Diary of a Night Bomber Pilot in World War I

Pilot Leslie Semple's diary is captured and put into context in this unique volume. How do you fly a Handley Page across France in total darkness? The answer is the Lighthouse system, just one of the revelations in this record of ingenuity and courage. With the expert guidance of retired Wing Commander Mawby, Clive Semple has produced an overview of World War I aviation from a new and revelatory perspective. Leslie Semple was told when he volunteered for the Flying Corps that it was “about as safe as infantry.” Notwithstanding the carnage of the trenches, his instructors knew this was a lie. It includes many unpublished photographs from an unarguably unique record of the experience of World War I, and tells a story of intrepidity and sacrifice.

Clive Semple has spent many years collating and preparing the diary for publication. Wing Commander Mawby, now retired and an ex-instructor at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, now the curator of the base's impressive archives, has brought his enormous expertise to bear.