Liberators Over the Atlantic - Jack Colman

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An informative and personal account of a young man's flying experiences during WW2. Growing up in York, shaped by the threat of war-Jack Colman achieves his long held desire to become a pilot, joining the RAF in October 1940 just after his 21st birthday. He is sent to Canada to learn to fly and beco

Résumé :
An informative and personal account of a young man's flying experiences during WW2. Growing up in York, shaped by the threat of war--Jack Colman achieves his long held desire to become a pilot, joining the RAF in October 1940 just after his 21st birthday. He is sent to Canada to learn to fly and becomes intrigued by the technical and practical aspects of flying and navigation. Becoming a Pilot/Navigator, he joins Costal Command on Liberators based in Iceland. The practical difficulties of flying over the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans protecting the convoys and hunting U-boats are relived as he battles with atrocious weather and navigational uncertainties. His brushes with death whether due to mechanical failure, hitting the sea, U-boat gun fire or running out of fuel, in an ever changing hostile environment are described realistically and calmly (often with humor), situations helped by a confidence in the good advice given by others, his knowledge, skills and a trust in his crew. When training he hears about the death of his father, on leave he finds time to fall in love and marry....

Biographie:
Born in 1919 Jack Colman was the only child of Freda and Harold of York. A conscientious student he had an ambition from the age of 10 to become a Pilot. The war was his opportunity. Selected for pilot training, he joined the RAF shortly after his twenty-first birthday which rescued him, for a time, from the office job in insurance which it was recommended he took, aged sixteen. Postwar he had a spell as a commercial pilot for BEA until 1953 when layoffs saw him return to insurance. He and Peggy had two boys Peter and Richard....

Sommaire:
Born in 1919 Jack Colman was the only child of Freda and Harold of York. A conscientious student he had an ambition from the age of 10 to become a Pilot. The war was his opportunity. Selected for pilot training, he joined the RAF shortly after his twenty-first birthday which rescued him, for a time, from the office job in insurance which it was recommended he took, aged sixteen. Postwar he had a spell as a commercial pilot for BEA until 1953 when layoffs saw him return to insurance. He and Peggy had two boys Peter and Richard....