Battle Order 204

About the author......Page 1
Title page......Page 3
Contents......Page 9
'Wings' by Cecil Roberts......Page 11
Battle Order 204 (1) Bomb Doors Open!......Page 12
1 A Passion for Planes......Page 15
2 Name, Rank and Number......Page 33
Battle Order 204 (2) D Dog......Page 52
3 Slow Boat to Britain......Page 55
4 Loving Life......Page 63
Battle Order 204 (3) Target Dortmund......Page 76
5 Confronting Death......Page 79
6 Airborne Again At Last......Page 91
'High Flight' by John Gillespie Magee Jr......Page 111
7 Wimpeys and Crewing Up......Page 113
8 Heavies and 'Butch' Harris......Page 127
'An Airman's Prayer' by Hugh Brodie......Page 141
9 625 Squadron......Page 143
Battle Order 204 (4) Hit!......Page 154
10 Holland, Happy Valley and France......Page 157
Battle Order 204 (5) Put on the Parachutes!......Page 172
11 J Jig......Page 175
12 Erks and Armourers......Page 183
13 Holland and Operation Hurricane......Page 189
Battle Order 204 (6) Take Up Crash Positions!......Page 196
14 'Three of our aircraft are missing'......Page 199
15 'Bold, cautious, true, and my loving comrade'......Page 215
16 G George and D Dog......Page 227
Battle Order 204 (7) A Perfect Landing......Page 240
17 A Fractured Skull and a Headless Crew......Page 243
Battle Order 204 (8) Outstanding Devotion to Duty......Page 254
18 'It is so good to be alive!'......Page 257
19 Victory At Last!......Page 271
20 'In hospital again. Nothing serious. Don't worry.'......Page 283
21 Going Home......Page 293
Epilogue......Page 297
About the Others......Page 303
Writing Battle Order 204: a Love Story, NOT a Grocery List......Page 310
Acknowledgements......Page 312
About the Poems......Page 316
Glossary......Page 319
Sources......Page 322