Heroes of the Skies

by Michael Veitch

Every veteran has a story. Sometimes these stories become part of family folklore. Sometimes they are too terrible to speak of. In April 1943 Cyril Burcher bombed a German U-boat, killing its entire crew. Thirty years later, a letter arrived for him out of the blue from the daughter of the U-boat captain. Cy Borscht jumped out of his burning Lancaster and parachuted into even more danger, being taken prisoner by the Germans for the duration of the war. Stan Pascoe can still remember the tension of the briefing room before every mission, which disappeared the minute he was in the aeroplane. For each of these airmen and the many others interviewed in this book, the very fact that they survived the war is miraculous enough; that they are still with us today to tell their stories is another amazing feat. Michael Veitch, long-time recorder of wartime tales, has sought out WWII pilots and navigators from across the country to record and honour their service all those years ago. In these thrilling, heart-stopping, haunting stories, the day-to-day bravery and luck of these men is brought into fierce focus once more.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook

326 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 29, 2015

About the author

Michael Veitch spent much of his youth writing and performing in television sketch comedy programs, before freelancing as a columnist and arts reviewer for newspapers and magazines. For four years he presented Sunday Arts, the national arts show on ABC television, and produced two books indulging his life-long interest in the aircraft of the Second World War, Flak and Fly. He lives in Hobart, where he presents ABC radio.

Books:
Hailing from a family of journalists, Veitch wrote Flak – True stories from the men who flew in World War II published in 2006 by Pan Macmillan and later, Fly: True stories of courage and adventure from the airmen of World War II published by Penguin Australia in August 2008. A third book, The Forgotten Islands, exploring the lesser-known islands of Bass Strait, was published by Penguin Australia in August 2011.

Further publications include a history of the CSIRO marine exploration vessel, Southern Surveyor will be released in late 2015 (CSIRO Publishing) and a further volume of Second World War airman stories, which will also be published late 2015 (Penguin Books).

Reviews

[Helen O'Sh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audiobook, somehow listening to Fly first (also recommended), and getting addicted to these stories. There is something fascinating about listening to ordinary people (airmen) telling extraordinary stories about their wars, all different yet compelling. It made me reflect on the luck of it all - many of them had had near death experiences and all had mates who did not return. It was also interesting hearing how some had fitted back into normal life easily and other had struggled - why? And what can we learn from it all? Thank you for taking the time to compiling these books Michael Veitch, and of course to the airmen for sharing.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great collection of short but informative interview and reflection from WW2 Airforce personal covering all theatres of the war to different type of roles, aircraft and stages. I found this to be a really interesting set of reflection of from the men who in the prime of there lives saw and did things that I can't full comprehend. I loved the way in which these reflections was treated with great respect, the emotions came out through the voices of the veterans through out this book. Great Job Michael!

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting collection of stories gleaned from one-on-one interviews with former Australian WWII Airmen. Most of the stories take place in the European theatre and a couple in the Pacific. Each story provides detailed information about the aircraft and associated equipment used at the time, and also goes into the psychological strain that the war had on these airmen, sometimes lasting long after their service ended.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic , thank goodness these stories were saved.
So interesting how these men often stumbled into their roles after enlisting and often resigned themselves to doing the job at and knowing that there was a likely chance that they would not survive.
Michael Veitch has developed into an amazing author who I suspect gets the most from his interviewees by demonstrating a genuine interest in the subject at hand.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very easy read about a very difficult subject. an important addition to the reservoir of memories from the last survivors of the last great war, and a sobering reminder of what war means for everyday people in every aspect of life, remembering that for every story told here, hundreds of thousands of people were killed for the vanity of personal or national entities. Lest we forget.

[Andy Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking for some great stories about a few of the heroes from WWII, this is a fantastic book! I found a deeper level of honour for those that served us and for many that lost their lives.

[Maddy B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific collection of true stories written so well and put together so respectfully. I loved every minute of it!

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very engaging and interesting read. Michael Veitch has interviewed many WWII pilots, navigators etc and put together their memories of life and flying during the war. As each pilot has a separate section of the book it is like reading a series of short stories.

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

well worth the time