Tim Vigors (1921–2003)

Browsing through the shelves of Grant's Bookshop the other weekend I made the serendipitous discovery of this second world war airman's memoir. The author's name caught my eye, as it was vaguely familiar to me, but I could not initially place the context.

After a privileged childhood, the author joined the RAF on the cusp of war, graduating from Cranwell in late 1939. Posted to 222 Squadron flying Spitfires, his first flight commander was Douglas Bader with whom he flew over Dunkirk and later in the Battle of Britain where he earned 'ace' status and a DFC. Clearly burnt out and needing a change, he put up his hand for experienced combat pilots to train fighter forces in the Far East. Arriving in Singapore in early 1941, he served as a flight commander with 243 Squadron flying Brewster Buffaloes and was subsequently asked to whip into shape 453 Squadron RAAF, also flying Buffaloes. Tasked with fleet air defence, his anger at the failure of his squadron's air cover plan to be implemented by the Navy on the day HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse were both sunk remains palpable. Later shot down over Malaya and severely wounded and burned, he managed to escape Singapore before it fell, which is where the story ends.

Tim Vigors spent the remainder of the war in flying training roles in India, and led an active life postwar in the bloodstock industry, dying in 2003 aged 82. The memoir was published posthumously without a lot of editing and doesn't suffer from that, beyond some minor chronological and factual inconsistences that do no harm to the story.

Copy purchased secondhand by the Reviewer from Grants Bookshop, Sandringham.… (altro)