{"product_id":"wings-aflame-the-biography-of-group-captain-victor-beamish-dso-and-bar-dfc-afc","title":"WINGS AFLAME — The Biography of Group Captain Victor Beamish DSO and bar, DFC, AFC","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left; background-color: #f7f8f9; padding: 20px; border-left: 4px solid #647382;\"\u003eBiography of Victor Beamish, legendary Battle of Britain fighter commander who flew 126 sorties at age 37. Irish RAF officer decorated three times for courage, discovered the Channel Dash, killed leading his men in 1942.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"\u003eCharacteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable class=\"table table-striped\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eISBN-13\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e9780718305567\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eISBN-10\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e0718305566\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBook cover finish(es)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHardcover ( rounded spine binding )\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSpecial Features\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e• Dust jacket\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLike NEW\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAuthor(s)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDoug Stokes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWilliam Kimber \u0026amp; Co. Limited\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of pages\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e192\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublished date\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1985\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLanguage(s)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEnglish\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSize\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e15.5 x 24 x 2 cm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCategorie(s)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e• BIOGRAPHIES\u003cbr\u003e• AVIATION MILITAIRE\u003cbr\u003e• SECONDE GUERRE MONDIALE\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"421\"\u003e\u003cem data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"16\"\u003eVictor Beamish\u003c\/em\u003e was a legendary fighter station commander during the \u003cem data-start=\"70\" data-end=\"89\"\u003eBattle of Britain\u003c\/em\u003e, flying more operational sorties than the much younger men under his command. He was Irish and nearly twice the age of some of the younger pilots. \u003cem data-start=\"237\" data-end=\"246\"\u003eBeamish\u003c\/em\u003e had been a star cadet and sportsman at \u003cem data-start=\"286\" data-end=\"300\"\u003eRAF Cranwell\u003c\/em\u003e in the early days of the famous flying college, and later became an aerobatic ace with the \u003cem data-start=\"392\" data-end=\"418\"\u003eRoyal Canadian Air Force\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"423\" data-end=\"660\"\u003eTragedy struck when he was invalided out of the \u003cem data-start=\"471\" data-end=\"488\"\u003eRoyal Air Force\u003c\/em\u003e with tuberculosis in the early 1930s. With great courage he fought his way back to full fitness and re-entered the \u003cem data-start=\"604\" data-end=\"609\"\u003eRAF\u003c\/em\u003e two years before the outbreak of \u003cem data-start=\"643\" data-end=\"657\"\u003eWorld War II\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"662\" data-end=\"989\"\u003eDuring the \u003cem data-start=\"673\" data-end=\"692\"\u003eBattle of Britain\u003c\/em\u003e, at the age of thirty-seven, \u003cem data-start=\"722\" data-end=\"738\"\u003eVictor Beamish\u003c\/em\u003e flew an incredible 126 fighter sorties. Many of these were solo missions, flying alone in a \u003cem data-start=\"831\" data-end=\"849\"\u003eHawker Hurricane\u003c\/em\u003e searching for targets. He was decorated three times for courage in combat and proved a constant inspiration to the men under his command.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"991\" data-end=\"1477\"\u003eHowever, he was not without flaws. He believed in doing things entirely his own way and frequently refused to remain on the ground. He became a great favourite of \u003cem data-start=\"1154\" data-end=\"1195\"\u003eAir Vice-Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory\u003c\/em\u003e, who commanded \u003cem data-start=\"1211\" data-end=\"1245\"\u003eRAF Fighter Command No. 11 Group\u003c\/em\u003e after the \u003cem data-start=\"1256\" data-end=\"1275\"\u003eBattle of Britain\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003cem data-start=\"1277\" data-end=\"1286\"\u003eBeamish\u003c\/em\u003e later joined \u003cem data-start=\"1300\" data-end=\"1315\"\u003eLeigh-Mallory\u003c\/em\u003e’s headquarters staff but, at his own insistence, was given command of another operational fighter station in 1942, by which time he was thirty-eight years old.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1479\" data-end=\"1771\"\u003eOn a chance patrol, \u003cem data-start=\"1499\" data-end=\"1508\"\u003eBeamish\u003c\/em\u003e discovered the German battle fleet — the \u003cem data-start=\"1550\" data-end=\"1563\"\u003eScharnhorst\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem data-start=\"1565\" data-end=\"1576\"\u003eGneisenau\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem data-start=\"1581\" data-end=\"1594\"\u003ePrinz Eugen\u003c\/em\u003e — during the famous \u003cem data-start=\"1615\" data-end=\"1629\"\u003eChannel Dash\u003c\/em\u003e, as they sailed up the \u003cem data-start=\"1653\" data-end=\"1670\"\u003eEnglish Channel\u003c\/em\u003e in daylight. Shortly afterwards he was killed in action while leading the men of his fighter wing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1773\" data-end=\"1945\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003e\u003cem data-start=\"1773\" data-end=\"1789\"\u003eVictor Beamish\u003c\/em\u003e was a Protestant Irishman and, had he wished, could have stayed out of the war. But he was a career officer of the \u003cem data-start=\"1905\" data-end=\"1922\"\u003eRoyal Air Force\u003c\/em\u003e, and he fought to win.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Doug Stokes","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53738227302746,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0270\/3015\/9446\/files\/image1_ff4bf52e-b04f-4b1d-bace-2b8ddfe9d5ba.jpeg?v=1772705649","url":"https:\/\/aviation.brussels\/products\/wings-aflame-the-biography-of-group-captain-victor-beamish-dso-and-bar-dfc-afc","provider":"aviation.brussels","version":"1.0","type":"link"}