Peter Townsend (3)Recensioni

Townsend makes a point of explaining how the RAF of 1940 came to be as it was, and highlights the shabby way in which Dowding and Park were treated in the aftermath of the BoB. His own experences and links to events are interjected into the story as a grounding personal touch.

Former RAF ace, Peter Townsend, chronicles the growth of the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe and their decisive engagements during the Battle of Britain in 1940. Group Captain Peter Wooldridge Townsend, CVO, DSO, DFC & Bar was a British Royal Air Force officer, flying ace, courtier and author. He was equerry to King George VI from 1944 to 1952 and held the same position for Queen Elizabeth II from 1952 to 1953. Wikipedia
A stirring survey--led by a pilot who himself took part in the conflict--traces the battle's background from the defeat and destruction of the Kaiser's air force to the long days of 1940 when Spitfires and Messerschmitts fought to the death over England. The colorful, dramatic, and evocative stories tell of dogfights in the sky, ruthless political maneuvers, legendary heroes (like the "Red Baron")--and then show how all this led to the furious air combat that saved Britain from German invasion.
Peter Townsend was a British fighter pilot during the Battle of Britain. As a side note, he was also the man Princess Margaret wanted to marry but was forbidden by her sister, the Queen.
The first 1/3rd of the book was tough going. The detailed description of the politics of the RAF vs RN and RA, then the development of the Luftwaffe in parallel were not well served by the style of interwoven descriptions. The short statements about different individual pilots' lives just interrupt the narrative that is uneven.

EXEMPLAIRE SIGNE PAR L'AUTEUR /
"Peter TOWNSEND"

Townsend was a RAF fighter pilot during the Battle of Britain and he shot down the first German bomber to crash on British soil since WW I. He was wounded more than once and suffered from stress.

Eventually he was appointed an equerry to King George and served the Royal Family for nine years. This job led him to become a lose friend of Princess Margaret and eventually they sought permission to marry which was refused by the Queen and the Government because Townsend was divorced

He was banished to Belgium to serve in the Embassy there. Eventually he left public service to drive his Land Rover around the world. This led to film making and eventually writing. He was a wine agent at one point promoting French wines in the USA. Later he was an adviser on the movie, The Battle of Britain.

For me, the highlight of this book are not the brief chapters on his war experience which is why I read the book, but his behind the scenes look at life in the Royal family. Because of his position, he met and conversed with many of the world's leaders and British politicians. His description of life in a British public school is interesting as well with the frequent abuse and humiliation suffered by students which he suggests is why Britain was always able to overcome adversity because its leaders were toughened by the experience.

Excellent overview of the Battle of Britain, though Townsend spent a bit too much time on WWI and the years prior to WWII. The history was appreciated, but belabored half to death.

While Townsend was a fighter pilot in the RAF & took part in the Battle of Britain, this volume is about his experiences as a night-fighter pilot trying to find & shoot down Luftwaffe bombers in the dark. However, he also tells the effects of the bombing on the British citizens who suffered the nightly terror of the bombardment. He interviewed survivors and from their stories tells us how they coped. One of his sources was the son of a London firefighter. Through his memories we learn what it was like to go out each night & fight the fires started by the bombing while the bombs were still falling around you. This is a first rate read that I could not not put down. Townsend has also written a first class history of the Battle of Britain entitled Duel of Eagles.