| Welcome to 72nd Aircraft. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
| Fiction authors who were pilots in war; Any info appreciated | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 18 2016, 02:58 AM (807 Views) | |
| erussell | Aug 19 2016, 04:30 AM Post #16 |
|
C'est
![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Lt Cdr Robert Winston (USN 1935-1940 and 1941-1945, 5 kills in F6F) not only wrote some brilliant non-fiction such as Aces High and Dive Bomber, as befits a professional journalist, but also three novels, The Pentagon Case, The Welfare States and The White House Case. Aces High is a great portrayal of Europe, particularly Finland, on the brink of war. |
| Ed Russell at www.redroomodels.com | |
![]() |
|
| jvenables | Aug 19 2016, 02:44 PM Post #17 |
|
Hawk
![]() ![]() ![]()
|
James Wight (aka James Herriott) springs to mind. I know many of his books were partially autobiographical, or fiction based on his experiences as a Yorkshire veterinarian but I am unsure if his RAF service was as aircrew...? Vietnam war US naval aviator, Stephen Coonts hasn't been mentioned. He wrote "Flight of the Intruder" (subsequently made into a movie of the same name) and many other fiction novels. |
|
James from Brisbane, Australia Now living in Laos Nil illegitimi carborundum | |
![]() |
|
| keefr22 | Aug 19 2016, 03:28 PM Post #18 |
|
Who, me?
![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Errr, yes he has... :rolleyes: |
|
Keith Ryder Swansea UK 'A plan is vital, but is never more than a basis for change' | |
![]() |
|
| Flying Plastic | Aug 19 2016, 03:28 PM Post #19 |
|
Beast
![]() ![]() ![]()
|
James Herriot got halfway through pilot training and then became ill, requiring a stay in hospital. I can't remember the exact details, as it's well over thirty years since I read his account of it, but I think he may have been medically discharged. |
|
Tim Prosser. I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous! | |
![]() |
|
| dixieflyer | Aug 19 2016, 11:39 PM Post #20 |
|
Hero
![]() ![]() ![]()
|
If we're going to expand it to non-fiction, then the list gets much, much bigger. Warren |
| "History is the lie we all agree upon." | |
![]() |
|
| dknights | Aug 20 2016, 01:01 AM Post #21 |
![]()
The court of LAST RESORT!
![]() ![]() ![]()
|
That is the reason to limit it to fiction authors |
|
David M. Knights Fortes fortuna adiuvat 14 Finished: Special Armor V-2, Airfix P-51 15 Finished: SBS Gladiator engine 16 Finished: Brengun C2 Wasserfall, Merit SS-N-2 Styx, World's smallest diorama, Airfix Hurricane. 17 Finished: Japanese Carrier Deck, 18 Finished: NONE The bench:Platz T-33, Trump. T-34/85, Meng F-106, Airfix P-51 #2, Airfix P-40 Revell MiG-21F-13, Ace Citroen V-11 | |
![]() |
|
| tmeyer | Aug 22 2016, 07:58 PM Post #22 |
|
Member
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Richard Newhafer, who wrote The Last Tallyho and No More Bugles in the sky, and Arch Whitehouse, who wrote several WWI RFC/RAF fiction books, were both combat aviators min WWII and WWI, respectively. Newhafer was a naval aviator, with 3 Japanese kills to his credit. Whitehouse was an observer, then trained to be a pilot in the RFC/RAF in WWI. He took part in shooting down 4 aircraft. A couple of maybe more obscure veterans/writers. However, I read books from both and enjoyed them. Tom |
| Tom Meyer | |
![]() |
|
| dixieflyer | Aug 22 2016, 10:14 PM Post #23 |
|
Hero
![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Exactly, the thread was straying, and I was trying to redirect it. ![]() Warren |
| "History is the lie we all agree upon." | |
![]() |
|
| airjiml2 | Aug 22 2016, 10:37 PM Post #24 |
|
Beast
![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Another one I can't believe I forgot: John Magee - Spitfire Jim |
![]() |
|
| erussell | Aug 23 2016, 11:50 AM Post #25 |
|
C'est
![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Close but not quite right...... Derek Robinson did his National Service as a ground borne GCI plotter in the RAF and went on to write Goshawk Squadron and many others. PPL later in life but not a combat pilot. Pretty close Arthur Whitehouse was an observer/gunner in 22 Sqn with 4 kills and went on to write 25+ books, mostly novels. Spot on William Johns was a WW1 fighter pilot and went on to write 100+ fiction books from Mossyface to Air Commodore over a 46 year writing career. |
| Ed Russell at www.redroomodels.com | |
![]() |
|
| Graham Boak | Aug 23 2016, 12:21 PM Post #26 |
|
Hero
![]() ![]() ![]()
|
The combat requirement rules out Ernest K Gann, one of the finest aviation writers of all. He flew transports during WW2. The Hunters, by "James Salter" is perhaps the finest novel from the Korean War. I gather the author was with the USAAF in Korea, but don't know if he was a pilot or not. |
| Lancashire, UK | |
![]() |
|
| Greenshirt | Aug 23 2016, 12:27 PM Post #27 |
|
Tim Holland, Southern MD - USA
![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Quite a few Luftwaffe transport pilots would call it combat. And a few allied pilots who flew transports into Northern France after D-Day. I'm sure most theatres the transport pilots would have considered combat a possibility, albeit remote in the er remote areas. Tim |
|
Tim Holland I'm a "green shirt" because I work on the carrier's flight deck and maintain US Navy aircraft. Safe sorties are my life so we can be anywhere, anytime -- from the Sea. http://greenshirt-modeler.blogspot.com/ | |
![]() |
|
| erussell | Aug 23 2016, 10:03 PM Post #28 |
|
C'est
![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Close from the other side Fighter pilot Cecil Lewis MC flew with 3 Sqn RAF. Not a novelist but in 1931, he co-wrote and directed a film adaptation of the George Bernard Shaw play "How He Lied to Her Husband". Also a founder of the BBC Spot on Victor Yeates was a 46 Sqn fighter pilot and ace. He wrote "Winged Victory", semi-autobiographical but a work of fiction and a realistic account of aerial combat. Spot on Elliot Springs was a 16 victory pilot in the RAF and USAS. He wrote "Leave Me With A Smile" and other works based on his experiences. Also a successful businessman. |
| Ed Russell at www.redroomodels.com | |
![]() |
|
| dixieflyer | Aug 23 2016, 10:59 PM Post #29 |
|
Hero
![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Yes, Elliot Springs went on to found Spring-Aire Matresses. I was trying to find my copy of Winged Victory last night as I couldn't remember the title and author. Thanks for reminding me. Great little book. Warren |
| "History is the lie we all agree upon." | |
![]() |
|
| jvenables | Aug 24 2016, 12:45 PM Post #30 |
|
Hawk
![]() ![]() ![]()
|
Oops... that'll learn me to read the replies more thoroughly! :wacko: |
|
James from Brisbane, Australia Now living in Laos Nil illegitimi carborundum | |
![]() |
|
| « Previous Topic · General Discussion · Next Topic » |
- Pages:
- 1
- 2





![]](http://z4.ifrm.com/static/1/pip_r.png)





7:25 PM Jul 11