DYING TO FLY

DYING TO FLY : The Human Cost of Military Flying, East Midlands

Alistair Goodrum

The History Press Ltd, The Mill, Brimscombe Port, Stroud, GL5 2QG 

224pp, 170 x 247mm, softback, illustrated

ISBN 978-0-7524-5302-6, £17.99

The author covers the period from the years immediately prior to the Great War up to the present day and examines a large number of aircraft accidents that took place in the region.

The chapters cover the period in a chronological order for crashes and then the same for collisions.

Our period of interest receives a fair amount of coverage, although there seems to be an emphasis on events relating to Cranwell and its sub-station at Freiston. It should be noted that not every fatal accident is covered, but those that are usually give an indication of the cause and some are backed up with contemporary first-hand and newspaper accounts. There are a couple of ‘new’ photographs from our period but captioning is brief.

I found the remainder of the book equally interesting and was reminded of the vast number of different types flown by the RAF and USAF from bases in and around the East Midlands. The stories in the latter parts of the book can be fascinating, such as that of an American aircraftsman who stole a RB45 from Alconbury.

All in all, this is a worthwhile book and should appeal particularly to those who live in the area covered.

MD Volume 42 Number 1