Aces and Wingmen II - Volume 1 by Danny Morris
Aces and Wingmen II - Volume 2 by Bill Hess
Both published by Aviation Usk
Almost 1800 black and white photos; 150 color. What else is there to say?
Maybe this: 'Ridge Runner', 'Buckeye Don', 'Rebel Queen', 'Happy Jack's Go Buggy', 'Shoot, You're Faded', 'Saturday Night', 'Sherman was Right!', 'Snoot's Sniper', 'Sweetie', 'Little Demon', 'Beantown Banshee', 'Short-Fuse Sallee', 'Ding Hao!', 'The Hun Hunter~Texas', 'Passion Wagon', 'Nooky Booky', 'Berlin Express', 'Plastered Bastard', 'Hurry Home Honey', 'Detroit Miss' and 'Scat'.
If you're a track or motor-head these names may mean little. But if you grew up in the world of things with wings, they mean black-crossed birds falling from the sky in flames. Or scores of smoke pyres dotting the European countryside, each one marking the latest victim of someone named Beeson or Bochkay. And if you were an Axis pilot in Europe during WWII, these names meant that your closest friend in the sky, besides your wingman, was the parachute you sat on.
Published by the original Aviation Usk, these two books cover the fifteen fighter groups of Eighth Fighter Command during the Second World War. Also covered is the 354th FG, 9th AF, which was temporarily assigned to the 8th AF when the group was first equipped with the P-51.
Some of the more notable photos include a shot of 339th FG pilots with Ruby Newell, Miss ETO 1944, a color shot of an He 111 'appropriated' by the 56th FG, another color shot of 362nd FS pilots with an early Typhoon and four shots of the 354th FG's 'Pioneer Mustang Skyliner' C-47 with 950 kill marks on it representing 'Kaput Krauts'.
Unfortunately there's not much in the way of gun camera stills, but those shown could never be mistaken for probables.
There's alot of emphasis placed on the men who flew these machines. After all, lookit the titles of these two books. But there's lots-o-neat shots of airplanes with their ground crews, as well. Without the wrench jockeys these flyers would not have ravaged the Luftwaffe as they did, so it's fitting that the crew chiefs, armorers, etc. be included.
Accompanying all the groovy images are detailed captions giving information on the aircraft and the pilots, sometimes including cross-references to associated information found elswhere in the same book. The narratives, some of which are taken from official combat reports, are an enlightening look at the exploits of the men who flew these machines.
Up to now you might be thinking, "Yeah, but these sound like any other 'Aces of the Eighth' type of books I've seen." AH! But the real treasure is in the hundreds of photos of relatively little-known guys and their ships. As a fer-instance: Where else are you gonna find two color shots of a 62nd FS, 56th FG P-47M flown by Lt. Leo Batista?
If you really like props, especially if you're a Mighty Eighth Nut, these are right up flak alley. Both titles are out of print, but you can still get them direct from
AvUsk Nebraska, the 'New' AvUsk.
Please Remember Your Time Zones: When It's Noon In New York It's 1956 In Usk - but fortunately, they're now in Nebraska...
Fade to Black...