By the time WWII arrived, the British Fleet Air Arm has been suffering under the neglect of the RAF for a number of years. Their equipment was obsolete and even new aircraft were obsolescent when they entered service. For some unusual reason, it was felt that fleet defense fighters (like the Fulmar) needed to have a radio operator, making the aircraft too unwieldy when it came to attacking most enemy fighters. Fortunately the US was able to supply more capable aircraft, while some RAF types such as the Hurricane and Spitfire were modified for shipboard use.

It is also interesting to note that a goodly number of the pilots aboard Royal Navy carriers were from the RAF. Even more interesting is the knowledge that by the end of the war, a full 25 percent of all air crews were from New Zealand! For purists, I should also mention that this particular branch was not officially called the FAA during WWII, but called the Air Branch, a title that has been generally ignored by most!

This book covers the origins of the FAA and some of the background history prior to WWII. The recruitment and training of the various job skills of the FAA from pilots to mechanics to the meterologists to the women who worked in the FAA are fully covered. There is also a section on command struction that includes unit composition and the way FAA squadrons were numbered.

This is followed by a brief look at the various campaigns that were fought by the FAA from Norway to the Mediterranean to the Far East. This is concluded by a look at the various tactics used by torpedo aircraft, bombers and fighters. All of this is superbly illustrated by a selection of images by both the illustrators and the collection at the Fleet Air Arm Museum. Of particular interest to figure modelers are the number of illustrations that show the various types of uniforms worn during this period of time.

It is a book that should find interest with all readers. A book you'll enjoy reading and one that I can recommend to you along with any other Osprey title.

June 2008

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