F LYING FOR
F REEDOM
F LYING FOR
F REEDOM
T HE A LLIED A IR F ORCES
IN THE RAF 193945
ALAN BROWN
First published in 2000
This edition published in 2011
The History Press
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This ebook edition first published in 2011
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Alan Brown, 2000, 2011
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Contents
Acknowledgements
This study is an extension of my earlier work, The Czechoslovak Air Force in Britain, 19401945 , which was submitted to the University of Southampton for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 1997. Many of the people who assisted me on that project have taken a keen interest in the development of Airmen in Exile , and I offer my profound thanks to the staffs of the Public Record Office, Kew; the Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon; the Air Historical Branch, Whitehall; the Hartley Library and New College Library, both of the University of Southampton; the British Newspaper Library, and Eastleigh, Leeds, Portsmouth, Southampton, Winchester and York public libraries, all of whom have played their part in providing expert guidance and flawless service in the procurement of the books, documents and photographs needed for the project.
I have also received very welcome assistance and correspondence from many organisations connected with the experiences of the exiles in Britain. These include: the Air Force History Unit of the Koninklijke Luchtmacht and the Stichting Dienstverlening Veteranen (Holland); the Fdration Nationale des Anciens de la Royal Air Force et de la South African Air Force 194045 (Belgium); and the Krigsveteranforeningen 193945 (Norway). Special thanks are also due to Lt Gen Av. e.r. Baron Michel Donnet DFC, President of the Belgian Association, and Lt Gen Wilhelm Mohr of the Norwegian Association, both of whom sent me some useful ideas and some excellent material. General Donnets reminiscences, Flight to Freedom , must rank as one of the best aviation memoirs of the war.
There has also been a host of scholars who have shared their knowledge with me and permitted use of their research. These include Christopher Mann (Kings College, London), Matthew Buck (Oxford), Paul Latawski (Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst) and Martin Brown (University College, London). Numerous amateur historians in Europe and America have also contributed information, ideas and encouragement, and I am particularly grateful to Randal Hankla (America), Yves Duwelz and Cynrik de Decker (Belgium), Gert Laursen (Denmark) and Louis Capdeboscq (France). Louis must have a global reputation by now as one of the first dons of the Internet history newsgroups, and it is high time he published some of his work to a wider audience.
Finally, my sincere thanks to my friends and colleagues at Selby College, especially James Broad. Projects of this scale cannot be completed in isolation from ordinary life, and together they gave me a lot of encouragement and plenty of elbow room to see it through to completion. Thanks also to Helen Betteridge, who lent a hand with the research, and to Linda Gray of Chelwood House, Kew, for her excellent hospitality.
Alan Brown
North Yorkshire
Abbreviations
AACU | Army Air Co-Operation Unit |
ACAS | Assistant Chief of the Air Staff + (P) Policy; (I) Intelligence; (O) Operations |
ACM | Air Chief Marshal |
ADC | Aide-de-Camp |
ADGB | Air Defence of Great Britain |
AFC | Air Force Cross |
AFO | Allied Forces Committee |
AFOSC | Allied Forces (Official) Sub-Committee |
Air Cdre | Air Commodore |
AM | Air Marshal |
AMP | Air Member for Personnel |
AMPC | Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps |
AMSO | Air Member for Supply and Organisation |
AMT | Air Member for Training |
AOC | Air Officer Commanding |
AVM | Air Vice-Marshal |
BMR | British Military Representative |
C-in-C | Commander-in-Chief |
CAS | Chief of the Air Staff |
CIGS | Commander of the Imperial General Staff |
CNC | Czechoslovak National Committee |
CO | Commanding Officer |
COS | Chiefs of Staff |
COS 120 | Common name for paper 120 (1944) by the Chiefs of Staff Committee |
D of M | Director of Manning |
D of O | Director of Organisation |
D of O(I) | Director of Operations (Intelligence) |
D of P | Director of Postings |
D of Plans | Director of Plans |
DAAC | Director(ate) of Allied Air Co-Operation |
DAFL | Director(ate) of Allied Air Co-Operation and Foreign Liaison |
DCAS | Deputy Chief of the Air Staff |
DFC | Distinguished Flying Cross |
DGO | Director General of Organisation |
DPS | Director of Personal Services |
DSO | Distinguished Service Order |
ERPC | Expansion and Re-equipment Policy Committee |
Flt/Lt | Flight Lieutenant |
Flt/Sgt | Flight Sergeant |
FO | Foreign Office (British) |
GDB | General Duties Branch |
GHQ | General Headquarters |
GOC | General Officer Commanding |
Gp Capt | Group Captain |
GR | General Reconnaissance |
GRU | General Reconnaissance Unit |
HFU | Home Ferry Unit |
HO | Home Office (British) |
JIC | Joint Intelligence Sub-Committee |
MAC | Mediterranean Air Command |
MAP | Ministry of Aircraft Production |
MC | Military Cross |
MNO | Ministry of National Defence (Czechoslovak) |
MO | Medical Officer |
MP | Member of Parliament (British) |
MRAF | Marshal of the Royal Air Force |
NCO | Non-Commissioned Officer |
NEI | Netherland East Indies |