My holiday read - Air war over Gallipoli

**Biggles downunder** · 03-25-2016 22:46

I have just finished my first holiday read: ‘Gallipoli Air War, The unknown story of the fight for the skies over Gallipoli’ by High Dolan.

It has been a fascinating read! From the introduction:

‘The story of the Gallipoli air war has lain neglected for almost 100 years. Yet over 2000 missions were flown by the early aviators of both sides, engaged in bombing, reconnaissance, naval gunfire correction and torpedoing of enemy vessels.’

‘Indeed the last Australian to die at Gallipoli was an Australian aviator.’

One of my favourite passages from early in the book describes a Turkish aviator flying a Bleriot to bomb HMS Majestic with four round hand grenades in his lap and smoking a cigar in order to light the wicks! The description of the Bleriot is priceless –‘(It) had a large wheel attached to the joystick; the cockpit resembled the product of an illicit affair between a motor vehicle and a Da Vinci sketch.

After throwing the grenades over the side, and missing, ‘Honour satisfied and bothnhands now back on the wheel, Cemel returned to the grass aerodrome outside Channakale. He had managed to eke out of the Bleriot a top speed of 60mph on his triumphant flight home.

Oh, and the pilot who shot down the last Australian to die? His name was Hans Joachim Buddeke!

The book contains extensive appendices listing all of the aircraft flown during the campaign as well as many other interesting tables of facts and figures.

All in all, an excellent read covering a little know aspect of WW1 history!