The Silver Spitfire: The Legendary WWII RAF Fighter In His Own Words - Hardcover

Neil, Tom

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0297868136 ISBN 13: 9780297868132

Publisher: Orion Publishing, 2013

Synopsis

During the build up to the Allied invasion of Northern Europe, Battle of Britain hero Tom "Ginger" Neil was assigned as an RAF liaison to an American fighter squadron. Acting as a British representative, Neil was tasked with negotiating and overcoming the countless culture clashes that existed between the two allies. From encountering unfamiliar planes and uncomfortable attitudes towards the British to meeting the King of Yugoslavia and General George Patton and falling in love, Neil's time with the Americans was anything but dull. As the Allies pushed east, Neil commandeered an abandoned Spitfire as his own personal aeroplane. Erasing any evidence of its provenance and stripping it down to bare metal, it became the RAF's only silver Spitfire. Love affair and culture clashes on hold, he took the silver Spitfire into battle alongside his US comrades until with the war's end he was forced to make a difficult decision. Faced with too many questions about the mysterious rogue fighter, he contemplated increasingly desperate measures to offload it, including bailing out mid-Channel. He eventually left the Spitfire at Worthy Down, never to be seen again. The Silver Spitfire is the first-hand, gripping story of Neil's heroic experience as an RAF fighter pilot and his reminiscences with his very own personal Spitfire.

About this title

About the Author

Wing Commander Tom Neil DFC*, AFC, AE, joined 249 Squadron flying Hurricanes just before the start of the Battle of Britain. He was one of the pilots the War Ministry used in their propaganda at the time of the Battle of Britain, partly because of this height (6'4") and his good looks. He flew 141 combat missions (few pilots reached 50). His other books include Gun Button to Fire, Fighter in My Sights, and Onward to Malta.

Edition details

• Publisher: Orion Publishing
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0297868136
• ISBN 13: 9780297868132
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 302