British Airfields of the Second World War

by Stuart Hadaway

Overview

The Second World War airfields peppered around Britain are among the most visible and widespread reminders of this devastating conflict. Some are now almost forgotten or built over; others have become museums, industrial estates or parkland; and some have been adapted and remain in operation today. In this beautifully illustrated history, aviation historian Stuart Hadaway explains the crucial part airfields played between 1939 and 1945, detailing their construction and expansion; their facilities and equipment; the many functions they housed from command and control to maintenance and bomb-loading; how the airfields were used both for defence and offence; and how they changed during the war. He also explores what life was like on the airfields, as well as listing some of the remaining sites and what can be seen today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781784423964
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	04/30/2020
Series:	Shire Library , #872
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	64
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Stuart Hadaway is a professional and published aviation historian, with two titles already in the Shire Library. As Senior Researcher at the Air Historical Branch (RAF) and former member of the research staff at the RAF Museum Hendon, he is an expert on airfields, their infrastructure, and operation.
Stuart Hadaway qualified as a museum curator in 2001 and worked in military museums at a local and national level until 2009 when he joined the Air Historical Branch (RAF) as Senior Researcher for the Official Historians of the Royal Air Force. His is currently the Research and Information Manager at the Branch, but his interest has always been in World War I and the Middle East. He has written seven books on military topics and runs the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in WWI Facebook group.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Unsinkable Aircraft Carrier
From Wood to Stone
Airfield 1940
Wartime Growth
Airfield Life
Airfield 1945
Further Reading
Places to Visit
Index

Editorial Reviews

An entertaining and informative account by an Air Historical Branch senior researcher that will appeal to veterans and ex-National Servicemen as it recreates life much as it must have been for them.” —Simon Mander, RAF News

"A good and interesting primer on a subject too often ignored in print." - Aeroplane Monthly

From the Publisher