Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 22, 2005 18:14:57 GMT 12
PILOT ON THE RUN
The Escape From Occupied France of Flight Sergeant L.S.M. (Chalky) White, RNZAF
As told to Errol Brathwaite
Century Hutcheson 1986
Wow! This is a fantastic book, telling the incredible story of 485 (NZ) Squadron Spitfire pilot Les "Chalky" White's escape after crashing in France.
While escorting Marauder bombers on an attack on the 22nd of August 1943, Chalky shot down a FW190, was himself shot down, and on his descent to French soil shot down a second FW190. He crash landed, and made an escape from the downed Spitfire.
He then began an incredible journey from near Le Havre, northern France, where he crashed, all the way down to Spain and Gibraltar. He did it without the aid of the Underground assisted routes, and the only time he was involved directly with the Underground was by chance when one member helped him across the Pyrenees.
All the way he took extreme risks, knocking on doors at random, bumping into teenagers who were keen to assist, and not being able to speak a word of French or Spanish, or German for that matter. He escaped from German capture right at the beginning, having been a "prisoner" for less than an hour, and from that time had to use cunning to avoid the German soldiers and Gestapo, and the French Gendarme.
The book is written by a great author, Errol Brathwaite, who'd also been in the RNZAF as a Ventura gunner in the Pacific. He has a real way with storytelling and captures the mood well. The book is very difficult to put down once you begin to read it, I am a notoriously slow reader but managed to read this in less than two and a half days, which is quite something for me as I am usually distracted and take weeks to read such a book.
If you want to read a true story of adventure, daring, courage and shear good luck, I highly recommend this book. It is quite easy to pick up second-hand, or in NZ libraries.
The Escape From Occupied France of Flight Sergeant L.S.M. (Chalky) White, RNZAF
As told to Errol Brathwaite
Century Hutcheson 1986
Wow! This is a fantastic book, telling the incredible story of 485 (NZ) Squadron Spitfire pilot Les "Chalky" White's escape after crashing in France.
While escorting Marauder bombers on an attack on the 22nd of August 1943, Chalky shot down a FW190, was himself shot down, and on his descent to French soil shot down a second FW190. He crash landed, and made an escape from the downed Spitfire.
He then began an incredible journey from near Le Havre, northern France, where he crashed, all the way down to Spain and Gibraltar. He did it without the aid of the Underground assisted routes, and the only time he was involved directly with the Underground was by chance when one member helped him across the Pyrenees.
All the way he took extreme risks, knocking on doors at random, bumping into teenagers who were keen to assist, and not being able to speak a word of French or Spanish, or German for that matter. He escaped from German capture right at the beginning, having been a "prisoner" for less than an hour, and from that time had to use cunning to avoid the German soldiers and Gestapo, and the French Gendarme.
The book is written by a great author, Errol Brathwaite, who'd also been in the RNZAF as a Ventura gunner in the Pacific. He has a real way with storytelling and captures the mood well. The book is very difficult to put down once you begin to read it, I am a notoriously slow reader but managed to read this in less than two and a half days, which is quite something for me as I am usually distracted and take weeks to read such a book.
If you want to read a true story of adventure, daring, courage and shear good luck, I highly recommend this book. It is quite easy to pick up second-hand, or in NZ libraries.