Flying for freedom : the allied air forces in the RAF 1939-45

205 Pages·2011·1.19 MB·English

by  Brown

F
LYING FOR
F
REEDOM

F
LYING FOR
F
REEDOM
T A A F
HE LLIED IR ORCES
RAF 1939–45
IN THE
ALAN BROWN
First published in 2000
This edition published in 2011
The History Press
The Mill, Brimscombe Port
Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 2QG
www.thehistorypress.co.uk
This ebook edition first published in 2011
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© Alan Brown, 2000, 2011
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EPUB ISBN 978 0 7524 6809 9
MOBI ISBN 978 0 7524 6810 5
Original typesetting by The History Press

Contents

Acknowledgements
Abbreviations

1. The Unexpected Allies
2. Poles and Czechs
3. Czechs and Poles
4. The Free French
5. The Norwegians
6. The Belgians and the Dutch
7. Conclusion
Appendix: Allied Air Strengths, 1940–44
Bibliography

Acknowledgements

This study is an extension of my earlier work, The Czechoslovak Air Force in Britain,
1940–1945, which was submitted to the University of Southampton for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy in 1997. Many of the people who assisted me on that project have
taken a keen interest in the development of Airmen in Exile, and I offer my profound
thanks to the staffs of the Public Record Office, Kew; the Royal Air Force Museum,
Hendon; the Air Historical Branch, Whitehall; the Hartley Library and New College
Library, both of the University of Southampton; the British Newspaper Library, and
Eastleigh, Leeds, Portsmouth, Southampton, Winchester and York public libraries, all of
whom have played their part in providing expert guidance and flawless service in the
procurement of the books, documents and photographs needed for the project.
I have also received very welcome assistance and correspondence from many
organisations connected with the experiences of the exiles in Britain. These include: the
Air Force History Unit of the Koninklijke Luchtmacht and the Stichting Dienstverlening
Veteranen (Holland); the Fédération Nationale des Anciens de la Royal Air Force et de la
South African Air Force 1940–45 (Belgium); and the Krigsveteranforeningen 1939–45
(Norway). Special thanks are also due to Lt Gen Av. e.r. Baron Michel Donnet DFC,
President of the Belgian Association, and Lt Gen Wilhelm Mohr of the Norwegian
Association, both of whom sent me some useful ideas and some excellent material.
General Donnet’s reminiscences, Flight to Freedom, must rank as one of the best aviation
memoirs of the war.
There has also been a host of scholars who have shared their knowledge with me and
permitted use of their research. These include Christopher Mann (King’s College,
London), Matthew Buck (Oxford), Paul Latawski (Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst)
and Martin Brown (University College, London). Numerous amateur historians in Europe
and America have also contributed information, ideas and encouragement, and I am
particularly grateful to Randal Hankla (America), Yves Duwelz and Cynrik de Decker
(Belgium), Gert Laursen (Denmark) and Louis Capdeboscq (France). Louis must have a
global reputation by now as one of the first dons of the Internet history newsgroups, and it
is high time he published some of his work to a wider audience.
Finally, my sincere thanks to my friends and colleagues at Selby College, especially
James Broad. Projects of this scale cannot be completed in isolation from ordinary life,
and together they gave me a lot of encouragement and plenty of elbow room to see it
through to completion. Thanks also to Helen Betteridge, who lent a hand with the
research, and to Linda Gray of Chelwood House, Kew, for her excellent hospitality.
Alan Brown
North Yorkshire