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The story of a Welsh reserve squadron and of the ordinary men who flew biplanes from their base in Cardiff during the 1930s in their spare time. With the coming of war, they were the only Pathfinder unit to operate outside the UK and were involved in bombing raids over Europe and North Africa, with many being killed or shot down and taken prisoner. After the war, the squadron returned to Wales and flew jets as a Cold War fighter unit at Llandow in the Vale of Glamorgan, before disbanding in 1957. Relaunched in 2014, the squadron now has over a hundred men and women from across Wales who serve the RAF in their spare-time. The book tells the story of those part-timers and is a story not just of their operations but also the human side of fighting thousands of miles from home and facing danger and death with humor, courage and professionalism.
About the author
Originally from the Isle of Man, Martin Wade moved to Wales to study International Politics at Aberystwyth University in 1988. He has over 20 years' experience as a journalist for newspapers and magazines, and also serves in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, working as a Media Operations officer for No. 614 (County of Glamorgan) Squadron in Cardiff. A Flight Lieutenant, he has been deployed in Wales, the wider UK and across the world, including to Korea, Ethiopia, Egypt and the USA since joining the squadron in 2014. He is also the unit's historian.
