All the Fine Young Eagles: In the Cockpit with Canada's Second World War Fighter Pilots

Sidney Allinson is a Victoria-based communications consultant, Canadian
news correspondent for Britain’s The Army Quarterly and Defence, and
the author of Military Archives: International Directory of Military
Publications and The Bantams: The Untold St

Over the past 80 years, Canadians have demonstrated a remarkable skill
in flying military aircraft. In this collection of reminiscences, the
details of World War II flying operations are interwoven with the
personal stories of numerous airmen on the ground: their wartime
romances, home leaves, and the prevailing attitudes of the time. We
learn about famous pilots—such as the eccentric “Buzz” Buerling,
Canada’s highest-scoring ace; the superb wing leader Buck McNair; and
that valiant air warrior Don Laubman—and about scores of
less-well-known Canadians who fought high above every battlefront where
British Commonwealth forces were deployed during six years of war. That
the author is currently a serving jet-fighter pilot in the Canadian
Forces no doubt contributes to the clarity and authenticity of his
descriptions of air combat. He is also strong at describing such
legendary World War II fighter planes as the Spitfire, the Hurricane,
the Typhoon, and the Mustang. There are photographs depicting individual
flyers and aircraft; a few maps would have been welcome. All in all,
this is a fine tribute to the fighter pilots of 50 years ago.