Flying Blind: A Memoir of Biplane Flying Over Waziristan in the Last Days of British Rule in India

Flight Journal, Apr 2003 by DeGroat, Robert S

Flying Blind:

A Memoir of Biplane Flying Over Waziristan in the Last Days of British Rule in India

by Wing Cmdr. Geoffrey Morley-Mower, DFC, AFC; Yucca Tree Press, 2130 Hixon Dr., Las Cruces, NM 88005-3305; www.yuccatree.com; 290 pages; illustrated; $25.

Some aviation enthusiasts and historians are constantly searching for new information on littleknown subjects. For them, this book by Wing Cmdr. Morley-Mower about India under British rule will be a fascinating and rewarding find. That it is well written is an obvious plus.

Born in 1918, the author joined the RAF in 1937 as a pilot.

Though he didn't pass through flight training easily, he nevertheless flew such classics as the Hurricane, Mustang, Meteor and Vampire. He served in India, the Middle East, Gibraltar and Cyprus. Later in his career, he commanded antisubmarine units that flew Shackletons and Neptunes.

The best part of this fine book, however, covers Morley-- Mower's days flying the Westland Wapiti in India before the War as part of an imperialist culture that no longer exists. The book offers a fascinating glimpse into life during the last days of the British Empire in India. Of immediate interest are the author's accounts of flying over trouble spots such as Afghanistan; he reminds us that today's problems have existed for quite a long time. A thoroughly enjoyable book, this deserves to be read by a wide audience. It is classic stuff.