Airframes
Benevolens Magister
'Luftwaffe Crash Archive - A Documentary History of every Enemy Aircraft brought down over the United Kingdom'
Volume 1, by Nigel Parker.
Foreword by Prof. R.V. Jones.
Published 1st March 2013.
128 pages, softback.
Illustrated throughout.
Published by Red Kite Books. (Red Kite Books | Aviation Publishing or WING LEADER)
ISBN 978-1-906592-09-7
£25 (or £20 direct from publisher.)
As the title suggests, this book covers every enemy aircraft brought down over the UK, or within UK territorial waters, during World War 2.
This is the first of a proposed 6 to 10 Volumes, with this, Volume 1, covering the period from September 1939 up to 14th August, 1940.
Author Nigel Parker has spent twenty years researching and gathering information and photographs for this series, with many hitherto unpublished photographs included, and in his introduction pays tribute to Group Captain S.D. Felkin, who was responsible for the setting up, organisation and running of AI(k), the Air Intelligence unit who interrogated every captured enemy airman, and undertook the examination of every enemy aircraft, complete or wrecked, which came down on British soil.
After the Introduction, and a foreword by Professor R.V. Jones (head of Scientific Intelligence during WW2), the author explains the role of AI(k), and gives a background look into their work. The book then follows a standard format with, at the head of each page, a summary of weather conditions and enemy action on the particular day covered, with each aircraft entry being based on the crash reports recorded by AI(K), with, wherever possible, photographs of the crash and, in some cases, photographs of the same aircraft at an earlier date.
Together with maps showing the main crash sites, and a number of colour profiles and representations of unit badges, by well-known aviation artist Mark Postlethwaite, this book really does provide basic information on every aircraft brought down. However, as is clearly stated by the author at the beginning of the book, details of 'who shot down who' are not included, and this is, of course, information which can be cross referenced from any number of other excellent works, the main aim being to provide the information, and photos, of the enemy aircraft examined by the Air Intelligence branch.
Personally, I think the book would benefit from a brief explanation of some of the abbreviations included at the top of each crash report, as some confusion can arise from some of the entries, but this is a minor point.
The second Volume, due out on 1st June this year, will cover the period between 15th August and 31st August - just two weeks - which, even before viewing, and given the same format, gives some indication of the volume of aircraft brought down during the crucial 'hardest days' of the Battle of Britain.
Although at first site priced perhaps a little high, especially for a possible ten volumes, when the research is taken into account, and compared to the price of an average monthly aviation magazine, then it is not bad at all, and I, for one, have been hoping for something like this for many years.
Whether I will eventually buy the whole series, I don't know yet, but I will certainly be buying those volumes covering the period of the Battle of Britain, and look forward to their release with bated breath.
My score - 9/10.
Recommended? Definitely !!
Below are some photos showing the cover, selected pages and map, and a typical entry.
Volume 1, by Nigel Parker.
Foreword by Prof. R.V. Jones.
Published 1st March 2013.
128 pages, softback.
Illustrated throughout.
Published by Red Kite Books. (Red Kite Books | Aviation Publishing or WING LEADER)
ISBN 978-1-906592-09-7
£25 (or £20 direct from publisher.)
As the title suggests, this book covers every enemy aircraft brought down over the UK, or within UK territorial waters, during World War 2.
This is the first of a proposed 6 to 10 Volumes, with this, Volume 1, covering the period from September 1939 up to 14th August, 1940.
Author Nigel Parker has spent twenty years researching and gathering information and photographs for this series, with many hitherto unpublished photographs included, and in his introduction pays tribute to Group Captain S.D. Felkin, who was responsible for the setting up, organisation and running of AI(k), the Air Intelligence unit who interrogated every captured enemy airman, and undertook the examination of every enemy aircraft, complete or wrecked, which came down on British soil.
After the Introduction, and a foreword by Professor R.V. Jones (head of Scientific Intelligence during WW2), the author explains the role of AI(k), and gives a background look into their work. The book then follows a standard format with, at the head of each page, a summary of weather conditions and enemy action on the particular day covered, with each aircraft entry being based on the crash reports recorded by AI(K), with, wherever possible, photographs of the crash and, in some cases, photographs of the same aircraft at an earlier date.
Together with maps showing the main crash sites, and a number of colour profiles and representations of unit badges, by well-known aviation artist Mark Postlethwaite, this book really does provide basic information on every aircraft brought down. However, as is clearly stated by the author at the beginning of the book, details of 'who shot down who' are not included, and this is, of course, information which can be cross referenced from any number of other excellent works, the main aim being to provide the information, and photos, of the enemy aircraft examined by the Air Intelligence branch.
Personally, I think the book would benefit from a brief explanation of some of the abbreviations included at the top of each crash report, as some confusion can arise from some of the entries, but this is a minor point.
The second Volume, due out on 1st June this year, will cover the period between 15th August and 31st August - just two weeks - which, even before viewing, and given the same format, gives some indication of the volume of aircraft brought down during the crucial 'hardest days' of the Battle of Britain.
Although at first site priced perhaps a little high, especially for a possible ten volumes, when the research is taken into account, and compared to the price of an average monthly aviation magazine, then it is not bad at all, and I, for one, have been hoping for something like this for many years.
Whether I will eventually buy the whole series, I don't know yet, but I will certainly be buying those volumes covering the period of the Battle of Britain, and look forward to their release with bated breath.
My score - 9/10.
Recommended? Definitely !!
Below are some photos showing the cover, selected pages and map, and a typical entry.
