I couldn't resist announcing the availability of my hardcover book FAR EAST RAF LIBERATORS, subtitled ATTACKING THE JAPANESE: ROY ANDREWS AND 215 SQUADRON. This book has officially been released via Pen & Sword (its publisher), amazon.co.uk, and all UK-based booksellers. Note, however, that it still won't be released outside of the UK in countries like the US, Canada, and Australia for a few weeks.
The correct cover and some basic accurate info can be found here: Far East RAF Liberators .
Here's a book synopsis, also found on the Pen & Sword Books website:
Between 11 October 1944 and 8 April 1945, wireless operator/air gunner Roy Andrews flew thirty-five missions on Consolidated B-24 Liberators of the RAF's 215 Squadron, operating out of Digri airfield, then Dhubalia, in Bengal India. Some of Roy's flight times surpassed thirteen hours per mission. One of his ops was an exercise near the India-Burma border, one was an Air-Sea Rescue mission close to the Japanese-held Burmese mainland, and thirty-three were either bombing and strafing, or just bombing, attacks against targets in Burma and Thailand. These included three sojourns (one in 1944 and two in 1945) to destinations along the infamous Thailand-Burma 'Death' Railway, notorious for the suffering of Allied PoWs and Asian labourers who had been forced to construct nearly 258 miles of rail line through an often inhospitable landscape.
Roy's tenure on 215 Squadron coincided with the unit's use of the American-built four-engine B-24 Liberator. Before he arrived, 215 Squadron flew bombing operations with twin-engine Wellingtons against the Japanese in Burma, and after the Liberator period it flew twin-engine Dakotas on transport duties.
Roy began his Liberator operational flying as his crew's second wireless operator, meaning that he was then primarily responsible for manning one of the single .50-calibre beam guns. He became his crew's first wireless operator – the main W/Op – on 13 January 1945 and flew his final twenty-five ops in this role. As an officer he was called upon to fulfil other 215 Squadron duties, such as censoring outgoing mail, preparing and distributing jungle kits before flights and collecting and inventorying unused kits after flights.
Roy's intriguing insight into his Hong Kong and England upbringing, his pre-war evacuation from Hong Kong and relocation to the Melbourne, Australia area, his military training, and his varied wartime experiences in India, in part taken from his own words, are presented in the book. Every one of his thirty-five ops and his two longest non-operational Liberator flights are described in detail.
Historian and author Matt Poole added much information about 215 Squadron, including an analysis of Digri and Dhubalia airfields and of each 215 Squadron Liberator op not flown by Roy. Among these were three more combat flights to Thailand-Burma Railway targets and two other railway destinations near this stretch of legendary horror.
Illustrated with a collection of high-resolution photographs, including aerial bomb-strike photos from Roy's ops and many never before printed images, this book presents a glimpse into the rarely featured episode of Far East RAF operations during the Second World War. In what is the most comprehensive summary of 215 Squadron's B-24 Liberator activities ever attempted, all of its three longest non-operational flights (each greater than eleven hours in flying time) and seventy-seven missions aboard this iconic bomber are examined.
The photo plates, printed on specialty paper in a stand-alone section, amount to sixteen pages of high-quality images that will certainly appeal to any student of World War II. There are also two very informative maps and one drawing by the 215 Squadron Commanding Officer depicting one of his and Roy's actual ops.
I worked very diligently on this project and am proud of its accuracy and its attention to detail. That said, after printing on the dust jacket (handsomely designed by Pen & Sword's talented Jon Wilkinson) I did catch two inaccuracies – thankfully minor – that are my fault: I put a diacritic over the wrong "e" in a word (it is correct as "fiancées"), and fiancées and girlfriends are not kin of the victims. Picky, picky, picky, I know, but I hoped for as close to perfection as one sees in a book. I almost made it!
On the attached dust jacket the US dollar amount at the time was left at $00.00, but this was done for a purpose (constantly changing exchange rates) and a figure was added before printing.
Pen & Sword and most, maybe all, UK booksellers do mail internationally, so for those who want to grab a copy sooner rather than later in countries that have not yet released the book, the UK is currently the place to purchase a copy. There is only a hardcover book; no Kindle or eBook version, or softcover version is available.
Possibly bookfinder.com will offer slightly cheaper new book prices, including postage.
Selfish Matt adds that only new book purchases count towards my earning royalties; used book purchases (and there are already used books for sale) bring no money to Pen & Sword Books or, ultimately, to me! Thus, I ask that new book purchases be made.
Yes, this is an utterly shameless self-promotion, but I absolutely believe in the book and know its value to model builders and curious World War II air war followers.
Please note that a slightly earlier version of the cover had been sent to booksellers (with oddities that were changed before printing, like the bogus original listing of two authors), and this cover might never be replaced with the correct cover. Also, the book synopsis presented by all sellers except Pen & Sword Books (their website info is accurate), although good, is not ideal in some ways. The above summary is accurate.
