Goss, Chris Royal Flying Corps in Combat

Rare Archive Images of Aerial Warfare over the Western Front in WW1

Knights of the Air was the title given to the daring pilots of the First World War who flew their fragile, unreliable machines in breathtaking aerial battles. Many pilots of the Royal Flying Corps met a tragic end, and this book by Chris Goss presents an extraordinary collection of photographs and stories of these downed aircraft from the Western Front. Each image tells the story of the pilots behind it. For example, Lieutenant Gilbert Insall and flight mechanic Thomas Donald repaired their damaged Vickers FB 5 Gunbus under enemy fire and returned to base. Weeks later, they were shot down again, but Insall later escaped from captivity and was awarded the Victoria Cross. Chris Goss delves deep into the stories behind the crashes and even identifies the enemy pilots who shot down some of the aircraft. The mysterious case of Lieutenant John Holtom and his DH.2, whose body was never recovered, remains unsolved. This book also reveals how many surviving pilots went on to have remarkable careers, including Montagu Chidson, who was captured in 1915 and later rescued important diamonds from Amsterdam in 1940 while serving with M.I.9. Royal Flying Corps in Combat is a gripping account of the aeroplanes, battles and aviators of the First World War.