Bomber Command flight engineer Peter Baxter completed thirty-four
operations during the Second World War, and following his first tour
with No. 12 Squadron he became the Engineer Leader for the new formed
No. 153 Squadron. During his 400 hours in the air, half of which were at
night, he flew with a succession of pilots including nine Wing
Commanders.
After passing the entrance examination in November 1937, Peter entered
the Royal Air Force Technical Apprentices School at Halton, near
Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and over the next few years Peter learned
his trade at RAF stations Halton, Cosford, and Penhros. In 1942 the
opportunity arose for Peter to become aircrew, with the RAF's new
four-engine heavy bombers requiring a designated airman, the flight
engineer, to take care of the aircraft's various mechanical, hydraulic,
electrical and fuel systems. Peter takes up such duties, flying the
iconic Avro Lancaster, when Bomber Command is about to enter one of the
most intense air campaigns of the war, the 1943 Battle of the Ruhr.
In Nine Wingcos and the Lancaster the author describes in remarkable
detail not only his RAF experiences but also the environment in which he
lived, the friendships made, and the rigors of firstly working on
aircraft in all conditions as groundcrew, and then as an airman
struggling to fly, fight and survive amidst the attrition of the air
battle over Germany. Illustrated with previously unpublished photographs
Peter Baxter's account is also a must for all technical enthusiasts,
with comprehensive sections on the mechanics of the Avro Lancaster and
how it is flown.
