Spitfire!

- Blurb -

As a child, Dilip Sarkar was fascinated by the haunting image of an anonymous RAF Spitfire pilot. Taken minutes after landing from a Battle of Britain combat, this was Squadron Leader Brian Lane DFC, the commander of 19 Squadron, based at Fowlmere - and author of the stirring first-hand account ' Spitfire! The Experiences of a Fighter Pilot' , published under the pseudonym B. J. Ellan. Deeply moving was the discovery that in 1942 Brian was reported missing after a futile nuisance raid over the Dutch coast. During the mid-1980s, Dilip began researching the life and times of both Brian Lane and 19 Squadron, forging close friendships with many of the unit' s surviving Battle of Britain pilots and support staff. This enabled identification of the wartime censor' s blanks regarding people and places in Brian' s book, and the publication in 1990 of Dilip' s first ever book, ' Spitfire Squadron: 19 Squadron at War 1939-41' . Nearly thirty years later, sadly all of the survivors are now deceased, but Dilip' s close relationship has provided a huge archive of correspondence and interviews in addition to a unique photographic collection. Furthermore, the author, a retired police detective, has thoroughly investigated the life - and death - of Squadron Leader Lane. This completely new ' Spitfire Squadron' covers everything we would ever need to know about such a unit during the critical pre and early war period: the social, political, aviation and military history all in one volume - emphasising the human experience involved and the stories of casualties. With an immense photographic collection - many published here for the first time - this book is destined to become a classic. So, strap yourself in, turn gun button to fire' , and join 19 Squadron' s Spitfire pilots during our Darkest and Finest Hours the ultimate Band of Brothers' ? AUTHOR: A prolific author, Dilip Sarkar has been obsessed with the Second World War for a lifetime. Recognised with an MBE and a Fellowship of the Royal Historical Society, this retired police detective with a First in Modern History is renowned for his evidence-based approach. Firmly focussed on the human' experience of war, his many previous works include the best-selling ' Spitfire Manual' and ' The Few' . Dilip is a sought-after public-speaker and contributes to TV documentaries. See www. ourfinesthour. net