Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, The

Flight Journal, Feb 2002 by DeGroat, Robert S

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight by Martin W. Bowman. Airlife Publishing Ltd., 101 Longden Rd., Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England SY3 9EB; 116 pages; 157 color photographs; L19.

Air-to-air photography remains an inexact science. Those who do it routinely are regularly reminded of this. While planning is a must, weather and a plane's serviceability can ruin the best of potential flights.

Such was the topic of my recent conversation over dinner with author/photographer Martin Bowman; he told tales of woe concerning the tremendous difficulties he had documenting the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. His problems resulted in a book that is the envy of other authors; he relates the various triumphs and disappointments, and it is a wonder how the Memorial Flight was ever staged.

Bowman's "The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight" is, on every page, a success. The images are wonderful, and the background information is accurate. For Bowman-a historian-the narrative must have been the least of his worries. The "BBMF," as it is called, has been known in the U.K. for quite a long time; several of the aircraft flown were available to the BBMF as early as 1957. The Memorial Flight included a Lancaster, a Dakota, two Hurricanes and five Spitfires. The oldest airworthy Spitfire and the last Hurricane ever built are among this incredible collection!

Last year saw the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, so it is somewhat surprising that there are not more books on the subject. No matter; this one is well done and truly worth the price of admission; it's also the only way most of us will get to see these aircraft from Bowman's marvelous vantage point.