If you follow Canada's great aviation heritage, here is a book that is sure to "light your burners"! In 320 pages, 26 chapters and 700+ photos, Fighter Squadron celebrates one of Canada's truly legendary RCAF/CF Squadrons.
You will read of 441's beginnings, flying the famous Hurricane in a time when the unit was known as 125 squadron. In 1944 the squadron goes overseas to join in the Air Defence of Great Britain. Now known as 441 Squadron, it flies Spitfire IXs on convoy patrols, escorts Allied bombers to targets in France and conducts cross-channel "Rhubarbs" in search of targets of opportunity. Come the sprint of 1945 and 441, by then re-equipped with Mustangs, faces disbandment along with most other RCAF Squardrons.
The Squadron soon reappears. Postwar come Cold War tales of the Vampire, the the Classic Sabre. The Sabre gives way to the awesome CF-104 Starfighter, first in nuclear strike and "reece", then in conventional strike. The Starfighter equips 441 into 1986 until finally the Silver Foxes convert to the CF-18 Hornet, one of the world's top multi-role fighters. In the Hornet chapters you'll find 441 on deployment in the Arctic, competing in a host of exercies, tracking Soviet Bear bombers, in combat over Kosovo, and on post-9/11 operations.
Besides covering the aircraft, Fighter Squadron is a "people book" telling of daily life, exercises and operations. Here is a story of and for those who served. You needn't have served on 441 to totally enjoy this special book!
320 pages, hc, lf, 700+ photos, bibliography, index. |
