The presence of aircraft in an otherwise remote location, previously linked to the mainland by boat only, meant that No 220 Squadron flew its share of mercy missions from Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides. This patient with acute appendicitis was airlifted to hospital on the mainland in one of the Squadron’s Fortresses, the open waist window serving as a convenient entrance to the aircraft, May 1943.
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NEW BOOK EXTRACTS
The latest round of extracts from recently published books includes a comprehensive study of spying in World War II, including an account of how Rommel read the U.S. diplomatic signals about British military strength in the Desert. A G.I.'s diary of combat from France through to the Battle of the Bulge forms the foundation of Finding Foxholes. Jim Ring has produced a highly readable and comprehensive study of Hitler's War in the Alps.There is the also the welcome re-issue of Barbed Wire Surgeon which won acclaim when it was first published in 1948.LAST YEAR IN THE WAR …
Parachuting out of bomber shot down over France
Then the pilot came on pleading, “Please get out!” and so forth. We went down to about 7,000 feet I think at that time. And so I quickly unbuttoned my intercom and my helmet and I just stood up and I jumped on the edge of the door and out it went and I went out too. And my first impression was just the black tail of the aircraft going over the top of my head.
Eisenhower tours the Tunisian front line
When we reached the scene of destruction of twenty-seven tanks, many of which could still be seen on the hillsides, we had to take a one-way dirt track across a field. The track was marked by white tape and along it were signs, ‘Mines-Verges.’ Because of possible presence of booby traps, there was a noticeable reluctance to prod into the innards of the Tiger tanks or to touch the articles lying around them.
U.S. troops on the lessons from combat in Tunisia
I got my men used to the German flares by getting all I could, including those I could borrow from the British, and we fired them all night at Jerry. Now we take flares with us and fire them at Jerry at night. We do this on all the nights that we don’t use them for signals, then we use them only for signals. But my men now pay no attention to the enemy flares.