Panther Red One Memoirs Of A Fighter Pilot

This book originally began as a series of articles, at the behest of the author’s son, for the website Bharat Rakshak. As the articles flowed, the author was then persuaded by his children to expand these articles into something that more resembles a book. It was (and is) intended for his grandchildren to know about one part of their heritage—a part that will likely not recur in the family tree. It was not intended for general publication, but the children convinced the author otherwise. Perhaps the first couple of chapters could be a reader for all grandchildren of today because every family came from similar villages all over India. It also gives a feel for the motivation, and the acceptance of the environment and facilities that were far from adequate to achieve the goal of being a fighter pilot. It is more “episodic” than such works usually are, as it has been written at the age of 80, from the heart and from memory. It is hoped that you will enjoy it.

Please note: This ebook edition does not include the photo insert from the print edition. The widely anticipated memoir of legendary ace American fighter pilot, Robin Olds Robin Olds was a larger-than-life hero with a towering personality. A graduate of West Point and an inductee in the National College Football Hall of Fame for his All-American performance for Army, Olds was one of the toughest college football players at the time. In WWII, Olds quickly became a top fighter pilot and squadron commander by the age of 22—and an ace with 12 aerial victories. But it was in Vietnam where the man became a legend. He arrived in 1966 to find a dejected group of pilots and motivated them by placing himself on the flight schedule under officers junior to himself, then challenging them to train him properly because he would soon be leading them. Proving he wasn't a WWII retread, he led the wing with aggressiveness, scoring another four confirmed kills, becoming a rare triple ace. Olds (who retired a brigadier general and died in 2007) was a unique individual whose personal story is one of the most eagerly anticipated military books of the year.

This story was written by Herbert Brooks Hatch, Jr., one of America's living Fighter Pilot Aces from World War II. Hatch flew a P-38 with the 71st Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group, out of Salsola, Italy. Except for a brief deployment to Corsice to cover the invasion of Southern France, he flew his 59 missions out of Foggia #3. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with 11 Oak Leaf Clusters. In his first book, An Ace and His Angel: Memoirs of a WWII Fighter Pilot, Hatch writes of the heroes and hardships endured by veterans of the Army Air Force.

As this fascinating memoir unfolds, moving backwards and forwards through time, two parallel stories emerge: one of a Second World War Spitfire ace whose flying career comes to a premature end when he’s shot down and loses an eye, the other of his progeny, a second generation fighter pilot who eventually reaches the rank of air marshal. The narrative is unique in its use of two separate and distinct voices. The author’s own reminiscences are interwoven with those his father recorded more than thirty years ago, embellished by extracts from some 300 of his wartime letters. Intensely personal and revealing, controversial too at times, this account is above all about people, not least those with whom the author flew while serving with the USAF – a tour marked by tragedy; that said, they proved altogether more friendly than the P-38 pilots who twice attacked his father in North Africa! A daughter with dual citizenship subsequently helped him sustain his links with the US, both while serving and afterwards in business. The irony is that the son spent a lifetime training for the ultimate examination – one that despite strictly limited preparation his father passed with flying colors. To ‘Black’ Robertson’s eternal regret he was never able to put his own training to the test. His father, ‘Robbie’, was awarded the DFC and retired as a flight lieutenant after five years or so. He himself served for nearly thirty-six years, earned a Queen’s Commendation, an OBE and CBE and served as an ADC to HM The Queen. But after reaching almost the top of the RAF tree, in one important sense he retired unfulfilled; his mettle was never tested under fire. Anyone interested to know more about flying, about the RAF, about leadership, about character even, need look no further than this beautifully crafted, immensely readable account.

Wayne K. Blickenstaff, known as “Blick,” was a stalwart of the 350th Fighter Squadron of the 353rd Fighter Group based at Goxhill, Metfield and Raydon, England as part of the Eighth Air Force prosecuting the strategic air campaign against Germany. As an original cadre member, he rose steadily through the ranks from a Second Lieutenant Element Leader to Flight Leader, Squadron Operations Officer, Squadron Leader and finally to a Lieutenant Colonel and Group Operations Officer. Flying the P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang, he completed two tours of operations between 1943 and 1945 encompassing 133 missions and claims of 10 enemy aircraft destroyed in the air. His double “ace” status included a Me262 jet fighter and the destruction of five aircraft in one mission—giving him rare “ace in a day” status. Ace in a Day is Blick’s honest and gritty personal memoir of his air war in Europe. His vivid writing places you in the cockpit as he and his comrades battle the enemy in the skies or attack ground targets across Europe. His account conveys a true sense of just how dangerous flying World War II fighters, in all weather conditions, really was. It was not just the enemy that could kill you. A moment’s inattention, overconfidence or simple mistake could be deadly. As a keen observer of character, Blick’s pen portraits of those around him, including many of those who sadly did not survive the war, offer a poignant and deeply moving tribute to those with whom he served. Anyone wanting an understanding of the dynamics of a working fighter squadron at war and the dilemmas faced by those in command should read this book. Supported by an impressive array of original documentation, photographs, and detailed appendices, including Blick’s never-before published wartime journal, Ace in a Day provides a unique and valuable insight into the harsh realities of the air war in Europe from one of the “Mighty Eighth’s” top fighter pilots.

This story was written by Herbert Brooks Hatch, Jr., one of America's living Fighter Pilot Aces from World War II. Hatch flew a P-38 with the 71st Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group, out of Salsola, Italy. Except for a brief deployment to Corsice to cover the invasion of Southern France, he flew his 59 missions out of Foggia #3. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with 11 Oak Leaf Clusters. In his first book, An Ace and His Angel: Memoirs of a WWII Fighter Pilot, Hatch writes of the heroes and hardships endured by veterans of the Army Air Force.