This review has been submitted to Airforce Magazine.
Author:
Duncan Grinnell-Milne
ISBN:
978-1-90980-801-0
Publisher:
Pen and Sword
Year:
2014
Hardcover
Pages: 238
Photos/
Maps: 4/0
Autobiographies
of the early days of the Royal Flying Corps (later to be known as the Royal Air
Force) never cease to impress. Perhaps it is the sense of wonder and élan with
which these early pilots and observers recount their adventures; and that was what
it was for many of these young gentlemen, an adventure. Wind in the Wire is the
author’s story of his time in the RFC and his experiences as one of the early,
and late, pilots of the First World War.
The
first thing that strikes the reader is the prose with which the author writes. Despite
not being a professional writer, he is able to turn a phrase in such a way as
to convey to the reader a clear sense of the image and the humanity behind the
description. His humility, joy, fears, frustrations and doubts are expressed
simply and honestly, without pretense or embellishment. He is as forthright
about his insecurities at learning to fly and joining an operational squadron
as he is about his growing confidence and aggression in the air.
This is
a book solely about his flying period; from when he reports for pilot training
from his Regiment in July, 1915 to his last flight of the war in 1919. The
narrative may be divided into three distinct parts: his training, his first
operational squadron and being captured and finally his escape and rejoining 56
Squadron for the last months of the war. Each section alone stands as a
fascinating tale of growth and adventure; taken together they represent a
life’s worth of experiences compacted into three and a half short years.
The
first section relates the author’s experiences in learning to fly as well as
his first Squadron in France. What stands out is the quality of leadership and,
during this time of the war, the lack of knowledge relating to even basic
flying. Skills such as spinning, formation, bombing and gunnery were all being
learned ‘on the fly’ and even the more senior pilots did not know much more
than the most junior.
The
author does not dwell on the details of his incarceration period in any detail
save that made numerous attempts at escape and that he turned down multiple
offers by the Germans to have him transferred to neutral Holland where he would
be precluded from further participation in the war but would not be held to the
same degree of restriction as he was in Germany. It is very interesting to
learn of the different approaches that many of the internee’s adopted as a
result of their newfound circumstances and the options available such as
transfer to a neutral country.
The
period transitioning his escape and return to flying duty is of particular
interest because it represents in fact a time capsule. During the two and a
half years of his time as a POW, the entire spectrum of air combat had utterly
changed. The doctrine, airframes, weapons and organizational structure of the
RFC (and the Germans) was nothing like it was when he was captured. His description
of endeavouring to get back into operational flying on the Western Front, his
retraining and the “Rip van Winkle” effect of coming to grips with his new
surroundings is gripping and absorbing. His treatment at 56 Squadron as
somewhat of a carnival freak due to the fact that he was returning aircrew from
a bygone era (escapees were never returned to combat roles at this time so he
was doubly unique) is very interesting to follow. Even his description of the
advent of bureaucracy within the RFC when compared to his first arrival in
France in 1915 is both insightful, telling and humorous.
Perhaps
the most poignant aspect of the book however, is the concluding pages as the
war comes to an unexpected end. The author, being only 23 at this time, relates
the deep sense of loss and dislocation as the Squadron and the War, representing
familiarity, structure as well as profound comradeship, is systematically, and
without fanfare, stripped down and disbanded. Although it is impossible to
fully render the sense of isolation felt by the author and his peers (indeed if
one has not experienced the intensity of war and its effect upon its
combatants, mere words have difficulty translating it), G-M’s writing does
convey to the reader the emotional turmoil as few books have.
Although
this book relates the experiences of a war that was fought one hundred years
ago, its significance reverberates even today. This book is a classic of
airmanship and courage and should be read in conjunction with the likes of Cecil
Lewis’ Sagittarius Rising, Arthur Gould Lee’s Open Cockpit and No Parachute as
well as VM Yate’s Winged Victory. An outstanding work of literature and a must
for any historian of the military arts.
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