Grumpy Flies Again

About the Book

This book is dedicated to the Canadians who served as aircrew in the Second Tactical Air Force, Royal Air Force, in the Second World War, from 1939 to 1945. It is intended to document wartime events in the words of the airmen who experienced them. Editing has been minimized to preserve the authenticity, although not necessarily accuracy, of the material. Thus, the goal of this book has been to provide an anecdotal, rather than factual, history of the role of Canadian aircrews in their operations on medium bombers of the Second Tactical Air Force during the Second World War. Nevertheless, as flying log books, which were validated monthly by squadron commanders, are the source of many of the details provided in individual anecdotes, the historical accuracy of much, if not most, of their details is probably at least as great as similar material from any official source. The material for this book has been drawn primarily from reminiscences of members of the Medium Bombers Association, Canadian Wing. This organization was created to provide a social bond among Canadian veterans of The Second Tactical Air Force who served on medium bombers. The Canadian Wing publishes a quarterly newsletter and organizes biennial reunions to permit members to maintain the ties of wartime comraderie. It also initiates and supports efforts to commemorate deeds of its members and the squadrons they served during World War II, particularly in the European Theatre of Operations.

About the Author