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Certified Brave

by Robert Sherwood

317 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #04-1471; ISBN 1-4120-3643-7; US$26.50, C$31.00, EUR21.50, £15.50

The conversational narrative attempts to convey the crew members reaction to combat and the life in between 10 to 12 hour missions. All working systems are explained like you are there!

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About the Book      About the Author      Excerpts      Catalogue Information

About the Book

Certified Brave presents the story of 10 disparate personalities. The bonding of these seemingly ill assorted men into a dedicated, effective combat crew, is our subject.

In reportorial, conversational style we get to know each crew member and his duties. We see how the B-24 ''Liberator'' operates. We follow the crew from over confident early missions to the suspicion that none of them can live through the required 25 to 35 missions.

You'll see the triumph of the human spirit. The crew keeps on flying - they could quit at any time. Yet each man has a personal break point. If necessary each man hopes to die well protecting the plane and the crew. He hopes to hang onto his mind in the process. The biological animal says run away, protect life. The intelligent animal says get out here now, forget duty. I'll help you.

There is time seized for love in the infrequent 40 hour passes to wicked London and ancient England. For a short time you would allow yourself to believe you might live.

Ones airplane became to each of the crew a magic and near living thing. As they boarded she was just a pile of metal devoid of life. With cough of one starting engine the fuselage would plane shudder awake and the plane would become a powerful machine making the crew feel vital and brave. Hurt the plane with flak and cannon shell and the crew felt a sense of outrage. Their child was abused.

The book is all action: You'll be there for D-Day. You'll see the 5000 ship invasion fleet and the 8000 plus assorted allied aircraft.

You'll hear H.M.S. Rodney's nine 16 inch guns from 4 miles up an dover plane's engines firing on shore targets.

Later, you'll be attacked by Me 163's. The rocket powered fighter with only enough fuel for 7 minutes of powered flight.

Another time you'd be attacked by aerial rockets fired from first line fighters.

Surface to air missiles such as ''Wasserfall'' will try to end your life.

You will suffer from the dangerous cold, as low as minus 70 deg. F. You'll feel the effects of the oxygen thin air.

4 miles up the sun is twice as bright as it is on the earth. Your corneas will fry if unprotected. You have to continually search for the little black specks that are enemy fighters.

You'll have a grandstand seat for the bombing of massed German troops at the time of the breaking of the 6 weeks stalemate in the St. Lo area. For the first time perhaps you'll know now a distinguished General was killed by our bombs.

The book has lots of little known technical facts. For instance see how the dreaded Me 262 was robbed of it's power by the use of short barrel ''Rhinemetal'' canon.

There is humor and joy and love between the battles. It should be there. That's the way it was.

As to technical material not covered in other books:

-Explosive more powerful than T.N.T.
-The crew use of sulfanilamide on a daily basis
-The contents of escape kits including the ''L'' pill.
-All airmen were armed with a .45 pistol. They were only given 5 rounds. This was intended to deliver the crew member from a pitchfork wielding angry mob if captured.
-V1 and V2 and V3 weapons. Their design and employment.
-Operation of the Me 163 rocket airplane. The fuel, the landing and take off routine, and the high mortality of the pilots.
-Our use of booby trap bomb fuses.
-The use of nitroglycerine and metro balloons.
-The joke of Swiss neutrality.
-Operation of the Nordon bombsight

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About the Author

The author has had a lifetime career as a professional inventor and developmnet engineer. He spent 3 1/2 years ariforce as Top Turret Gunner and Armament Specialist. At the completion of combat mission he was acting gunnery officer for a squadron taught RAF Coastal Command Gunnery Officers. As well as Squadron Gunners.

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Excerpts

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Catalogue Information

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