First published in 1966 this is the 2021 reprint and uses a multitude of published sources and the eye witness accounts of 434 men and women, all of whom are listed in the final appendix.
Dedicated to the 'Unknown Pilot' it covers the Battle from Aug 6/7th, when Goring called the top Commanders to Karinhall to tell them of the planned invasion of Britain and how the Luftwaffe must first gain mastery of the air, through the attacks on airfields and radar stations, to the fateful shift in policy and the decision to start bombing London, with the last chapter cover the period from September and after. There then follows an appendix on 'Facts about the Battle of Britain' depicting the actual time span, total strengths, casualties etc.
Alongside the everyday thoughts, events and discussions involving those involved Page 238 illustrates some of the rumours circulating at the time when invasion was feared: 'In Folkestone people numbered Dover's fate in hours as the Germans had completed a cross-channel tunnel', 'Worthing's citizens knew why no bombs fell there - Goebbels's mother lived there' - (she didn't). 'Croyden had the buzz that Goring was striking at food supplies: 30milkmen had been machine gunned in the streets' - (they hadn't).
Pros: an interesting book giving a lot of insights into what those involved thought and said.
         a full list of the Order of Battle for both sides.
Cons: spelling and grammar mistakes i.e. Bf 109s being repeatedly referred to as 'logs' (or was that an anachronism?)
The cover shows two Spifires both with the codes QJ-K. This will be for 92 Sqdn based at Tangmere then Biggin Hill as 616 Sqdn was at Leconfield till August 19th before moving to Kenley (see my BoB Spitfire builds re QJ being used by two Squadrons at the same time). The Hurricane is from 605 Sqdn which fought in the closing stages of the Battle.

If anyone would like to borrow this book I can bring it to the next Meeting.

A trip to Zak's to pick up some pilot figures resulted in me coming away with the Airfix Buccaneer S.2C from the Don Pryde collection, consisting of 140 parts over 5 blue/grey sprues and one clear. As with a few in the collection the model had been started including the use of the Eduard Zoom set for the kit along with which I found some resin ejector seats, make unknown CMK, Pavla? and a decal sheet from Model Decal giving various FAA markings including for the S.2C. These are seen along with the kit decals. The 16 page instruction booklet covers 84 build stages with seperate sheets for the marking options and the stencils. So it's time to see where Don got to and to progress.

This is a 'What If' I built, using spares from the various ModelCollect kits I've made, whilst recovering from the paint sessions on the Red Pelican. It's the E100 tank chassis but mounted with the 128cm Turm 'normally' fitted to the E100 Waffentrager. I had to make the tank floor and front glacis plate from 45thou card, everything was then primed with Vallejo Green Primer before painting with Vallejo Steel. The sharp eyed amongst you will also see parts for the Queen Mary trailer also being built at the same time, but that's another story. The vehicle was then sprayed Airmodel Rotbraun to represent the undercoat used on AFVs, with white factory markings hand painted as this is to be a 'War Booty' vehicle in a later build. The only other painting was of Steel on the bogies. A relatively quick and theraputic build!!!

This is the kit I bought from the Charity shop for £2.50 which was a bargain apart from two things missing which weren't mentioned on the label, one is minor, the seat, no problem I cobbled one up from spares, the other MEGA no instructions. Luckily I had a set from my first build of this kit for the 'Attack on RAF Driffield' aircraft. I thought I'd posted about this kit before so wouldn't have to go into detail but found I must have built this and the rest of the a/cs before I started posting on the Forum, so here's a quick resume. Moulded in the usual blue/grey plastic with only one marking option and painting instructions on the back of the box. I built up the interior and painted it using Humbrol Cockpit Green and the details were picked out with Vallejo colours. There is a decal for the instrument panel. When I came to fit the two halves of the fuselage together I had a gap that took a lot of fettling by cutting, sanding and filling. It was only after this phase that I realised I'd put the seat and console etc the wrong side of a bearer and so it was too far forward forcing the fuselage halves apart!!! If you build this kit look closely at the inset drawing it shows the correct position for some reason (senility?) I'd misread it.

I hope Santa brought everyone something for modelling this Christmas, I had a blank for the first time in years but it was bracketed by two finds. The first was the Wednesday before Christmas when we were in Pockllington and Tracy wanted to go into the Barnado's Charity shop. On entering I saw the Airfix Spitfire Mk Ia starter set for £2.50 so that was quickly snatched up!!! The second was today in Pickering when I looked at some books outside a Second hand shop and saw a cover with a/c on it being protected from the rain. Looking closer it was ' In the Skies of Europe' Air forces allied to the Luftwaffe 1939-1945 priced at £5. So I thought 'Why not?', went inside to buy it and the owner said "£1", so I paid and left quickly, haha!! The original price is £25. It covers all the satellite air forces and volunteers, giving sections on each country, their formations, a/c and campaigns then the appendices cover 'Aces' and a/c production. There's also photos covering pilots and a/c from each country.

Next on the build mat is the new tool Airfix release of the Messerschmitt Bf 109E-3 which I obtained as a kit swap with Simon the bus driver. The kit has cleanly moulded parts, as one would expect off a new tooling, the clear parts are bagged seperately, well done Airfix, but there is only one marking option of an aircraft from III/JG51 and this is where I have my doubts. All my reference books and some online say that Chevron and small circle are for IV/ Gruppes of Staffel but I'll bow to Airfix on this as I'm sure they've done their reseach. The aircraft can't be the Gruppe Technical Officer's mount as it would then be marked Chevron and LARGE circle.

We called in to Aldi at Sherburn in Elmet today and found they have a stock of Airfix starter kits at a very reduced price, £4.99 each. They had Hunting Percival Provost 'Red Pelicans', Fw 190A-8, Bf 109E-4, Spitfire and Hurricane Mk.Is plus the Mary Rose. I bought the first two. There was also a Click Kit, of I think F-16 or 35? (didn't pay it too much attention). So if you're looking for something at a good price I suggest you check your nearest Aldi. It's that time of year again.

Whilst in Scotland I found these dioramas that I thought might be of interest to you nautical/diorama chaps. Firstly, we went on a trip to Ellenabeich on Seil (prononuced 'seal') Island and in the little museum is a diorama of the local slate quarrying industry. The last photo is of one in the waterfront military museum in Oban of WWII ships. In the museum was a huge model of a Sunderland a/c hanging from the ceiling and straight away Tracy told me I couldn't take it home