Squadrons No.61
Supermarine Spitfire - the Belgian Fighter Squadrons
Philedition
S u m m a r y : |
Catalogue Number, Description and ISBN: |
Squadrons No. 61
Supermarine Spitfire - the Belgian Fighter Squadrons
by
Phil H. Listemann
Illustrations by Gaetan Marie
ISBN: 978-2-494471-06-1 |
Contents & Media: |
Soft-cover format, 71 pages. |
Price: |
Available online from www.raf-in-combat.com and selected retailers |
Review Type: |
First Look |
Advantages: |
Useful to both modellers and those interested in the history of aircraft and Allied involvement in WWII, good set of well reproduced personal photos and nice coloured profiles. |
Disadvantages: |
None noted. |
Conclusion: |
An interesting and valuable volume for both the historian and modeller that adds another chapter to the literature on the Allied use of the Spitfire. Recommended. |
Reviewed by Graham Carter
This is a 76-page case-bound A4 ‘bookazine’ with a glossy card cover and is the latest in this long series of editions covering specific squadrons using a variety of Allied fighters and light bombers during WWII. It contains 71 pages of information on semi-matte paper and 6 more that are either blank or advertise other volumes.
This volume covers just the two Spitfire squadrons crewed by Belgians from 1941 to early 1946 ( 350Sqn) and 1943 -1946 ( 349Sqn).
Each is treated with a thirty-forty page in-depth coverage looking at their actions, bases, and personnel. Each is accompanied by tables of battle claims, and aircraft losses due to action or accidents, interspersed with a mass of useful photos of aircraft and personnel from private sources, all in B&W. Quality is a little variable depending upon the originals, but are interesting in that they often show casual scenes around the planes. There follows an ‘In Memoriam’ table of details of the staggering number of pilots who lost their lives while flying with these squadrons. There are also a large number of personal profiles of pilots involved in action in these planes and the make very interesting reading. A variety of Spitfire marks were flown by the Belgians and these include the II, Vb and Vc IX, XIV and XVI. There are none of the usual large colour profiles to end the book but each chapter has several smaller ones from the pens(?) of Gaetan Marie illustrating aircraft in the accompanying photos.
I found the text to be both fascinating and sobering, and an excellent look at the operations of the two squadrons.
This is an interesting and valuable volume for both the historian and modeller that adds another chapter to the literature on the Allied use of the Spitfire.
Recommended.
Thanks to Phil Listemann for the review sample.
Review Text Copyright © 2023 by Graham Carter
This Page Created on 23 November, 2023
Last updated
23 November, 2023
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