Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1824332 in Books
• Published on: 1993-01-21
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 248 pages

Customer Reviews

Top scoring RAF fighter pilot - unknown hero !!
This book tells the fascinating story of Squadron Leader Marmaduke StJohn Pattle and his time with the RAF during the early years of WW II. Leaving his native South Africa and intent on joining the RAF, he and the RAF soon discovered that Pattle was not only a superb pilot and natural leader but a highly accurate shot and in possesion of phenomenal eyesight, seeing enemy aircraft way before they ever got to see him. During those dark days of 1940-41 when Britain stood mainly alone against Germany & Italy Pattle built up a consideral score of victories aginst Italian and later in Greece, German fighters. In spite of illness Pattle continued to lead his squadron into battle and was eventually shot down over Athens. The book is well written and takes the reader into those difficult times in Egypt & Greece. One small criticism is that the book virtually stops after his death there being little information of his impact on future RAF policy for air to air fighting. Pattle remains almost unknown within the story of air combat during WW II with people like Bader, Johnson, Caldwel, etc stealing much of the limelight, however Pattle shot down more aircraft than any of these great pilots. Whilst his final total will never be accurately known it certainly was more than 40, possibly 50+ making him the top scoring Allied fighter pilot outside of Russia. This book is a fitting tribute to those wonderful brave Commonwealth volunteers who eagerly joined the cause to defeat Germany & Italy.

Synopsis
The story of Squadron leader Pat Pattle, a fighter ace with the RAF who shot down over forty enemy planes over Greece during World War 2