Spitfire: A Very British Love Story

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Wonderful book for a beautiful plane. I did not know it went through so many upgrades and changes as the Luftwaffe planes improved. I did not recall the long fights for Malta, or the disaster at Dieppe. The Spitfires fame is due in no small part to a brilliant PR campaign by Lord Beaverbrook. He instigated the "Spitfire Fund" in 1940, it was this campaign which drew widespread public attention to the Spitfire. Amongst the people of Britain the Spitfire became a national symbol of defiance as well as a tool for retribution. it is an icon, probably the most famous aircraft ever made. When Goering asked the distinguished German ace, Adolf Galland in October 1940 what was require beat the RAF, he replied ‘A squadron of Spitfires,’ From its first flight in 1936, through the war and to today’s airshows, it is still loved by both fliers and spectators alike. The book was published in 2018 and is a compilation of stories about the experience in WWII. The stories focus on the heartbreaking tales of those who had to serve and sometimes give up their life for us to be here today. The few romantic liaisons really tugged at my heart strings, Joe and Betty more so than they probably should have done. John Nichol's book tells the stories of dozens of pilots, both men and women, and the sacrifices they made during the war. It's finely balanced between the technical side and development of the Spit, and the personal accounts of the pilots, many now in their 90s. In parts, it's incredibly moving, especially when you think many of these pilots were under twenty when they first took to the skies.

Though it is assumed that ‘Spitfire’ came from the aeroplane’s awesome firing capabilities, it was also an Elizabethan word that meant someone who had a fiery character. The names Snipe and Shrew were also considered for the plane. Thankfully they went with Spitfire!

The author follows the careers of a group (fewer than 25?) Spitfire pilots AND mechanics, men AND women, Americans, Aussies, Kiwis, Canadians,; Polish and Indian pilots have brief parts, as does one bomber pilot from Jamaica. In the telling he covers the entire war in which Spits saw action, including Malta, Africa, Italy, Burma and the Soviet Union, and the stories include training, scrambles and dog fights, bail outs, captures, the sudden death of comrades, romances, escapes with the French resistance, and, in one unforgettable tale, an RAF mechanic stealing(!) a Spit to make his first flight ever which is purposely INTO(!) a battle zone. As I approached the end of the book I thought this was a solid treatment of the view of the war from the pilots, and was prepared to be let down by the winding down of the war. But the ending was surprising and not what I expected. Instead of heroic welcomes or happy ever afters, the epilogue describes PSTD, divorces, depression and accidental deaths, but it is surprisingly uplifting rather than melancholic. Twenty-three thousand Spitfires were built between 1936-1946. It was flown in all theatres of war, Britain, NW Europe, North Africa, Malta. Italy, USSR, and SE Asia. It rarely disappointed and almost always impressed. Today only 240 are know to exist and of these 60 are airworthy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superma... The story starts with the initial design deriving from racing seaplanes in the 30s, through production difficulties in West Bromwich. With the outbreak of war, spitfires see service over Dunkirk, of course in the Battle of Britain but then in Malta, North Africa, over Occupied Europe, in Malaya, and even as part of the Soviet Air Force.

The vignettes are an interesting approach to the book. Because the narrative doesn't follow a specific squadron or pilot, there is a lot of jumping around in short sections. There are a number of pilots who make multiple appearances as their stories, locations, etc. follow the flow of the book. Usually the vignettes are specific mission experiences or thoughts about the war experience pulled from their letters or diaries. While maybe a bit disjointed, there are some great war stories and it does allow you to read it in small chunks (which is why it took me a while!). The Spitfire has a devout following of all who flew her, specially on combat. It was an extension of the pilot who has only positive accolades. Coupled with the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, it was a perfect flying machine, saving many a pilot out of difficult situations, earning the grudging respect of the enemy. Like the time when an RAF pilot ran out of ammunition as two German Me109 fighters found him. A tough dog fight ensued where he continued to evade the two German fighters, who did not manage to hit him once. At the end, the two fighters flew on either side of him, waggled their wings in a sign of respect, and banked away. The Spitfire continues to be a very popular aircraft, with approximately 55 Spitfires still being airworthy, while many more are static exhibits in aviation museums all over the world including here in the USA. It is even possible to take spitfire flights at three locations in the UK, with Spitfire experience flights for non-pilots and Spitfire flight training for pilots available. You can see more with regard to this on the Spitfires blog article about spitfire rideshere. I’ve seen the Spitfire in flight twice now and it was an amazing sight – can’t wait to see it again. Partly I think the answer lies in its name. The plane’s lead designer, R.J.Mitchell, wanted to call it the Shrew, thereby demonstrating that, however brilliant he was as a designer and engineer, he would never have made it as a marketing man. The name Spitfire was chosen by the Chairman of the Supermarine company. The striking design of the aircraft is also part of the reason, the elliptical wings and tailfins giving it an unmistakeable profile. I am often asked which is my favourite aircraft.it is a very difficult question for me to answer. Who wouldn't be impressed with the gut-wrenching climb performance of the Lightning, almost touching the lower reaches of space, out of howling along in a Hawker Sea Fury? So I answer the question this way: if God said that I could have just one more flight, my last flight before I die, in any aircraft I have ever flown, I would choose to get airborne in a Spitfire."This account of World War Two weaves it's way through the war years, without too much detail. It covers the events as seen and witnessed through the first hand accounts of those who were part of the contribution the Spitfires made to winning the war. I must confess that I found the first half of the book repetative in recounting the individual stories each of those very brave people told. There is a limit to how many times you can be told what a wonderful plane the Spitfire was.