Books by RAF Apprentices

John Searby,19th Entry
‘The Everlasting Arms’

Aircraft Apprentice to Air Commodore-wartime bomber captain and ‘Master Bomber’

John’s ‘CV’
http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Searby.htm

the book

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Everlasting-Arms-Memoir-John-Searby/dp/0718306805/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262773403&sr=1-6

A very interesting book BTW

Hamish mahaddie (17th)…’Hamish’
Memoirs of ex brat
Pathfinder and Battle of Britain film advisor etc

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hamish-Story-Pathfinder-G-Mahaddie/dp/071101826X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262805958&sr=1-1

Hi Judwin…I am an ex ‘brat’ myself (218th CCA)
Some brats did very well !!

Ted Stocker 37th

A Pathfinders War

Pathfinder Flight Engineer DSO
Trained as RAF pilot post WW2

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pathfinders-War-Extraordinary-Surviving-Operations/dp/1906502528/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250146461&sr=1-1

Through Chestnut Avenue by Tom Pennal- Halton Brat to British Aerospace via WW2 aircrew. Very readable.

http://openlibrary.org/b/OL12289805M/Through_Chestnut_Avenue

Slight thread creep but if talking about ex Halton brats,i feel I should mention Gp Capt Frank Carey,AFAIK he has not written any books but Norman Franks wrote ‘Frank Chota Carey’ about him.
He joined up as a 15 yr old brat and became one of the most highly regarded fighter pilots/leaders,ISTR that there was a school of thought some years ago which said that Carey actually was the highest scoring RAF pilot of WW2.

rgds baz

PM sent.

Omitted one from my list:
The Little Book of Crooner Legends (GUP) can’t remember the ISBN – didn’t get a personal copy as the supplier took all they could get there hands on:D

Wing Commander Joe Northrop

Joe – The Autobiography Of A Trenchard Brat

Square One 1993 ISBN 1-872017-69-X

David Graham (aka ‘Evan’ Wilbur Wright 33rd Entry) wrote the following fiction.

DOWN TO A SUNLESS SEA – 1979

SIDEWALL – 1983 (ISBN 0 330 26942 90

SEVEN YEARS TO SUNSET 1985

and as Wilbur Wright

CARTER’S CASTLE 1983

NOW CENTURION – 1991

I believe he was also a Technical Author on Hovercraft.

Think Agcat might have an input here!!

Wing Commander Joe Northrop

Joe – The Autobiography Of A Trenchard Brat

Square One 1993 ISBN 1-872017-69-X

I believe Joe Northrop was also 19th entry

rgds baz

I have just read 2 more books by ex Brats.

Turbulent Years by Brian Waugh (38th entry)
He was an Engine Fitter,later trained as RAF Pilot and eventually ended up in NZ flying Rapides etc as a commercial pilot post war.

Sent Flying by Bill Pegg – He was a Cranwell Apprentice (joining 1921),He was also an Engine Fitter but went the Sgt Pilot/QFI/Commissioned/Martlesham test pilot route before leaving the RAF and joining Bristol as a test pilot in Dec 1935.

I knew I had at least one more –
Slightly more modern

Hold fast to your dreams by George Lee

100th entry 1962
Learned to fly gliders with the GSA at Bicester.
1967 – selected for pilot training – Church Fenton on Chipmunks,thence to Leeming on JP 3+4.
After advanced training at Valley – posted to Coningsby on Phantoms.
Triple Gliding World Champion (Open Class )

There are the following by Pat Cunnigham:

Brat to Well Beloved: RAF Apprentice to Air Electronics Officer (Autobiograhical, Pat Cunningham DFM Book 1) Kindle Edition
by Pat Cunningham (Author)

Apprentice to a Pilot: RAF Apprentice to RAF Pilot (Autobiographical, Pat Cunningham, DFM Book 2)

The Simple Captain: Transport Captain, to Refresher Flying Instructor, to Ground Operations, to BMA (Autobiographical Pat Cunningham Book 3)

The Kind Commander: Nineteen Years in British Midland Airways (Autobiographical Pat Cunningham DFM Book 4)

exmpa

Sqn Ldr KR (Jacko) Jackson AFC who wrote Fifty Two Years In The Cockpit (vols1+2)
Was a U/T Fitter IIA (Rigger) in the 40th entry at Halton – they joined up in Aug 1939 and had a very short wartime course at 20 months.
He managed to get accepted for aircrew in 1943 and by 1944 was out in Southern Rhodesia – training at 25 EFTS Belvedere and 20 SFTS Cranborne.

Jacko was a real gent and his 2 books are very interesting – dunno why I forgot to add his name to this thread in 2010.
After a weather diversion into Abingdon in 1980 Jacko kindly let me have the Bomb Aimers posn for a flight in the Lanc which included a low flyby at Luton Airport and displays at Duxford,Belton House and Nottingham Airport 😀

Books by Ex-Brats

I am in the process of compiling a bibliography of books written by RAF Apprentices. I am actually looking for all books regardless of subject, but I appreciate that this forum, must keep to Aviation history to stick to it’s brief, However, I will understand if there are a few accidents due to over-enthusiasm.
I have asked on their own website, but I am sure that those of you who know ‘Brats’ will be aware of what a modest lot they are, whereas I have great faith in this forums capability to winkle out the most illusive data.
So gentlemen, a plea for help: Books by Brats please.

Author (Entry if known) – Title – Publisher – Date – ISBN

Hi Judwin, I’m not aware of any of the Halton ex-Brats I know that have written any books. However, it may be worthwhile searching for entry newsletters of which there are a number, I edit one of them. There is also the RAFHAAA that you may have been in contact with. Best of luck with your endeavours.