Portraits of Heroes

Derbyshire Fighter Pilots in the Second World War

From day one of the Second World War to the last, fighter pilots from Derbyshire were active. They fought the Germans over France during the Blitzkrieg, played a vital part in the Battle of Britain, and operated over the Western Desert, Syria, Greece, Sicily, Italy, Malta and the Atlantic, as well as against the Japanese over the Timor Sea. Derbyshiremen flew sweeps, ground attacks, escorts and fighter-bomber missions into the heart of the Reich. Through bad times and good, they made a significant contribution to the final defeat of the Axis. Barry M. Marsden brings together the fully researched stories of the aviators who hailed from the Peak County. He recounts the stirring deeds and tragic deaths of the courageous pilots who fought to rid the world of the Axis scourge. The result of twenty-five years' research, the book was prepared with the cooperation of several of the surviving pilots, as well as the families of the deceased. It serves as a comprehensive group biography of thirty-three men as brave as any Derbyshire has produced.