Carrier Pilot

by Norman Hanson

'It has everything a war memoir should have' LEN DEIGHTON

'OF ALL THE AIRCRAFT I HAD EVER SEEN, THESE WERE THE MOST WICKED-LOOKING BASTARDS. THE CORSAIR LOOKED TRULY VICIOUS ...'

In 1942 Norman Hanson learnt to fly the Royal Navy's newest fighter: the US-built Chance Vought Corsair. Fast, rugged and demanding to fly, it was an intimidating machine. But in the hands of its young Fleet Air Arm pilots it also proved to be a lethal weapon.

Posted to the South Pacific aboard HMS Illustrious, Hanson and his squadron took the fight to the Japanese. Facing a desparate and determined enemy, Kamikaze attacks and the ever-present dangers of flying off a pitching carrier deck, death was never far away.

Brought to life in vivid, visceral detail, Carrier Pilot is one of the finest aviator's memoirs of the war; an awe-inspiring, thrilling, sometimes terrifying account of war in the air.

PRAISE FOR CARRIER PILOT

'Just outstanding. Carrier Pilot is up there with First Light and The Big Show as one of the best pilot's memoirs of WWII.' ROWLAND WHITE, AUTHOR OF VULCAN 607

'Hanson's thrilling memoir takes you right into the cockpit in a way few writers have ever managed. The lethal world of the wartime Royal Navy carrier pilot, with its casual and shocking violence, horrific attrition, yet extraordinary camaraderie is so vividly brought to life that one can almost smell the smoke, oil and sweat. Real, adrenalin-charged, and ridiculously dangerous flying, Hanson's account is an aviation classic that has to be read.' JAMES HOLLAND, AUTHOR OF DAM BUSTERS and THE WAR IN THE WEST

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Aviation, World War II, Biography, Autobiography

290 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 1979

Reviews

[JD · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely one of the better fighter pilot memoirs I have read coming out of the Second World War, and is unique as well as it is of a Corsair pilot serving with the Fleet Air Arm against the Japanese in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The author was in a reserved occupation and already in his late twenties when war broke out, but soon volunteered for service with the Royal Navy FAA, he got his flight training in America before they were attacked by the Japanese and then served in the Middle East for a year mostly on communications flights and saw little action. After this he joined 1833 Squadron who flew the difficult yet brilliant Vought Corsair and joined HMS Illustrious and headed out to the Far East where they went onto operations against the oil fields of Sumatra and then joined the US Fleet in the Pacific to attack the Japanese in their own backyard.

The author describes his experiences flying and on operations beautifully, but intermingles this with funny little anecdotes of life on the air stations or on ship, and while on leave. His story is filled with the rich cast of characters that served with him as is mostly the case when reading about those times. He turns from a bright-eyed volunteer that is a amateur in the truest sense, into a battle-hardened veteran and a consumate professional. Highly recommended reading this book!!

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir is about a pilot aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. Hanson was a squadron commander. Hanson tells about his time in boot camp and in pilot training. He then describes life on the carrier, HMS Illustrious. Hanson describes in detail the actions he fought on HMS Illustrious in the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

Lieutenant Commander Normal Hanson was born in 1914 in the village of Keighley, Yorkshire. He served in the Royal Navy from 1941 to 1946. He fought in the Pacific and took part in the Palembary refineries attack and in the Sakishima Islands.

The book is well written and almost reads like a novel. The book was originally published in 1979. It is one of the few memoires about the British Navy in the Pacific.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is almost thirteen hours. Chris MacDonnell does a good job narrating the story. MacDonnell is an English actor and audiobook narrator. He grew up in the acting world as both his parents worked for British film director David Lean.

[Daniel Villines · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hanson is thorough in his recollections. He brings into focus the naval air arm of the British Armed Forces during WWII. It was interesting to learn the extensive nature of their training. It was also interesting to learn that the United States played a significant role in providing that training, even before the US entred the war. As a textbook account of Hanson’s life during WWII, the book is complete.

In reading memoirs about wartime experiences, however, I have learned that combat is complicated and varied. Combat happens in any environment be it on land or sea or in the air. The one thing in common to all types of combat is the tragic and sudden loss of friends. It’s an inhuman occurrence that typically demands questions and rationalizations; it may also bring into question the purpose and need for such violent sacrifices. The truly “greatest” of memoirs explore these questions and insights. The shortcomings of Carrier Pilot is that the book suffers from a lack thereof.

