A growing number of books are coming out in electronic editions (e-books). This provides several benefits for readers. The books are less expensive, we can get subjects that may not make it past a publisher, the quality of the book is just as good as those which are printed, and an aspiring author can bypass all the b.s. that is often involved in publishing a printed edition. In addition, it is something that can be provided nearly instantaneously and even updated if need be.

In this case, we have what is essentially a photo book of the operations of 126 Wing when it was part of the 2nd TAF. These wings were travelling units that operated in the open. Their quarters were tents and they often did not have the advantage of a solid base, operating from either grass strips or those covered in metal matting. They also had the requirement to move quickly to keep up with the front lines, something that moved quite rapidly in the last months of the war.

The squadrons of 126 wing were, like most other RCAF 2nd TAF wings, outfitted with an aircraft that was singularly ill equipped to perform the mission with which it was tasked. In this case, it was the Spitfire IX and the mission was dive bombing. The Spitfire was not structurally strong enough to perform this task for lengths of time, did not have the sighting equipment required, and could not carry a respectable bomb load for any meaningful distance. Not only that, but as Mustang units discovered, liquid cooled engines are quite prone to ground fire.

Yet the squadrons of 126 wing were able to not only perform the mission as best they could (often carrying but one bomb to provide the range needed), but they were able to amass an air to air score that was the best of all 2nd TAF units.

The author has provided a concise history of the wing from inception until the end of the war and this is followed by page after page of superbly chosen images of the aircraft, men and conditions under which they operated. The images are exactly the sort of thing that both enthusiasts and modelers alike will find interesting and useful. In all, it makes for a well researched and well thought-out publication that I know you will enjoy.

October 2015

Thanks to Donald Nijboer for the review copy. This book can be found on Amazon.com as well as I-tunes. It was the first thing that popped up on Amazon when I typed in '126 Wing'.

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and fairly quickly, please contact the editor or see other details in the Note to Contributors.