Page 160 - Demo

160career had a notable start, as he was one of the first of the new breed of commissioned observers. He flew a tour on Whitleys with No 58 Sqn in 1940841 before being sent to Canada to attend the %u2018Spec N%u2019 Course. After a few months at the Air Ministry, he joined No 24 Sqn in 1943 to become the navigator in a hand8picked crew that was to fly VVIPs in, first a York and later a C854 Skymaster, for the remainder of the war. The list of passengers is headed by the King and the PM and tails off with lesser fry like mere Commanders8in8Chief and sundry Cabinet Ministers. The destinations included such exotic locations as Algiers, Tehran, Adana, Marrakesh, Saki, Cairo, Montreal, Athens and Moscow (twice). This section of the book, with its observations on some of the personalities involved, is of particular interest. After the war Mitchell stayed in uniform and, after an early stint in Washington, he spent 1947851 in a series of navigational appointments at Marham, Cranwell and Manby. These were followed by tours at the Ministry (Operational Requirements) and the RAE before a switch to diplomacy and intelligence with postings to the Cabinet Office, Cyprus and, by now an air commodore, as Air Attach%u00e9 in Moscow, with his final appointment being back at the MOD with the Defence Intelligence Staff. So, is it good, bad or indifferent? It is good. It%u2019s a shame about the wobbly bits, but these are more prevalent in the first sixty pages or so, and once the story reaches the VIP8flying stage there are relatively few double8takes. I have no hesitation in recommending this one, and not just for navs. %u00093%u000e%u0006%u0018%u0015(%8%u0006%u00139%u0006(%u0006%u0019%u0013%u00140%u0006%u0004%u0015%u0014%u0017% by Campbell Muirhead (and Philip Swan). Pen and Sword, 2010. %u00a319.99. This is another adapted personal memoir; in this case two wartime diaries written by Campbell Muirhead. He died in 1993 so they have been %u2018edited and annotated%u2019 for publication by Philip Swan. The first runs from February 1942 to August 1943 and covers Muirhead%u2019s training in North America, an unsuccessful attempt to become a pilot in Arizona followed by a transfer to Canada where he qualified as an air bomber and was retained for a period as an instructor. The second covers an eleven8week/thirty8sortie tour on Lancasters with No 12 Sqn