Whether it’s due to a staid English upbring or the traditional emotional detachment typically displayed by naval officers in command, Hanson expresses very little emotion. He loses friends and fellow pilots, many of them due to mistakes or mechanical failures. But each tragedy is glossed over with a few euphemistic words and the next day’s events are quickly brought into focus. Hanson never questions the need for their sacrifice and he certainly never contemplates the value of a friends life as balanced against the necessities of war. It’s this coldness, this lack of thought or consideration in the face of human tragedy, that makes for a very dry account of Hanson’s wartime experiences.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book about the overlooked British aircraft carriers in the Pacific. I would highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in carrier pilot training and life. Although about the Brits there are American connections. They flew the American F4U Corsair fighters and the author received his flight training in Pensacola and Miami. It has lots of fascinating derails about his training, carrier landings and life aboard an aircraft carrier.

[Edoardo Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a strange new fashion in publishing to make a book’s subtitle into an advertising blurb. Browse Amazon – particularly its Kindle pages – and you will see books with, right there on their title lines, advertising bumph such as ‘the most uplifting and romantic novel’, ‘the gripping, bestselling Richard & Judy book club thriller’, and in the case of Carrier Pilot, ‘one of the greatest pilot’s memoirs of WWII – a true aviation classic’.

Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s not. That’s not to say Carrier Pilot isn’t a good book: it’s a fine read. But it’s not in the category of books that transcend the limitations of being a memoir and thus being limited to a particular man’s experiences and memories. However, what it does do is tell Norman Hanson’s story very well, of how he ended up training to be a pilot with the Royal Fleet Air Arm and sailing over to America in 1942 to be trained as a pilot in Florida. Indeed, the vast majority of the book is concerned with training: flying a plane is difficult enough. Taking it off and landing it again on the truncated runway of an aircraft carrier pitching on the ocean makes it all an order of magnitude more difficult and dangerous.

In fact, that’s what comes across most clearly in Hanson’s memoir: just how dangerous the training was. Although I did not tally the deaths up exactly, my impression was that as many pilots died in training as died in combat – perhaps even more. Hanson and his colleagues were not helped by having to fly the F4 Corsair, a plane of which Hanson says, in the book’s most memorable phrase, “of all the aircraft I had ever seen, these were the most wicked-looking bastards. The Corsair looked truly vicious.” These first Corsairs were vicious, and utterly unforgiving of pilot error. This is where the book is strongest, showing the cost and courage required even to learn to fly these planes.

So while not a true classic, Carrier Pilot brings new light to a discipline (fleet air flying) and a theatre (the British in the Far East) that have received relatively little attention and thus makes a worthy addition to any WWII library.

[Xan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Estas son las memorias de un piloto naval de la Royal Navy en la Segunda Guerra Mundial, desde su alistamiento hasta el final de la guerra. No se trata de un estudio sobre una campaña, son simplemente los recuerdos del día a día de un piloto: las prácticas, las bromas, los accidentes y los amigos fallecidos.
De interés para los aficionados a la aviación.

[Geoff.B]

not much. not very well written. flaccid style and the usual R.A.F. smugness which was endemic to so many writers of that genre and era.

[Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very compelling and human story of a British navy pilot. Starting out from his initial enlistment, Hanson's memoir takes us through his extensive training, flying in North Africa, and finally to the deck of an aircraft carrier up to the end of the war.

Full of anecdotes about life in barracks and on board ship, it gives a sense of how it was to be a navy pilot outside of active flying. The various characters he knew are introduced and illustrated quickly and effectively, and the passing of the dead, injured or lost is described just as powerfully.

The book was originally published in 1979, but it feels like the author is largely honest about certain sensitive topics - for instance, apartheid is mentioned as a 'rather hot topic' when the ship's crew are on leave in South Africa, and a strict order not to fraternize with any of the black populace is mentioned, along with three sailors who were punished for being found in bed with three black maids at a hotel. No real judgement is passed by the author in any direction, except for noting that they certainly regretted not following the rules there.

Relationships with rules often arise within the books, and the author himself notes the contradiction between their training, teaching them how not to get killed, versus their often risky escapades done in the name of fun or a thrill. The author doesn't hide his own rule breaking here and there, along with sometimes criticizing others for not following rules (sometimes with tragic consequences). Again, he doesn't try to portray himself as superior to the other, sometimes less fortunate, pilots, but he also doesn't really comment on it. The occasional note about how young people today likely wouldn't put up with certain conditions is quite amusing considering how much the author and companions got away with in other areas! One slightly concerning incident mentioned in passing is the author firing a few machine gun rounds through a building in a North African town because he was curious what it was, leading to masses of people rushing out - he assumed it was a cinema or possible a cock fighting ring, but never comments on apparently terrorizing a crowd of civilians with live ammunition! I assume he was aiming in such a way as to just pass through the roof without injuring those inside, but still...

