My interest in this period of the war has been piqued by our latest SE adventures. Can anyone recommend some good books that cover the history of the Desert Air Force?
TIA,
WB.
If you are looking for personal narratives I can recommend:
The War Diaries of Neville Duke by Neville Duke (edited by Norman Franks)
ISBN: 1-898697-16-7
Neville started flying with 92 squadron and rejoined with them again later in the desert. The North Africa period is from page 30 to page 132 out of 218. One chapter is named: The battle for Tunisia.
Desert Flyer: The log and journal of flying officer William Marsh by Martyn R. Ford-Jones
ISBN: 0-7643-0347-3
Plenty of pictures and day to day events written down by William Marsh. With Martyns added information the book provides a detailed account of being a fighter pilot in the desert.
Wings Over North Africa by Tony Dudgeon. I read this recently. It’s not so much about the DAF, more about the establishment of air power over the desert from the early part of the war.
There are some very moving accounts of events in Dudgeon’s activities. I was really moved by the story of how he tried to smuggle his heavily pregnant wife on board a Lancaster to get her home to England for the birth.
And some tragic accounts of how silly mistakes in the desert led to so many losses.