I can guarantee that the book is well-researched, well-written, and, well, a worthwhile purchase. I believe it is an important new book about a part of World War II history that is woefully underrepresented in research and writing.
Thanks.
The correct cover and some basic accurate info can be found here: Far East RAF Liberators .
Here's a book synopsis, also found on the Pen & Sword Books website:
Between 11 October 1944 and 8 April 1945, wireless operator/air gunner Roy Andrews flew thirty-five missions on Consolidated B-24 Liberators of the RAF's 215 Squadron, operating out of Digri airfield, then Dhubalia, in Bengal India. Some of Roy's flight times surpassed thirteen hours per mission. One of his ops was an exercise near the India-Burma border, one was an Air-Sea Rescue mission close to the Japanese-held Burmese mainland, and thirty-three were either bombing and strafing, or just bombing, attacks against targets in Burma and Thailand. These included three sojourns (one in 1944 and two in 1945) to destinations along the infamous Thailand-Burma 'Death' Railway, notorious for the suffering of Allied PoWs and Asian labourers who had been forced to construct nearly 258 miles of rail line through an often inhospitable landscape.
Roy's tenure on 215 Squadron coincided with the unit's use of the American-built four-engine B-24 Liberator. Before he arrived, 215 Squadron flew bombing operations with twin-engine Wellingtons against the Japanese in Burma, and after the Liberator period it flew twin-engine Dakotas on transport duties.
Roy began his Liberator operational flying as his crew's second wireless operator, meaning that he was then primarily responsible for manning one of the single .50-calibre beam guns. He became his crew's first wireless operator – the main W/Op – on 13 January 1945 and flew his final twenty-five ops in this role. As an officer he was called upon to fulfil other 215 Squadron duties, such as censoring outgoing mail, preparing and distributing jungle kits before flights and collecting and inventorying unused kits after flights.
Roy's intriguing insight into his Hong Kong and England upbringing, his pre-war evacuation from Hong Kong and relocation to the Melbourne, Australia area, his military training, and his varied wartime experiences in India, in part taken from his own words, are presented in the book. Every one of his thirty-five ops and his two longest non-operational Liberator flights are described in detail.
Historian and author Matt Poole added much information about 215 Squadron, including an analysis of Digri and Dhubalia airfields and of each 215 Squadron Liberator op not flown by Roy. Among these were three more combat flights to Thailand-Burma Railway targets and two other railway destinations near this stretch of legendary horror.
Illustrated with a collection of high-resolution photographs, including aerial bomb-strike photos from Roy's ops and many never before printed images, this book presents a glimpse into the rarely featured episode of Far East RAF operations during the Second World War. In what is the most comprehensive summary of 215 Squadron's B-24 Liberator activities ever attempted, all of its three longest non-operational flights (each greater than eleven hours in flying time) and seventy-seven missions aboard this iconic bomber are examined.
The photo plates, printed on specialty paper in a stand-alone section, amount to sixteen pages of high-quality images that will certainly appeal to any student of World War II. There are also two very informative maps and one drawing by the 215 Squadron Commanding Officer depicting one of his and Roy's actual ops.
I worked very diligently on this project and am proud of its accuracy and its attention to detail. That said, after printing on the dust jacket (handsomely designed by Pen & Sword's talented Jon Wilkinson) I did catch two inaccuracies – thankfully minor – that are my fault: I put a diacritic over the wrong "e" in a word (it is correct as "fiancées"), and fiancées and girlfriends are not kin of the victims. Picky, picky, picky, I know, but I hoped for as close to perfection as one sees in a book. I almost made it!
On the attached dust jacket the US dollar amount at the time was left at $00.00, but this was done for a purpose (constantly changing exchange rates) and a figure was added before printing.
Pen & Sword and most, maybe all, UK booksellers do mail internationally, so for those who want to grab a copy sooner rather than later in countries that have not yet released the book, the UK is currently the place to purchase a copy. There is only a hardcover book; no Kindle or eBook version, or softcover version is available.
Possibly bookfinder.com will offer slightly cheaper new book prices, including postage.
Selfish Matt adds that only new book purchases count towards my earning royalties; used book purchases (and there are already used books for sale) bring no money to Pen & Sword Books or, ultimately, to me! Thus, I ask that new book purchases be made.
Yes, this is an utterly shameless self-promotion, but I absolutely believe in the book and know its value to model builders and curious World War II air war followers.
Please note that a slightly earlier version of the cover had been sent to booksellers (with oddities that were changed before printing, like the bogus original listing of two authors), and this cover might never be replaced with the correct cover. Also, the book synopsis presented by all sellers except Pen & Sword Books (their website info is accurate), although good, is not ideal in some ways. The above summary is accurate.
I can guarantee that the book is well-researched, well-written, and, well, a worthwhile purchase. I believe it is an important new book about a part of World War II history that is woefully underrepresented in research and writing.
Thanks.