For much of World War II England provided the only western European base
from which the British and American air forces could take the war into
Nazi-occupied Europe and Germany itself. The American Eighth and Ninth
Air Forces struck enemy targets by day at great distances, often on
raids of eight or nine hours duration, while the RAF flew most of its
demanding missions at night.
This highly illustrated book will convey what it was like for pilots,
aircrew and ground crew during their wartime service. It not only takes
the reader on typical USAAF and RAF raids, but it also depicts the work
of the mechanics and fitters as they struggled to keep battered aircraft
airworthy, how the medics coped with the countless wounded who returned
from the raids and looks at where the airmen relaxed within the various
bases or in the local villages and towns.
It will include period and later images of the bases, the aircraft,
memorials and relevant locations in Britain, France and Germany. It will
be a vivid and powerful human expression of the bomber airmen's wartime
experience.