crucial periods of the war… I cannot recommend this highly enough’ WORLD WAR II MAGAZINE
‘Puts the reader in the cockpit fighting for the nation’s survival’ AIR MARSHAL TIM GARDEN
‘Hard to put down’ FLIGHT