One of the Few: A Story of Personal Challenge through the Battle of Britain and Beyond

by Johnny Kent, Alexandra Kent (Introduction)

New and updated edition: the original autobiography is enhanced by the addition of family photos and extracts from unpublished letters and writings by the author, and a moving and informative new introduction and epilogue by Alexandra Kent, Johnny Kent’s daughter, who presents the father she knew, not only a distinguished and brave war hero but a man who suffered with the scars of war.

‘I turned into the attack … The German formation split up and a general mêlée ensued, grey shapes with black crosses on them flashed past only feet away, next the brown and green of a Hurricane flashed across the sights … so confused was the fight that one had little or no chance to see if one’s fire had taken effect before having to take wild evasive action to avoid either the enemy’s fire or a collision.’

Group Captain Johnny Kent joined the RAF in the 1930s and went on to become a flight commander of one of the most successful fighter squadrons of the Second World War. In this role, he helped the famous 303 Polish Squadron play a decisive part in the Battle of Britain, and this earned him the highest Polish military award, the Virtuti Militari, as well as the affectionate nickname ‘Kentowski’.

Group Captain Kent’s fascinating memoirs, originally published in 1971, tell the story of his life in the RAF, from his struggles as a boy on the Canadian Prairies to get into the air, detailing his experiences as a test pilot in Farnborough and his constant efforts to excel at what he did. In this new edition, alongside the classic tale of derring-do, Kent’s daughter provides supplementary material that places his extraordinary story into the broader context of his life as a son, husband and father. Poignant questions are raised about what it meant to be ‘One of the Few’ – for both the men themselves and those to whom they were closest.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, World War II

242 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 1971

About the author

John Alexander "Johnny" Kent DFC & Bar, AFC, Virtuti Militari, nicknamed "Kentski" (sometimes given as "Kentowski") by his Polish comrades, (23 June 1914 – 7 October 1985) was a Canadian fighter ace flying in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Considered one of the best young squadron leaders of the war, he went on to a distinguished postwar career before entering the aviation industry.

Reviews

[Barbara Mader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a particularly interesting account of (and by) a Canadian who joined the RAF well before World War II, led the famous 303 squadron during the Battle of Britain, and remained in service with the RAF until the mid-fifties. He reached Group Captain rank; I believe the next level would have been Air Vice-Marshall (I am terrible about this business of rank differences, but Group Captain is pretty high). He also worked as a test pilot, and by his own account flew over 200 different types of planes.



Merged review:

Actually I read this before, but I don't see it in my list. Johnny Kent was a young, licensed Canadian pilot who joined the RAF in the 1930s and ended up as a fighter pilot during World War II, beginning in the Battle of Britain in 1940. This is his memoir, which included his entire career. I learned quite a bit about the state of early aeronautics in the wilds of Canada during the 1920s and the Depression as well as the variety of aircraft during that time (and afterward). Kent was a test pilot and seems to have flown just about everything available to Britain during the '30s and '40s.

[Allecandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wszystko super ALE mam zarzuty do tego jak ta książka jest wydana w PL.
Rozumiem że marketingowo może to przyciągać ludzi, ale to nie jest książka o Polakach a o niesamowitym człowieku, który ich znał. Tytuł Jeden z niewielu, CO ZRESZTĄ JEST UŻYTE POD KONIEC, ma o wiele więcej sensu i oddaje ducha tego człowieka. Robienie tej książki na zasadzie: PAMIĘTACIE DYWIZJON 303? TAK. POLACY SUPER WYMIATALI? KUPTA BO TU SĄ.
A o Polakach jest tu niewiele i nie są oni na pierwszym planie. Uważam, że to wprowadza w błąd.

[Monika Szustowska · Rating 2 out of 5]

Książka była naprawdę spoko i gdyby nosiła inny tytuł to oceniłabym ją znacznie wyżej. Jakie mam zastrzeżenia? Historia dywizjonu 303, który jest wspomniany w tytule to tylko kropla w morzu niesamowitych sytuacji, które przeżył ten wielki człowiek. Tytuł i opis mocno przekłamują, czuję się roczarowana, bo liczyłam na coś innego.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wspomnienia silnie skupione na postaci samego autora, a za mało na jego relacjach z polskimi lotnikami.

[anuszka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prawdziwa gratka dla miłośników lotnictwa. Ja jestem zawiedziona, gdyż po tytule spodziewałam się raczej historii Dywizjonu 303. Autor rzeczywiście o nim wspomina, jest to jednak jedynie jeden z wielu wątków.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Alexandra for having the foresight and courage to write so openly about your late father and the impacts of wartime your family. It gives us a truth to hold onto about our own parents and ancestors.

[Melo Scanlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read.

[Tom McCleary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title makes you think the time span of this book is only 1940, but it actually covers the 1920s to the early '50s. Good autobiography that I tried to get for many years.