Wings over the Desert: In action with an RFC pilot in Palestine 1916-18

  • England, 2009 (Haines)

Description

Little has been written about the Royal Flying Corps in Palestine during the campaigns of 1916-18 that ended with the destruction of three Turkish armies – the Great War’s most complete victory. This is the story of an RFC pilot in the context of the campaigns. Told by his son, a well known historian, it recaptures earlyair combat. Although there were ‘dogfights’, conditions were different – a forced landing in the desert could mean death from thirst while pilots might find themselves flying above a cavalry charge. The pilot of this book survived being shot down and an epic trek through the Turkish lines besides six other major crashes. Wings over the Desert investigates the relationship between the RFC and T.E. Lawrence, and the strange code of chivalry between British and German fliers.

Buy on Amazon

Reviews of: Wings over the Desert: In action with an RFC pilot in Palestine 1916-18

  • What are the odds against this happening? A book appears in 2009, with the amazing and previously untold personal story of a WW1 aviator, with a 100 superb photos, most of which appear to be from the author’s private collection and (so I assume) previously unpublished. Well, it’s happened, and it’s an excellent book.

    Great War Forum

  • As well as being a movingly honest portrait of a father by his son, Wings over the Desert … [is the] history of an almost forgotten war, bringing to life what it was really like to be one of the participants.

    The Tablet