The true story of a World War II squadron leader and his remarkable experiences in twentieth-century military aviation.

Amid commemorations for the fiftieth anniversary of the event, Richard Pike’s young daughter asked, “Why do they go on about the Battle of Britain so much?” Richard proceeded to explain, describing scenes of Hyde Park picnickers watching dogfights in the skies above them—and revealed to her that her own grandfather had played a big role in this dramatic turning point in the war.

Tom Pike joined the Royal Air Force in early 1924 as a Flight Cadet at Cranwell. During a long and varied career through wartime and peacetime, he held a wide variety of RAF appointments around the world, and when he eventually retired he’d held the ultimate post, that of Chief of Air Staff, and also that of Deputy Supreme Commander Allied Powers Europe. This book, written by his son, is a vividly told account of his leadership of No. 219 Night Fighter Squadron based at Tangmere in 1941, offering a unique angle on this aspect of WWII, and a biography of a senior officer with a wry sense of humor, a hatred of violence, and a determination to serve his country.