In conclusion, it's a fascinating and honest read about life as a British navy pilot during WW2. The scope is almost entirely limited to Hanson's experiences, so anyone looking for a more general read about carrier pilots should go elsewhere. But as a personal story of how such a massive war could appear to one man, it's excellent.

[Michael Henk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carrier Pilot - First Person Account

I've read several other pilots, gunners, flight officers stories about their time in action in WWII. This account was well written and entertaining, with fair descriptions of the action and interesting first hand accounts of the time in between sorties. Gave an intimate look at what an officer went through to train before ever taking flight to face the enemy.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had to choose one word to describe this book it would have to be "Interesting". I have read somewhere over 50 books on WWII, but this one provided an unique perspective. Although Hanson is by no means a polished writer he is quite readable. He received some of his training in the USA, so his description in that regard are the same as almost any other pilot's with the exception of his having a surprising talent for functioning under oxygen deprivation. The "Interesting" part comes from his detailed accounts of a junior officers life in the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Since the Royal Navy is "Wet" booze is an integral part of their daily activity. Chasing skirts is a close second. Hanson himself was married but doesn't hesitate to relate many of his fellow pilots exploits. I was well into the book when I began to ask myself whether this guy had ever seen combat. He indeed eventually does with the attendant loss of friends and personal close calls. I wouldn't recommend this book as a stand alone study of a carrier pilots life, but more as an adjunct to more detailed accounts.

[John Royer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read but frequently difficult read. The British version of the English language from the mid 1940s is not only quite different from today’s but is radically different from today’s American English. Colloquial expressions are not only difficult to interpret but are, at times, totally meaningless to an American reader. I was born in the mid 1940s and as a former pilot, am somewhat familiar with 1940’s US pilots vernacular. Places and locations are not always familiar and the vernacular specific to WW II British military pilots is nearly totally different than their American counterparts. Then there is the Royal Navy vernacular. About the only two words that are common between the RN and the USN are port and starboard. Still it is worth the time and effort to read and enjoy if for no other reason than to obtain an better understanding of the world of British Naval Aviation in the South Pacific during the 1940s war.

[D. E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An NH. WW II Military, British Fleet Arm, Aviation Action Adventure (CP) (OOTGPMO WW II) (ATAC)

NH. has penned a World War II, British fleet arm, military aviation action adventure,b which begins with a young British pilot going through pilot training at NAS Pensacola where he learns the basic fundamentals of flight. As he advances through training he meets and has a good time in the Pensacola area. From NAS Pensacola he goes to NAS Opka Locka for advanced training. Upon completion he enters the next and final phase as he learns to fly the Corsair. He is assigned the HMS Illusterous in the Southwest Pacific. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS

[joel Chait · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book includes detail explanation on the process of becoming a pilot and its training. The British Pacific Fleet activity was unknown to me as well as the fact that they had aircraft carriers and fought the Japanese. This book was an eye opener. The author really conveys the real story of how dangerous was the training and the carrier landing and the fact that many lives were lost on non combat action. There is not much dogfight stories which are always compelling, but the book demonstrate that telling the story from beginning to end of a carrier fighter pilot is just as fulfilling if not more than a book full of fighting action.

[Terry Pray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read

I have read probably 100 books on World war II, most by historians or biographers. This one is different. Being a memoir, it is, of course, filled with details of various battles from a pilots first person perspective but also contains numerous quips that will have you rolling on the floor. Keep in mind, the author is a British pilot so it is a British sense of humor but it is so rich that I actually burst out laughing in spots. It's a very good read and I highly recommend it to any military history buff!

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book from the perspective of try to learn the most about flight and combat flying this book was intriguing. The time spent in air school and practicing carrier operations was informative. Due to the time period involved and the group there was less combat tactics discussed then I was expecting. However it was still a fun read. Hanson did a great job writing with a driving tempo and creating vivid descriptions of his past life. A recommendation for those interested in learning about flight.

[Kelly Burgin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of an English Corsair carrier pilot

This is one man's report of learning to fly then training for war as a carrier based pilot in the Pacific. Detailed and personal the story moves back and forth between machines then the men,and friends,that flew them. Many did not return home. Death occurred when least expected and, at times, as expected when brave men tried to inflict more damage on the enemy. A good read.

[John Landers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting and well written insight into the training of WWII pilots in general and British Carrier pilots in particular. I had an occasional problem with language usage differences between American and British usages. I finished the book before I realized that there was a glossary in the back of the book.
Interesting details about flying, carrier takeoffs and landings and the general risks of flying and combat.

