They Fought The War In The Air

In Air Power Over Europe, 1944-45, John Herrington continues and concludes the story of the Royal Australian Air Force men who served in or beside the RAF in the war against Germany and Italy.

IT is the final air volume of the series “Australia in the War of 1939-45”.

Himself a Cambridge graduate, Coastal Command pilot then RAAF Intelligence Officer, Herrington is admirably qualified to paint the broad picture of the Euronean theatre of war. Beginning with the air preparations in early 1944 for “Overlord” (the invasion plan), he describes graphically the operations in support of the advancing Allied armies, the accompanying strategic bombing, the ceaseless anti-sub. work of Coastal Command, and the varied operations in the Mediterranean zone. While he gives an over-all history of the war in the air, the dominant theme is the aircrew men themselves and their lives and death-m action.

His account has the interestsustaining quality of a first-rate novel.

Indeed, in his final chapter, Herrington shows that truth is stranger than fiction when he details some of the adventurous experiences and ruses of shot-down aircrew m evading capture in enemy territory or escaping from

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UUW camps.

The RAAF’s part in the closing

two years of the European war was not easy to trace and assess because, while only about a dozen active front ne Australian squadrons were operating, thousands of other Aus tralians flew with RAF units (mostly Vlnnn 8 r> U ? A^? m^er crewB )- . A kout RAAF men, serving in mid • /.’ re P resei lted tdle peak number m Eur °P e - Herringtons painstaking re f seari * reveals an impressive record of b ° dn f s . s and teamwork as well as B allant ‘"dividual leadership, To the inevitable question “What was the effective, real contribution of a ff power in attaining final victory in Europe?”, the author has no precise answer. However, he does sum 1944.45 by saying “The achievements of air r in this period were remarka P blej although sober judgment after the event may question the scale, frequency and purpose of much that was attempted anc j brilliantly done”. Most of those w b Q tOQ j c )art j n - t w m agree that tt fair comment ._SH. v „

(Air Power Over Europe, 1944-45.

Published by Angus & Robertson Ltd. 35/-.)