Steve Darlow

The Great Escape has gone down in history as a story of bravery and cunning that ultimately led to the killing of fifty prisoners of war, all officially recorded as ‘beim Fluchtversuch erschossen’ – shot whilst attempting to escape. While the names of surviving escapers may be familiar, having lived to tell their stories, most of the murdered fifty are less well known, and many receive no more than a footnote in the stories, films and documentaries created thus far. So, who were these men? Where did they come from? How much fighting had they done? And how did they come to be prisoners of war? In The Fifty – The Fallen Heroes of the Great Escape, authors Steve Darlow and Sean Feast present the stories of the killed escapers. They look at their early lives, operational careers, and how they came to be in Stalag Luft 3. They touch upon the very human side of the escape and its aftermath, how the families came to be told, and their practical struggles even thirty years after the event to conclude their loved ones’ affairs in obtaining proof of how, where, and when they died. Crucially, the authors look at the way in which the lives of the murdered men are commemorated, and how their families wished them to be remembered. Brought together in a single volume, The Fifty presents a series of profiles of the fallen heroes – an homage for those whose bid for freedom ended in the most tragic circumstances.

During the Second World War Royal Air Force Bomber Command suffered unprecedented casualty rates. Those who served, were killed, and were found, now rest in Commonwealth War Graves Commission graves across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. Of these, almost 30,000 headstones bear emotive and poignant epitaphs, chosen by the next of kin, which, in varied ways, express their loss. Some families selected literary quotes or decided upon a phrase in Latin or other language. Many wished to reflect the sacrifice made in confronting the enemy, in defence of their country, or the sacrifice of a pilot who stayed at the controls of his aircraft to save his crew. Other families referenced siblings of the airmen, who were similarly lost. There were those who chose mild humour. Often the epitaph would mention the wife and children of the casualty, or the bereaved may have selected a phrase from the last letter they received from their loved one. Others found, in their hearts, their own words. In Epitaphs of Bomber Command Steve Darlow and Dave Gilbert select one hundred epitaphs, providing further detail about the respective casualty, along with an insight into the words chosen for the inscriptions. Words that were restricted by a war graves commission limit on the number of letters. This collection, published eighty years after the end of the Second World War and specific to RAF Bomber Command, provides a direct and sombre insight into the cost of war at a personal level. ‘We Will Remember Them’.

Bomber Command pilot George Dunn DFC L d’H completed forty-four operations during the Second World War. George flew his first tour in 1943, on Handley Page Halifax bombers, during one of the most intense periods of the bombing war. Following two trips as a second pilot with No. 10 Squadron, to gain operational experience, George, accompanied by his usual flight engineer Ferris Newton DFM, then flew with No. 76 Squadron crew from May to October 1943, taking part in the Battle of the Ruhr, the Battle of Hamburg and the raid against the German secret weapon research station at Peenemünde. On completion of his tour, and a period as an instructor pilot, George then took up duties flying de Havilland Mosquitos, firstly with No. 608 Squadron and then with No. 1409 Met Flight. In Resolute, the title being the No. 76 Squadron motto, George and Ferris describe in detail their journey from novice airmen, through training, to crewing up and operational duties. It was a time at which the attrition rates in the air battle over Germany were escalating and the odds were against completing a full tour. Despite the pressures of operations George, Ferris and the crew find time to enjoy life – to the full! In the latter stages of the war, George then recalls with fondness and admiration, the opportunity to fly Mosquitos. Resolute is based on the detailed diary that Ferris kept during the war, and on accounts written by George, along with recorded interviews. Author Steve Darlow, with his extensive knowledge of the Bomber Command story, provides the context in which George, Ferris, and their crew went to war. Illustrated with photographs, and images from George’s logbook, Resolute tells the gripping story of one crew’s fight for survival, and their contribution to the eventual defeat of Nazism.

‘For you the war is over’. ‘Last of the Kriegies’ tells the extraordinary stories of five of the last remaining Second World War RAF Bomber Command Prisoners-of-War: pilot Reg Barker, bomb aimer Charles Clarke, air gunner David Fraser, air gunner Albert Gunn and navigator Henry Wagner. Each veteran shares the journey they went through joining up with the Royal Air Force, their training and crewing up, and operational duties with RAF Bomber Command. We accompany them on raids over enemy territory as they fight to survive against the relentless flak, searchlights, and deadly enemy nightfighters. Eventually each airmen’s next of kin receives a knock on the door and the dreaded ‘regret to inform’ you telegram. Reg, Charles, David, Albert and Henry describe the circumstances in which they are shot from the sky, descending by parachute in to hostile territory, and their subsequent failed attempt to avoid capture. Interrogation follows and we hear how the downed airmen negotiate the aggressive and devious tactics employed by their captors as they try and extract secret information. Our ‘Kriegsgefangener’ soon find themselves behind the barb wire of a German prison camp facing the trials and tribulations of daily life as a ‘kriegie’; the battle with hunger and frustration, the baiting and harassing of prison guards, friendships made, and attempts to break out and escape their captivity. In the final months of the war some of our POWs endure the gruelling and harsh conditions of the forced ‘Long March’. Despite frustrating delays, as the Nazi regime enters its final death throes, our airmen eventually taste the sweetness of liberation and journey home to loved ones and family. Fighting High Publishing and Bomber Command historian Steve Darlow present the extraordinary testimony of five veterans who endured and survived being shot down, captivity, degradation, and suffering. Illustrated with previously unpublished photographs and with a foreword from former Gulf War POW Squadron Leader Bob Ankerson RAF (Ret’d) ‘Last of the Kriegie’s' reveals the extraordinary strength and resilience of the human spirit struggling with incarceration and the loss of freedom.