[Jeffrey Frazier · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title says it all.

A worthwhile Read, I enjoyed it greatly. the duty of one pilot from training to the end of the war. The Pacific war is covered in around the last half of the story but the whole of it is entertaining. Mr Hanson captures you with amazing descriptions of procedures and of experiences of both be and his comrades in arms. I found myself quite sad when I got to the end. That is the mark of a great book/store it always leaves you wanting More.

[Hijacking Of · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great technically correct effort about the tribulations of flying very high powered aircraft, initially by novice aviators. The reading was slowed somewhat because of the over use of British slang and colloquialisms. For aviation buffs, in particular F-4U Corsair aircraft, it's a gem.

I am associated with two very well known aviation museums - this book has enlightened me and will provide "backstory" anecdotes about military aviation in war time.

[Andrew Downing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read, a different view of WW2 with lesser known operations and locations. A worthy read from beginning to end

Well written, easy to understand for an American, even with a decidedly British flair. Loved his perception of America, and his honest opinion about America’s racially charged history. Only a foot note on that subject compared to the bulk of the story but worth noting. Get a taste for the treacherous, thrilling life of fighter pilot in WW2.

[Tony Threlkeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good memoir of a WW2 pilot, from learning to fly and all the training to become a fighter pilot. He trained to become a carrier pilot. The author described his memories more or less day by day. Very sad parts of the book where friends were killed in accidents or in actual combat with the Japanese.

[Don Crumbley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Royal Navy Corsair in WWII

Not much is known about the heroic effort of the Corsair's use in WWII by the Royal Navy, as the U. S. Marines use of the Corsair in WWII in the Pacific Theater and Korea has the most press in the U.S. Well documented and clearly lays out the danger they incurred in use of the Corsair. It is an aviation classic.

[marvin shults · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

A very real review of history for those of who lived during those days. Certainly a great bit of history for the younger generations. One would think that man would not even think about starting a War. Something that many Politician's
Need to learn. Great job by the Author.

[sally reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting memoir

This was a truly riveting story to read! I thought that after looking at the number of pages it would take a bit to read. It took only 3 nights!! I learned a lot and was mesmerized by the telling of his escapades, his close calls, and life on the ship. I was truly saddened by his re-telling of the loss of friends and .comrades during his flight time!!

[Rick B.H. Ghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of one carrier pilot from his first flight to his remarkable survival and memories of the RN during World War 2. Good times, the loss of friends and the farewell to his home ship. The dangers not just towards air fights but the fear of landing on the decks of carriers you are put in the seat of those pilots.

[Earle F. stone · Rating 1 out of 5]

Excellent !

Totally well written. Held my attention from start to Finish! The descriptions made you feel like you were there, living ut.

[James Currin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining and informative read, but I thought the author was too flowery and used too many words. I prefer cleaner, more direct descriptions.

[Ritvik Rao · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very nicely written book, detailing the author's adventures as a pilot of the Fleet Air Arm during WW2.

The first half of the book is about his training in the USA and his postings in Africa. It sounds boring in theory, but the author has a very charming way of writing, and paints a colorful account of his experiences and shenanigans. The whole time I felt like I was right next to him. He does a very beautiful job of describing what he sees. Often I wished I could be up there in the skies with him.

I also like that he doesn't carry a "fighter boy" persona. He's older than most of the other pilots he trains with, and it shows. He's always mature, level headed, and sober.

There isn't a lot of air combat, because the Japanese army was a mere shadow of its former self by the time the author goes far east, but he does go into detail about carrier operations and sorties.

I can definitely recommend this book if you're interested in aviation, WW2 or the war in the Pacific.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry to everyone who really liked this book but I could just read small portions. The author details various occurrences and conversations that took place before he joined the military, then during his flight training with the Americans in Pensacola, Florida then at other locations during the war. Some things were interesting but I felt that I needed to slog through many mundane happenings and conversations while waiting to read something had some semblance of excitement. I'm sure that I missed some good stuff while I quickly skimmed large sections of this book on my Kindle. I just wanted it to end. If you are British, I'm sure that you'll enjoy this book much more than I did.

[DAVID JAYCOX · Rating 3 out of 5]

So so account of carrier fighting during WWII.

This book focuses mostly on the training and non air combat experiences of a British flyer in the Pacific theatre of the war. I was disappointed in the little time devoted to the actual combat experiences of the pilot. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for more action. I was forced to skim over a third of it to stay awake.