On the Edge

Sidney Allinson is a Victoria-based communications consultant, Canadian
news correspondent for Britain’s The Army Quarterly and Defence, and
author of The Bantams: The Untold Story of World War I.

On the Edge describes what it was like to fly combat with the Royal
Canadian Air Force in hostile skies over war-torn Europe. Flight
Lieutenant Robert Brown saw much action, mainly while piloting a P–51
Mustang, one of the best fighter aircraft of the Second World War. Early
on in his overseas duty, he had the hazardous job of flying
photo-reconnaissance over Nazi-occupied Europe in preparation for the
Allied invasion. The enemy was so concerned about these missions that
they made an all-out effort to shoot down the camera planes. Even more
exciting times began when Brown flew “Rhubarb” missions—low-level
strafing operations to attack enemy traffic and airfields at
near-tree-top height. His service with RAF Tactical Command took him to
many hot spots in the European theatre of operations, cumulating in his
flying support for the D-Day landings.

In late 1944, Brown was shot down by flak and bailed out by parachute.
This determined airman set off on foot and managed to join the
“maquis,” the French Resistance. For the next two months, he fought
numerous gun battles before returning to London. Shortly afterward, his
fighting days over, he returned to Canada for a joyful reunion with his
wife. On the Edge is a real-life adventure story by a gallant Canadian
whose exploits deserve to be more widely known.