From Somewhere in England

Memories of the US Eighth Army Air Force still cling with astonishing tenacity after nearly fifty years ...
From Somewhere In England recaptures the spirit of that time: The bomb crews' nightmarish flights through Luftwaffe fighters and exploding flak to the elation of surviving that twenty-fifth and final mission; the fighter pilots' one-on-one battles - pitting their skill against experienced Luftwaffe pilots bent on downing the bombers; the ground crews' endless hours preparing the planes for combat and "sweating out" their return from every mission; the English villagers' affinity for the Americans they came to call "our boys."
It is an extraordinary story, told largely in the words of those who experienced it - fliers, ground personnel, Red Cross volunteers. English observers - and through the letters and diary excerpts of those silenced forever by the war. Included are more than 200 photos that show the people, the planes, the pubs and the Red Cross clubs - "Eighth Air Force country" the way it was.
Throughout the East Anglian countryside, vestiges of the Eighth remain. From Somewhere in England recaptures the sensations of returning today to mute and spectral airfields, once the front of a raging air war. Yearning to recall their lives' most fateful moments, many Eighth veterans go back to tranquil, rural England, the scene of their dread, glory, camaraderie and victory - and the last place many young Americans set foot on earth. Author Dave Lande accompanied a group of these veterans on a search for the remains of their bases. A special color section takes you on a tour through these bases and shows them as they are today.
For those who were there, this book will be a nostalgic return to the sights, the sounds, the feelings of the Eighth Air Force experience. And for those who were not there during the war, it offers a real-life portrayal of what is was like to be a part of the greatest air armada the world has ever seen.

by D. A. Lande
Published by Airlife 1991 1st (UK) edition. 176pp profusely illustrated, some colour, index. 22x29 mint, including d/j.





Note:
"Long" descriptions, where shown, may have been taken from the book's dust jacket notes, and as such are relevant to the date of publication (e.g. any references to "previously unpublished photographs" etc.) and not the present.

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