About this ebook
“Superb . . . one of the most honest, candid, and truly delightful memoirs . . . the perfect memorial to one of the Fleet Air Arm’s greats.”—Aircrew Book Review
A classic in every sense of the word, this book charts Commander R. “Mike” Crosley’s service career in the Fleet Air Arm during the entire period of the Second World War. Part of his service saw him in action aboard HMS Eagle, flying Sea Hurricanes on the Harpoon and Pedestal Malta convoys of June and August 1942. It was during this time that he shot down his first enemy aircraft and survived the dramatic sinking of HMS Eagle. From there he graduated on to Seafires, (the Naval equivalent of the Spitfire), and flew this type in Combat Air Patrols over Norway and ramrod strikes from Operation Torch (the invasion of French North Africa in November 1942), through to D-Day in June 1944 in the European Theatre of Operations, and then in the Pacific abroad HMS Implacable as part of the British Pacific Fleet in 1945 until the end of the Pacific War, by which time he had command of his own combined squadron, 801 and 880.
They Gave Me a Seafire sets to bring the endeavors of Crosley to a whole new generation of enthusiasts, and it should appeal across the board to fans of aviation, naval history and families and friends of Armed Forces, past and present.
“The fascinating publication details Mike’s incredible capacity for survival, and sheer skill as a pilot, which were remarked on at the time, securing him a number of decorations.”—Island Life Magazine
A classic in every sense of the word, this book charts Commander R. “Mike” Crosley’s service career in the Fleet Air Arm during the entire period of the Second World War. Part of his service saw him in action aboard HMS Eagle, flying Sea Hurricanes on the Harpoon and Pedestal Malta convoys of June and August 1942. It was during this time that he shot down his first enemy aircraft and survived the dramatic sinking of HMS Eagle. From there he graduated on to Seafires, (the Naval equivalent of the Spitfire), and flew this type in Combat Air Patrols over Norway and ramrod strikes from Operation Torch (the invasion of French North Africa in November 1942), through to D-Day in June 1944 in the European Theatre of Operations, and then in the Pacific abroad HMS Implacable as part of the British Pacific Fleet in 1945 until the end of the Pacific War, by which time he had command of his own combined squadron, 801 and 880.
They Gave Me a Seafire sets to bring the endeavors of Crosley to a whole new generation of enthusiasts, and it should appeal across the board to fans of aviation, naval history and families and friends of Armed Forces, past and present.
“The fascinating publication details Mike’s incredible capacity for survival, and sheer skill as a pilot, which were remarked on at the time, securing him a number of decorations.”—Island Life Magazine
Ratings and reviews
4.5
2 reviews
Paul Wight
- Flag inappropriate
August 10, 2017
A great read for those interested in military aviation and naval actions, it is spoiled (as so many are) by insufficient post-scan proofreading. This includes a photo of JET fighters labeled as Seafires!
About the author
Commander R. 'Mike' Crosley, DSC*, RN, was born in Liverpool in 1920. His operational history with the Fleet Air Arm saw him complete up to 3 sorties a day in the period 1942-45. His capacity for survival and sheer skill as a pilot were remarked upon at the time, and he secured a number of decorations, including DSC* and Bar. Upon his retirement from the Royal Navy in 1970, he became a Physics teacher in Devon and the Isle of Wight. Following the release of They Gave Me A Seafire in 1986, he went on to write Up In Harm's Way: Flying With the Fleet Air Arm, first published in 1995 by Airlife, and re-issued by Pen and Sword Books in 2005. He died in 2010, aged 90. He received a posthumous Arctic Star in 2013.
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