‘Tonight you are going to the Big City. You will have the opportunity to light a fire in the belly of the enemy that will burn his black heart out.’ The message from Commander-in-Chief of RAF Bomber Command Sir Arthur Harris was clear. As the Second World War continued into a fifth year, the airmen of Bomber Command were to fly deep into hostile airspace and bring the war direct to the German Nazi capital Berlin. From the autumn of 1943 to the last days of winter in early 1944, during the hours of extended darkness, the bomber crews braved the flak, the searchlights, enemy night fighters and extremes of weather, to bombard the ‘black heart’. Prior to the all-out campaign against the ‘Big City’ Sir Arthur Harris firmly believed his bomber force could break the German will to wage war, but he also prophesied that ‘It will cost us between 400 and 500 aircraft’. Fighting High Publishing brings together acclaimed Bomber Command historians to tell the story of some of the thousands of airmen who failed to return from operations as part of the 1943 and 1944 Bomber Command Battle of Berlin. The authors, utilising family archives, personal testimony and records, wartime memoirs, diaries and letters, witness recollections, logbooks, and official documents, piece together the remarkable, yet ultimately tragic events surrounding the losses described. Illustrated throughout with previously unpublished black and white and colour photographs Bomber Command Battle of Berlin Failed to Return ensures the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice is kept alive. ‘We Will Remember Them’.

In the Summer of 1944 Nazi Germany launched its terrifying Vergeltungswaffen (reprisal weapon) attack against the population of south-east England. Under direct attack the Allies responded. The Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower was quite clear that the V-weapon counter measures were of paramount importance over everything except the urgent requirements of the D-Day and Normandy land battle, ’this priority to obtain until we can be certain that we have definitely gotten the upper hand of this particular business.’ He would use all the resources at his disposal including the Royal Air Force’s heavy bomber force. The task for RAF Bomber Command was simple. If the bomber crews could reduce the number of V1s launched, the fighter aircraft and gun defences had a better chance to intercept and shoot down the flying bombs. But these pilotless aircraft were not the only menace, the V2 rocket offensive would soon be launched, and the Allies closely monitored the construction of what they came to learn was the V3 ‘supergun’ site. When the war came to a close Bomber Command could justifiably claim success against the V-Weapons. There was a cost though – a cost in aircrew lives. V-Weapons Bomber Command Failed to Return tells the story of some of those airmen who were prepared to risk their lives countering the German V-Weapon offensive in direct defence of the civilian population. They had responded to what British Prime Minister Winston Churchill described as the attempt to ‘blast the viper in his nest’. Their story deserves to be told. ‘We Will Remember Them’.

During WWII, on one raid alone, Nuremburg March 1944, more Bomber Command airmen lost their lives than were lost in the Battle of Britain. These were ordinary men who became part of extraordinary events. One such was Arthur Darlow, the author?s grandfather. A pilot of a Lancaster crew in 405 RCAF, he was one of the legions of men who took the offensive against the enemy for most of the war. Their story, vivdly recreated here, is special. The crew?s tour starts with Bomber Command?s Main Offensive in late 1943. German night fighters and flak regiments defend their homeland with grim determination and losses are high. But our crew survive. Thousands do not. Darlow?s crew continue, through D-Day and the invasion of Western Europe. One day though, they are shot down over Belgium, to become, in turn, prisoner, evader, casualty. Collectively they experience it all. Not romanticised but written with feeling and respect, this book should be read by all age groups.

From 1943 to 1945, the Allied bombing offensive escalated to unprecedented levels. "Special Op: Bomber" is an action-packed account of this battle in the skies over Europe, from the perspective of the men who undertook the highly dangerous job of flying the bombers. Throughout the unrelenting and destructive air campaign there were certain vital operations that required the airmen of the RAF and the USAAF to take their skills to new levels, and to display courage above and beyond the call of duty. "Special Op: Bomber" draws upon a wealth of these courageous veterans' stories, many of them previously unpublished. The vivid firsthand accounts convey the peril of Allied air combat in World War II with breathtaking immediacy.