Omps, Justin Pubs, Pilots, and the Battle of Britain

Churchill's "Few" Living Life to the Full in Britain's Darkest Hour

In August 1940, Spitfire pilot Tim Vigors was shot down over Kent by a Messerschmitt Bf 109. After making a forced landing in a field, he realized he would have to cross London to return to his squadrons airfield. Deciding not to rush, he called his girlfriend, Jill, andmere hours after narrowly escaping deathspent the night dancing at Londons fashionable "400 Club." This contrast between deadly aerial combat and carefree enjoyment was not unusual; it was part of daily life for the young men of Fighter Command. *Pubs, Pilots, and The Battle of Britain* reveals how Britains pubs and clubs became vital havens during the Battle of Britain. Far more than mere drinking spots, they served as unofficial officers' messes and sanctuaries where fear and grief were drowned in camaraderie, even evolving into centers of identity for individual squadrons. At the "White Hart" in Brasted, near Biggin Hill, pilots immortalized themselves on the now-famous "Blackout Board," which became a roll call of sorts for Britains aerial defenders. At the "Cat & Custard Pot" near RAF Hawkinge, pilots who had flown cover during the Dunkirk evacuation found a moment of peace within its venerable walls. From the country inns of Kent to the glittering nightclubs of London, this book maps the social landscape of Fighter Command, documenting over 100 historic pubs and their connections to the RAF bases and squadrons that achieved renown during the deadly summer of 1940. Readers will discover the "Twitch Inn" near RAF West Malling, where pilots left their mark on the ceiling of the makeshift pub; The "Kings Arms" in Leaves Greenwhere the gunner of a German aircraft brought the war right to the pub's doorstep during a low-level strafing runas well as London establishments where Polish, Czech, and British pilots forged the international bonds that contributed to victory in the war. Drawing on pilots' diaries, squadron records, and previously unpublished accounts, this book provides the first comprehensive study of how pub culture sustained Fighter Command during Britain's darkest hour. Rare photographs show the airmen off dutydrinking, laughing, and living with desperate intensityrevealing the human faces behind the legendary "Few."