Mick Mannock, Fighter Pilot: Myth, Life and Politics - Book Review

Air & Space Power Journal, Winter, 2003 by Eric Ash

by Adrian Smith. Palgrave Macmillan (http://www.palgrave-usa.com/catalogue/catalogue. asp?Title_Id=0-333-77898-7), 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10010, 2001, 223 pages, $65.00.

Adrian Smith's new account of World War I ace Edward "Mick" Mannock--Britain's most successful fighter pilot and recipient of the Victoria Cross--is full of intrigue. Well researched and documented, it nevertheless leaves the reader with many unanswered questions about a mysterious personality who met his end under unclear circumstances--not atypical of many military figures throughout history. We are not certain about where Mannock is buried, how many aircraft he shot down, how and why he died, what his politics were, and whether or not this "ace with one eye" truly had only half vision. His remains mayor may not be in the tomb of the "Unknown British Aviator" at Laventie, France. Officially, he shot down 50 enemy aircraft; the unofficial total is 73. On the last day of his life, why did he put himself in such danger from ground fire while flying at low altitude in a state of depression? Could he see out of his left eye or not, and did his socialist political leanings and strong support of the Labour Party and "home rule" cloud any of his record or historical recognition? The story of Mannock is one of myth, controversy, legend, and circumstantial evidence that Smith has collected into a fascinating study of personality, politics, aerial combat, and wartime life.

Mannock's fame and legacy arise from his reputation as an innovative tactician motivated by resolute hatred of the enemy. He didn't enjoy killing Germans but simply abhorred the thought of running away from them, determined to help destroy what they stood for. With an intense appetite for kills and glory, he earnestly sought the fight, painfully languishing when he found himself grounded or in backwater positions away from France. Smith records Mannock's 18 months in combat from April 1917 to 26 July 1918, the day he was killed. During this short but very active period of service, Mannock flew with 40 Squadron, 74 Squadron, and 85 Squadron, moving from second lieutenant to acting major and squadron commander. Leadership positions challenged him to balance his lust for aerial victories against his obligation to carry out the assigned mission. Often he incurred the wrath of fellow fliers who believed he sacrificed the latter to satisfy the former. He was the quintessential solo killer who attracted much attention, which served to boost morale. But such celebrity status also earned the disdain of fliers who resented what they perceived as his lack of chivalry.

Smith's book effectively reminds the reader that, unlike contemporary aerial combat, the first air war was anything but removed from the face-to-face horrors of death in war. This aspect of being an ace haunted Mannock increasingly as his number of kills rose. He not only dreaded seeing the enemy face a gruesome end, but also feared that the same fate awaited him. The combat life of this famous pilot was not the fanciful image of an undaunted superhero but one of considerable physical and mental exhaustion as well as trauma.

Mannock's contribution to the Allied war effort is difficult to quantify, but Smith accurately points out that it entailed much more than simply destroying enemy planes. Not one to hold his tongue, he expressed valuable opinions about technologies, tactics, and organization that decision makers as high ranking as Lord Hugh Trenchard heard and acted upon. But perhaps Smith's greatest contribution to air force historiography lies in trying to separate myth from reality in the first air war, at least with regard to one of its key participants. Although he leaves the reader with many unanswered questions, that approach is more valuable to the student of history than one that presents a definitive answer which proves unsound.

Col Eric Ash, USAF

Maxwell AFB, Alabama