What do you think?
Rate this book
Avro Lancaster: Twenty-Four Hours on a Squadron
Unique hour-by-hour insight into a Lancaster bombing mission
The most famous and successful heavy bomber flown by the RAF during World War 2, the Avro Lancaster remains one of the most enduring symbols of RAF, and indeed British, history. This book presents a completely new and original perspective on the iconic Avro Lancaster by covering the 24-hour cycle of a Lancaster squadron. Using over 200 first-hand accounts and illustrated with numerous photographs, it describes the activities and life of aircrew, ground maintenance personnel, mission planners and the plethora of support personnel each of whom played a vital role in the operation of a Lancaster bomber squadron. Starting with the ground activities on a typical wartime Lancaster airfield and the preparations for a night raid, the book then takes the reader with the aircrews on a night bombing mission over Germany, to discover the many dangers and hazards facing the crews throughout the flight, in their own words. In the thought-provoking and deeply poignant epilogue, the aircrew review their achievements against the sacrifices they made.
The most famous and successful heavy bomber flown by the RAF during World War 2, the Avro Lancaster remains one of the most enduring symbols of RAF, and indeed British, history. This book presents a completely new and original perspective on the iconic Avro Lancaster by covering the 24-hour cycle of a Lancaster squadron. Using over 200 first-hand accounts and illustrated with numerous photographs, it describes the activities and life of aircrew, ground maintenance personnel, mission planners and the plethora of support personnel each of whom played a vital role in the operation of a Lancaster bomber squadron. Starting with the ground activities on a typical wartime Lancaster airfield and the preparations for a night raid, the book then takes the reader with the aircrews on a night bombing mission over Germany, to discover the many dangers and hazards facing the crews throughout the flight, in their own words. In the thought-provoking and deeply poignant epilogue, the aircrew review their achievements against the sacrifices they made.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published October 13, 2026
About the author
Michael Napier
24 books2 followersMichael Napier qualified as an RAF strike/attack pilot in 1985 and was based in Germany during the Cold War. He flew operations over Iraq after the first Gulf War and left the RAF in 1997 for a second career as an airline pilot. He has written articles for various aviation magazines including Flypast and The Aviation Historian as well as numerous books for Osprey focusing on modern airpower.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
No one has reviewed this book yet.