WGSB: A Thousand Shall Fall

[tigerops]

Book Title:

A Thousand Shall Fall

Author:

Murry Peden

ISBN:

0-920002-07-2

Category:

Autobiography

Format:

Hardback

Summary:

This book covers Murry Pedens service from enlisting in 1941 to wars end. It consists of 485 pages with numerous photographs of friends,crews and aircraft, mainly Stirlings and radio counter measures B17s.
It takes you through his basic square bashing and primary flight training in Canada on Tiger moths to refresher training in the UK again on Tiger moths,to advanced training on the Oxford. From there he moved to bomber training on wellingtons and then on to the Stirling.
He covers many normal bombing missions on Stirling and a few special ops from Tempsford, dropping supplies etc to the resistance in europe.After Sterling,he moved to 214 Squadron on B17s,they were a part of 100 group who were the radio counter measures people. Their job was to jam German radar and radio with window and mandrel.He mentions that the jammers were active for D Day.They held a patrol line from the channel to 80 miles inland to frustrate the Germans.
He goes into detail of one mission where they were shot up by a Ju88,finally making it back to uk only to be hit by a lancaster after they had landed.Just proves that you're not safe until you're in debriefing.

If you can find a copy,it's a good read. It gives an insight as to what they went through in training and as a formed up bomber crew on Ops. It also shows how easily friends were lost not in battle but on routine training sorties.

It's a book that will stay in my collection and be read more than once.