Society conference

 

I would regard Bishop's book as being more on par with 'The Red Air Fighter'.

 

I find Bishop's 'call to glory' (irrspective of the extent to which it may have been self propelled) to be very convenient in boosting recruiting in Canada at a time when the Canadians were beginning to question the cost of the war in terms of casualties.

Nick

I think this is developing into an interesting issue that could be examined at the seminar.

There may be several strands to consider. One such strand is set out below.

First, the biographies of the participants in the air war. Books such as Flying Fury or the Red Air Fighter are clearly propaganda written with clear agenda's, their comparsion proves interesting, written by careful shrewd fighter pilots and leaders who understand war.

The post war autobiographies come next. Two autobiographies I used in my first post can be used as examples.Wind In The Wires was written according to the preface in the late 20's. I think at that time before the great depression there was optimism that Germany's Weimar Republic under Stresemann would become a truly democratic state. On that basis the war, though tragic was seen not to have been in vain. By 1936 when Lewis writes his biography, the collapse of democracy in Germany , the realisation that german militarism had not been curbed  by the war, renders the concept of the Great War with its suffering as simply a tragedy without a redeeming feature. Fussell has I think some use here, the war as a futile act conducted by fools, the lions led by donkeys is reinforced by the literature of the time from Sassoon to Harris's Covenant With Death.   From this develops an exception, the chivalry of the war in the air, and books such as those of Gibbons carry this myth for decades. Without being flippant the Biggles books also help to continue this tradition together with the view that the RFC consisted of scout squadrons, the real air war of the army co-operation squadrons simply do not exist in this world.

The final stage is the promotion  and debunking of heroes. Bishop is set up only to be attaced by Ira Jones, in favour of his hero Mannock, if Bishop has 72 victories Mannock must have 73. Perhaps Bishop was not a capable leader and was ambiitous, but the attempt to paint him as fraud and coward is unwarranted,something even Jones would not have accepted. Richthofen is by stages knight, then unsporting,  (Gwillym- Lewis) and now a capable leader, but nevertheless a leader following a strategy that must eventually bring defeat.      

This is of course but one strand of literature written within the context of changing mores and perceptions which give form and shape to our conceptions of the first air war.

Gary

    

All of which might make a good topic for a presentation at thye proposed Conference; any offers?

Glad you like my book!.

If the conference goes ahead ( will confirm asap after the 18th) I promise that I will be one of the speakers and that there will plenty of time for discussions both in and out of the seminar room.

Your consideration of the degree to which attitudes were changed by war, and by writers such as Sassoon, is just the kind of thing we need more of.

So keep next June free and we look forward to seeing you there.

Paul

I think the 2014 date makes more sense, but we could look on 2012 as a trial run...

 

Ian