WGFD: Night Bombing with the Bedouins

[The G Dog]

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Book Title:

Night Bombing with the Bedouins

Author:

Lt. Robert H. Reece

ISBN:

0-89839-161-1

Category:

History

Format:

Hardback

Summary:

99 pages. From the title, I was expecting a 'Lawrence of Arabia' of the air story. Nothing could be further from the truth. This short book can best be described as 'snapshots' of the personalities within a RAF bomber squadron. Specifically, a late war Handley-Page squadron that specialized in night bombing operations over the Western Front. While the book imparts a sense of the men that performed these daring feats, its coverage of historical bomber operations is confined to two of the six chapters. One chapter covers a single mission in detail, while the other is snapshots of memorable bombing exploits.

An interesting read that yields some colorful details regarding bomber operations. The author writes as a participant and chronicler of his outfits exploits and quirks. Its closer to biography than history. Definitely another "There I was..." type of book. Not a detailed operational history - the exact name of the squadron is never mentioned - , but full of ripping yarns and tales from the mess that serve as an example of life in any bomber squadron.