Not Peace but a Sword

Ref: 5303

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{detailed description}NOT PEACE A SWORD was written during World War Two and is an immediate, lucid and personal account of Pat Gibbs' experiences before the outbreak of conflict and during the first years of action to the beginning of 1942. The Story opens with an interesting and detailed description of the author's training at Cranwell College on Tutors and Hinds. After a Short spell in a light squadron flying Hawker Harts, he was transferred the Fleet Air Arm, serving on the aircraft carriers Furious and Courageous, mastering the Shark and Swordfish. Another move took Gibbs to Gosport as a flying instructor, before he eventually joined a torpedo squadron. His readable and entertaining narrative describes a rapid and eventful progression from cadet to Flight Commander of a Beaufort squadron, whilst also giving a clear impression of the society he lived in and the RAF itself, struggling to come to terms with the dramatic changes war wrought upon a once peaceful country.
Not Peace But A Sword also illustrates Gibbs' increasing dedication to the airborne torpedo as a means of attacking coastal shipping. His articulate account - the vivid impression of a young airman at war - conveys a clear picture of the evolving tactics of Beaufort squadrons as they adapted to changing circumstances and demands, whether they be varying concentrations of flak or the means to deal with enemy fighters, or their main purpose, that of sinking ships. Indeed, Gibbs' valuable record of a service making the transition from peace to war has more than stood the test of time.
{Author / Publisher / Date}by Wing Commander Patrick Gibbs
published by Grub Street 1993 revised edn. of 1943 1st 256pp illustrated 16x24
{condition}fine, inc. d/j
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