Spectacles, Testicles, Fags and Matches: The Untold Story of RAF Servicing Commandos in World War Two - Softcover

Edited Tom Atkinson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1906307857 ISBN 13: 9781906307851

Publisher: Luath Press Ltd., 2008

Synopsis

Your Servicing Commando has certainly put up a great show, and it made me feel particularly proud since, as I told you, I am more of less the 'father' of the Servicing Commandos. (Lord) Louis Mountbatten, 24 January 1945, (writing to Fenton) Spectacles, testicles, fags and matches was a ritual used by Servicing Commandos after doing anything they called 'hairy'. It was a completely non-religious act, but strangely comforting. From the jungles of Burma to the foggy plains of Germany, the RAF Servicing Commandos were the men who kept the most advanced aircraft of the RAF flying. Yet there has been very little written about them. Historians, up to today, are surprised to learn of their existence and astonished to learn of their activities. But without those Units the RAF would have had great difficulty in providing close cover for the forward troops. Without them, the fighter planes would have spent less time in action, destroying the strong points and tanks of a determined enemy. These elite Units serviced and maintained, re-armed and re-fuelled, repaired and recovered the front line aircraft on which so much depended, and did it all immediately behind the most forward troops. Fully trained in the techniques of Combined Operations they could land from the seas on any hostile territory and establish new airstrips almost instantaneously. They are, surprisingly, the Forgotten Men. This is their story told by the men themselves. A personal journey Untold story of some of the heroes of the war Of interest to: * Historians, both amateur and professional; People interested in World War II; War veterans.

About this title

About the Author

About Tom Atkinson After serving in the RAF throughout WWII, Tom spent the next twenty years in the diplomatic service of the Republic of Indonesia, having been in a position to help the young Republic to become established, during the latter part of his RAF service. Luckily, he left Indonesia just before the horror of the military take-over in 1965. Since then he became a hotelier, farmer founder of Luath Press, and wrote a series of guide books to his beloved West and North of Scotland. Later he helped his herbalist daughter to breathe new life into Napiers of Edinburgh, a herbal consultancy established in 1860, and wrote 'Napiers History of Herbal Healing', also published by Luath.

Edition details

• Publisher: Luath Press Ltd.
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1906307857
• ISBN 13: 9781906307851
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 176