A Separate Little War: The Banff Coastal Command Strike Wing Versus the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe 1944-1945

Having been brought up just a couple of miles from Banff airfield, this is a book I have long awaited. It fills a gap in the history of RAF Coastal Command and is a fitting memory to the men of many nations who fought and died flying from Banff during the last few months of the war. If I have one reservation, it is in the editing. In addition to several errors that have crept in, the narrative could perhaps also have been tightened a little. A tauter, more readable style would have given this book wider appeal.

Entertaining, finally Coastal gets the attention it deserves (6/6 people found this helpful)

The publication of 'A Separate Little War' written by Andrew D Bird, a hitherto unwritten account element of the Second World War has been given the attention it deserves.

During the period of September 1944 until the end of the war, a mixed bag of pilots and navigators from Britain, the Commonwealth and Norway operated as part of the Banff Strike Wing, led by Group Captain The Hon. Max Aitken DSO DFC suffered high casualties in the process.

During the research Andrew D Bird interviewed in excess of 95 personalities that were directly involved in this struggle, including the late Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris who died on 28 September 2003.

It says much for the author's interview skills that such an entertaining and in some instances, sombre picture emerges of this 'little war'.

Again Grub Street are to be congratulated for supporting this author and the publication of this book on a subject that required airing.

Courageous fliers remembered (3/3 people found this helpful)

Just bought a copy a few weeks ago. This subject is a very little known topic. An excellent book, highly recommended by this new author he has done a great job in bring home the details and facts of the important part the strike wing's of Coastal Command played in fighting the enemy and what it was like to carry out anti-shipping strikes along the Norwegian coast.

Action packed (10/10 people found this helpful)

At present according to Ottakar's Aberdeen shop manager this book is excusive to Scotland until the Southern and rest of the world launch at Duxford on the 6/7 September 2003. They still have a few signed copies left by the author.

For me it is a little known war that took place from the North-East of Scotland. The book fills in a gap within Mosquito aviation history, it's well researched although it does not record every flight flown from the airfield, the author concentrates the main anti-shipping strikes flown from this Scottish base, life on and off the base as well as those operations flown by their escorting Mustang fighters flown by the Poles and later 3 RAF Mustang squadrons. These got into some scrapes with the local Luftwaffe from December 1944 onwards.

There are many welcomed first-hand accounts from those that flew, and for a nice change the WAAF's are well represented, so often over looked by authors.

The strikes are well researched and written, its action packed you can almost hear those Merlin engines screaming down the fjords, aircraft taking some heavy punishment from return fire from flakships and shore based guns. They returned shot up with pieces of plywood hanging off or engine's not working because off the close quarters the coastal Mossies worked in. It's amazing to see that the Germans where able to salvage so many of the merchantman hit with the RAF R/P's, one had 99 holes in it!.
Amoung the many interesting mission accounts, the story of the Banff Wing losing five Mosquioes in a single strike. There are some light hearted moments in the text as the young airmen and women let off steam.

It is not just from a British prospective, the author seems to have got the balance right with contributions by Norwegians, Danes, and former Luftwaffe pilots. It contains more than 80 b/w photographs. The RAF and Commonwealth crews who died or are rescued by the couragous Norwegian's have an appendix as does all known Mosquitoes that flew from the aerodrome.

A Separate Little War: The Banff Coastal Command Strike Wing Versus the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe 1944-1945

Andrew D. Bird

Reader Reviews:

A fitting memory (6/6 people found this helpful)

Entertaining, finally Coastal gets the attention it deserves (6/6 people found this helpful)

Courageous fliers remembered (3/3 people found this helpful)

Action packed (10/10 people found this helpful)

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