World War 2 Pilot Biographies or Memoirs

[SpookyRiddle]

Hi there,

I've seen threads here and there dotted on the forums about pilot memoirs or biographies from the second world war. I'm interested in reading some for myself but I don't have a clue of where to start and I thought that you guys would know a thing or two about this.

 

So yeah, I'm looking to pick up some interesting biographies or memoirs, preferably written by a German pilot who fought throughout most of the war.

 

If you drop a recommendation, please write a line or two about what makes that particular story so memorable

 

Cheers!

[FlatSpinMan]

"the Big Show" by Pierre Clostermann.

Very well written, highly detailed account of a Frenchman flying the Tempest in late-war Western Europe. One of the best.

 

"Fighter Pilot" by Paul Richie

The other end of the spectrum. An Australian pilot in the RAF flying Hurricanes during the Battle of France and the Phoney War.

 

"I flew for the Fuehrer" by Heinz Knoke.

Great account of a 109 pilot flying against the B17's and Thunderbolts of the 8th AF in mid- to late-war Western Europe. Must read.

 

"The Blonde Knight of Germany", about the ace of aces, Erich Hartmann. It details entire career and post-war internment in the Soviet Union.

 

That's a good start.

[LLv34_Flanker]

S!

 

 Can propose Julius Meimberg's book. He was a Fw190 pilot. Günther Rall's book as well, Bf109 pilot of JG52. Anton Wöffen, quite a bit different story of a Bf109 pilot who got 5 kills during WW2. Johannes Steinhoff's book Messerschmitts over Cicily also a bit different POV. Helmut Lipfert's book, 109 ace as well. Should do a list of books I have on the shelf, both Allied and German memoirs.

[SpookyRiddle]

Wow, that's quite a few you guys got there. I read some of the reviews on the book of Gunther Rall, supposedly it wasn't very good? I'd love to read about Gunter as well as Erich Hartmann, I might start there if I can find some good e-books there. 

[LLv34_Flanker]

S!

 

 Rall's book is very good. I think people expect them to be all air to air combat, but Rall goes deeper than that as do other authors as well. I still have most of my books packed up after moving in so can't check all the names. But there are some good night fighter memoirs too.

Edited July 13, 2014 by LLv34_Flanker

[siipperi]

Galland's book is must. Sure he didn't fight entire war but there is some really interesting points he makes.

 

 

And somewhat more entertaining is Rudel's memories.

Edited July 13, 2014 by siipperi

[MarcoRossolini]

"Over Fields of Fire" by Anna Egorova is a pretty fascinating read for those of the Il-2 persuasion... 

[Feathered_IV]

A rarer one that I have enjoyed immensely is Denis Barnham's, One Man's Window.  This has been recently rereleased with the more descriptive title, Malta Spitfire Pilot.  Barnham was a talented artist and writes with a painterly sense of composition and storytelling.  His account of his tour on Malta in 1942 is incredibly vivid.  Cinematic is the best way I can think of describing it.  I'd love to see it on the big screen one day.  For now all I can do is highly recommend the book.

 

 

[FlatSpinMan]

Ooh, that one sounds good.

[FlatSpinMan]

Buggar. Not available on Kindle for some reason.

Might have to get the Beurling one, called Malta Spitfire.

[FlatSpinMan]

 

 

Just thought of another Luftwaffe pilot book. It's called "Luftwaffe Fighter Ace" by Norbert Hanning. It follows his exploits in the East in 190's. He also gets some experience in the 262, iirc. Despite the title, its actually a very unassuming book. He doesn't try to pass himself off as a hero.

[SpookyRiddle]

Well it looks like I'll have quite a lengthy list of titles to dig my way through. I think I'll start off by reading about Hartmann, Rudel, Galland and maybe Rall.

Please keep the suggestions coming though, maybe something else will surface.

 

Cheers!

[Mags]

Try 'First Light' by Geoffrey Wellum.

 

He was seventeen when he became a fighter-pilot, the youngest one in 92 Squadron.

[Feathered_IV]

Another one on my current reading list is The Fall of Fortresses  by Elmer Bendiner.  He was a young jewish-American bomb aimer during the daylight offensive against Germany.  He writes very well indeed.  His was the aircraft that came back with a number of unexploded canon shells in the wing tanks.  When the disposal people removed the rounds, they dismantled them to determine why they failed.  None contained any HE, however one contained a rolled up piece of paper with the hastily written message in Czech, "This is all we can do for you now"

[SpookyRiddle]

So I bought Gunther Rall: A Memoir, Luftwaffe Ace & NATO General the other day and I'm reading it now. I thought I'll drop by later on to provide some thoughts on the book once I finish reading it.

Cheers for the recommendation!

[Duckman]

Of the ones I've read I found Clostermann and Knoke the most interesting. Clostermann was quite a character and writes in an impressionistic style. I particularly remember him describing a dogfight like fish swimming in an aquarium, and his description of the disappointment (!) when the war ends is classic. You can also tell he was quite controversial.

 

Knoke was very young when he wrote his book, and unlike a lot of other German memoirs it doesn't appear redacted. He freely admits he was enthusiastic about Nazism ("a good idea poorly implemented", like a lot of apologists say about Communism) and describes his irritation at the foreigners (forced labourers, of course) in Berlin when he visits it during the war. It's a welcome contrast to all the "I knew nothing about Nazism" memoirs. The air combat parts are interesting too, and you get a real feel for the losses and the combat fatigue that affected veteran pilots.

[FlatSpinMan]

That's a great story, F_IV.

 

Looking forward to the update, Spooky.

 

Duckman - your comment about Knoke's book is on the money, I think. It really reads like a book written by a Luftwaffe fighter pilot of that time.

[II./JG27_Rich]

Peter Spoden's book. This is supposed to be excellent. You'll have to wait for the price to come down though. Don't ask me why it's so much.

 

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1841450324/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1841450324&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2

 

 

One reviewer said..... 4 out of 4 stars

 

By 

John Cilio (east coast) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Enemy In the Dark: The Story of a Night-Fighter Pilot (Fortunes of War) (Paperback)

I have a friend who was a German night fighter who told me to purchase this so that I could better understand how he was trained. He said the book was exactly what he experienced. I reads well, and fast. Lots of insight and accurate.

Edited July 27, 2014 by II./JG27_Rich

[Feathered_IV]

Just received my copy of  the exceedingly rare but equally excellent, Terror in the Starboard Seat by Dave McIntosh.

 

I read this many years ago, but have been chasing a mint copy for close to a decade.  It's the first hand account of a Mosquito navigator.  By his own admission he considers himself to be very much lacking in the moral fibre department.  He's frightened, highly strung, and much more at home on the ground.  He's also very unlucky.  Mostly because he's teamed up with one of the most gung-ho, lantern jawed, kill 'em all pilots the RAF ha managed to produce.  His accounts of their night intruder missions are brilliantly written and often grimly hilarious when set at counterpoint to his own internal struggles.  If you have the great good fortune to find a copy, I can definitely recommend it.