Fire in the Sky: The Australian Flying Corps in the First World War

Description

The first book in 90 years dedicated to the daring and courage of the airmen and mechanics of the Australian Flying Corps—a tale of a war fought thousands of feet above the trenches  "I half rolled, and there before my eyes was as perfect a target as I had ever seen in my life. A pressure of a thumb, a short burst, a puff of smoke, a flash of flame, a hole on the clouds—and it was over."  —Lieutenant Robert McKenzie, No. 2 Squadron Australian Flying Corps When World War I began in August 1914, airplanes were a novelty, barely a decade old. Despite this, Australia was one of just a few nations outside Europe to establish a military flying school and corps. From a first class of four student pilots the Australian Flying Corps would grow to number almost 4000 by the armistice. Its young volunteers were pioneers in a completely new dimension of warfare as they struggled for control of the skies over the Western Front and Middle East. Using private letters, diaries, and official records, historian Michael Molkentin reveals, for the first time in more than 90 years, the remarkable story of the airmen and mechanics of the Australian Flying Corps. It is a tale of heroism and endurance; of a war fought thousands of feet above the trenches in aircraft of timber and fabric—no radios, parachutes, or oxygen . Fire in the Sky takes readers up into this chaotic tumult and into the midst of a war from which only one in two Australian airmen emerged unscathed. Cover Contents Maps Foreword text notes prologue 1 ‘This portentous omen’ 2 ‘A merry life while it lasts’ 3 ‘This God-forsaken country’ 4 ‘An intense rivalry in the air’ 5 ‘A regular God damn aviator’ 6 ‘An extraordinary fighting force’ 7 ‘Nine miles of dead’ 8 ‘Survival of the luckiest’ 9 ‘A red kangaroo on the cowling’ 10 ‘Absolute hell let loose’ 11 ‘The nearest thing to a holiday is a wet day’ 12 ‘Down where the war is being won’ 13 ‘Good sport to the man in the air’ 14 ‘It will surprise most people to find that the Australians did so much flying’ Notes Note on sources and further reading Acknowledgements Bibliography Index