From Battle of Britain Airman to PoW Escapee

[clint]

Stumbled across this book while browsing through Amazon UK. Tells the story of Kiwi Air Gunner Ian Walker who flew in Blenheims with 600 Squadron during the Battle of Britain then in Wellingtons with 115 Squadron. He was shot down in August 1941 and taken Prisoner but was repatriated in 1943.

[errolmartyn]

Jan 28, 2017 10:01:36 GMT 12 clint said:

Stumbled across this book while browsing through Amazon UK. Tells the story of Kiwi Air Gunner Ian Walker who flew in Blenheims with 600 Squadron during the Battle of Britain then in Wellingtons with 115 Squadron. He was shot down in August 1941 and taken Prisoner but was repatriated in 1943.

From Colin Hanson’s By Such Deeds – Honours and awards in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, 1923 – 1999 :

WALKER, Warrant Officer James Ian Bradley, (bbc).
NZ40211; Born New Plymouth, 20 Feb 1920; RNZAF 15 Jan 1940 to 15 Mar 1944; PoW 6 Aug 1941 to 26 Oct 1943; Air Gunner.
During the Battle of Britain W/O Walker flew 15 sorties with 600 Sqn RAF (Blenheim). He was shot down near Louvain, Belgium, on 5/6 Aug 1941 with 115 Sqn RAF (Wellington) on his 16th bombing sortie. On crash-landing his left leg was badly injured. After spending considerable time in German military hospitals and PoW camps, from which he attempted to escape, he was repatriated on medical grounds via Marseilles to Barcelona where, on 26 Oct 1943, he was handed over to Allied authorities for trans-shipment to Egypt and thence NZ.

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Note that the book's sub title is somewhat misleading, as Walker was a member of the RNZAF and only on attachment to the RAF.

Errol

[komata]

FWIW: This title was published on 6 January 2017 by 'Pen and Sword Books' of Barnsley, UK., so it's very recent. If anyone is interested in it (or other aviation / military titles) I would suggest that a a 'Google' search for 'Pen and Sword Books' could be useful. When you reach their webpage, have a look at the 'Latest Releases' section (always a source of good and interesting titles)  and yes, they do have an online shop.

I hope that this helps; have fun.  There is a lot of very intresting stuff on that site.