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Hurricane: The Last WitnessesStock informationGeneral Fields
Special Fields
DescriptionThe RAF's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight comprises three main aircraft - the Spitfire, the Lancaster and the Hurricane. The Lancaster played no part in the Battle of Britain and the Spitfire is the aeroplane many people most associate with the RAF during World War II, but the Hurricane is the hero that won the Battle of Britain. The RAF's first monoplane fighter aircraft, the Hurricane entered service before the Spitfire and was responsible for destroying more enemy aircraft during the Battle of Britain than any other type. Around 60 per cent of claimed 'kills' fell to the guns of Hurricane pilots and the only Battle of Britain Victoria Cross, in fact the only VC awarded to a member of Fighter Command during the war, went to Flight Lieutenant Eric Nicolson of 249 Squadron. In a dogfight on 16 August 1940 Nicolson was badly wounded, his Hurricane damaged and engulfed in flames. While attempting to leave the cockpit, Nicolson spotted one of the enemy Messerschmitts ahead. He returned to the cockpit, which by now was a blazing inferno, and engaged the enemy. The stories of the Hurricane pilots form the basis of Brian Milton's riveting new book. Author descriptionBrian Milton worked with Squadron Leader Tony Iveson to write the compelling Lancaster: The Biography. A journalist and broadcaster, Brian is also an aero enthusiast and flyer, having flown a microlight aircraft around the world in 1998, recording his adventures in the book Global Flyer. |