Paul Henry Mills Richey: 'Fighter pilot: A personal record of the campaign in F….'

I wasn’t singling her out particularly, but far be it from me to deprive you of your chance to bask in reflected glory.

Moggy

Flea collar need replacing Rob?

Funny, I thought ‘Blue Man Falling’ owed more than a little to ‘Fighter Pilot’. No criticism at all, they are both excellent books.

Years since I read Piece of Cake, must find a copy somewhere.

Lets not forget the incompleted ‘Volume 2’ – A Fighter Pilots Summer with Norman Franks.

That’s the first time I’ve heard a wife called a supporter.

I wasn’t singling her out particularly, but far be it from me to deprive you of your chance to bask in reflected glory.

Moggy

Mark…your book sounds a lovely item. This is one of my treasures, given to me by Paul Richey when I picked him up at Westhampnett in 1980 and drove him to Tangmere when we were setting up the museum. When I drove him back to the airport he took out the “D” ring he had kept since one of his May 1940 bale-outs and gave it to me. A memorable moment.

i have one of the ‘anonymous’ 1941 copies, i’ve read it many times, and it was years after i first read it that i actually discovered who wrote it.

Yes!

W/C Richey and latterly some of his supporters, have waged a vociferous campaign against Derek Robinson for his book Piece of Cake, claiming it to be largely derived from and a thinly disguised version of his squadron’s experiences a detailed in Fighter Pilot.

Moggy

That’s the first time I’ve heard a wife called a supporter. A charming lady, Diana Richey, and very protective of her husbands memory. And rightly so.

PS, Paul Richey commanded 609 Squadron at Duxford. he had previously been a flight commander with them under his brother-in-law Michael Robinson.

So has anyone identified the location on plates 22 “British bombs on an enemy convoy” and 23 “More British bombs on an enemy-held aerodrome”?

Plate 26 looks very strange – possibly doctored?
Plate 1 is missing but thanks to post 19, I can see what it looks like.

Apparently I have the October 1941 reprint!

Is there a more updated “uncensored ” version of Paul Richeys memoirs?.
Just googled and found these
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fighter-Pilot-Cassell-Military-Paperbacks/dp/0304363391/ref=sr_1_1/202-9629988-8376659?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1173183873&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fighter-Pilots-Summer-Paul-Richey/dp/1904010628
Looks like some good reading coming up.:)

For security reasons the early wartime editions of this book, first published in 1941, did not reveal the name of the author, S/Ldr Paul Richey.

Mark

That was why I was so suspicious Full title came from Librarything .com.

Thank you Mark and everyone. I’ll see if it is still there.

W/C Richey and latterly some of his supporters, have waged a vociferous campaign against Derek Robinson for his book Piece of Cake, claiming it to be largely derived from and a thinly disguised version of his squadron’s experiences a detailed in Fighter Pilot.

And one can see Richey’s point, however Piece of Cake is also an excellent read, and (IMHO) is a little less accepting and uncritical of fighter pilot behaviour. While Richey wouldn’t like it, both books can be read together and seen as an example of the strengths and weaknesses of the first hand account versus a historian’s approach, and fiction as against ‘fact’. Richey’s honesty is not under question, but his account, due to wartime censorship and attitudes, is ironically less factual than Robinson’s ‘fictional’ account.

Well worth 2 quid.

Yes!

W/C Richey and latterly some of his supporters, have waged a vociferous campaign against Derek Robinson for his book Piece of Cake, claiming it to be largely derived from and a thinly disguised version of his squadron’s experiences a detailed in Fighter Pilot.

Moggy

Didn’t Richey write another book detailing his later wartime career?

For security reasons the early wartime editions of this book, first published in 1941, did not reveal the name of the author, S/Ldr Paul Richey.

All the 1 Squadron pilots in the book were referred to by Christian or nick-names. “Billy” was of course the irrepressible Billy Drake and to the best of my belief is still going strong. I had the pleasure of participating in the recovery of his Hurricane in France for a TV thing a few years back.

I still have my original copy of this book picked up as a schoolboy in the 1950’s. I acquired a further copy in a book shop some years ago that had been signed by all the surviving ‘Battle of France’ 1 Squadron pilots at a reunion at Tangmere in the early 195O’s. Billy kindly resigned the book.

Mark

you wont find a better fighter pilots account of the campaign in france, superb ,..read it several times

Get back down there and grab it!!! i dont care that its 9.40pm wake the bookseller , his wife whoever it takes…just get that book!!!!

Its great as you might have quessed!

Hello
Yes and read this classic book.

Yes, It documents No 1 Sqn in France. Frankenburgers MG 15 gun is still with the Sqn.

John

😎 For £2 ,blimey thats not a pack of fags or a drink or 2 in the pub ,but that book is many hours of interesting reading.

YES!!!!!