Warburtons War

by Chris Goss

Adrian Warburton (known to all as Warby) was one of the most highly decorated pilots of the war. Fearless in the air, he won fame in Malta for his invaluable photo reconnaissance work at Taranto, Sicily and North Africa, So invaluable that he was ordered NOT to make detours to shoot down enemy planes, yet he shot down nine! A below-average misfit with 22 Squadron of Coastal Command Warby was sent to Malta to avoid trouble in the UK, and guided by an understanding Australian, quickly became famous. Known at first as a loner, he was given his head by AOC Air Vice Marshal Hugh Pughe Lloyd and the spectacular results he achieved enabled his unconventional behaviour to be over-looked. With his glamorous girl-friend Christina, the two became part of Malta’s legend, symbols of the island’s resistance. Still in Malta, Warby later became CO of first 69 Squadron and then 683 PR Squadron. After contributing greatly to the success of the Sicily landings, for which he was personally thanked by General Alexander, he commanded 336 PR Wing in North Africa. By then he was working closely with the Americans with whom he got on so well, as he did with the Canadians and South Africans. After a serious car accident, which caused him to be grounded, he returned to the UK and, thanks to his friendship with Elliott Roosevelt, the President’s son, took up a liason job with the US PR Group at Mount Farm. On April 12, 1944 Warburton departed in an American aircraft on an unusual mission over Europe. Both plane and pilot disappeared without trace, giving rise to a host of rumours that his disappearance was intentional. Only now almost 60 years later, can the mystery be solved with the discovery of both aircraft and human remains near Munich in Germany. Based on interviews with nearly 150 of Warby’s colleagues, and fully updated with recently unearthed information, Warburtons War paints a picture of a fascinating man, who over 350 operational missions from Malta alone became a living legend in that much bombed and beleaguered island.

Genres: Biography, History

204 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2005

About the author

Christopher Goss was born in 1961 and has had an interest in military aviation since his school-days. He is married with three daughters and is a serving officer with the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Reviews

[JD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book about one of the best reconnaissance pilots during World War 2. Adrian Warburton is one of those pilots that would have been lost to obscurity in England had he not been transferred (by necessity) to Malta where he flourished under the constant pressure there. In Malta he became a symbol of hope just like the three Gladiators that defended the island in the early days of the siege. He played a pivotal part in many fleet and aerial actions due to his photographic reconnaissance missions and along the way became an ace with his crew shooting down a few planes along the way. His story reminds me a lot of the German ace Hans-Joachim Marseille who also had a great flying career in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations after not fulfilling his potential in northern France and both of these men had their brilliant careers cut short. I would recommend this book if you are interested in the subject matter of Adrian Warburton or reconnaissance flying.

[Cropredy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating story of a British reconnaissance pilot who served primarily at Malta during its aerial/naval siege by the Italians and Germans 1940-43. Ok, so what's the big deal here?

Warburton (Warby) was a legend to the everyone on Malta and also throughout the RAF in the Middle East. Absolutely fearless and a spectacular flier (although not so good on take offs and landings), Warburton flew almost 400 missions. Four hundred! And, he never broke under the strain of the constant bombing raids on Malta.

Warby flew multiple types of aircraft including the Martin Maryland (a 2 engine light bomber used by the RAF for Photo Recon), Beaufighters, Spitfires, and P-38s. In the Maryland, he became an ace, shooting down Italian float planes, bombers, and fighters!

The author, who was also a pilot, knew Warburton during the war and spent years collecting recollections of Warby from airmen, pilots, and others who either flew with him or interacted in some way. Warby was a character, known for rule flouting and general insouciance. yet he delivered the best photos throughout his career.

Because Warburton kept only a spartan diary and wrote very little correspondence, the story is told almost entirely from the perspective of observers.

Unlike other air histories, the author doesn't do a particularly good job putting you into the cockpit with evocative imagery of the flight experience. (This has something to do with my 3 star rating). What you get is a chronological narrative of a series of incidents supported by the first hand recollections of observers to specific flights, actions, accidents, or exploits. It is not a dry read, but it is not poetical either.

Many photos and no maps - so you better be familiar with the Mediterranean theatre.

A true hero, who, sadly, did not survive the war.

[Fovmodels · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read about one of the most forgotten Allied aces of WWII. It’s hard to write a book about a person died 40 years before the book was written, however, Spooner does it masterfully and with excellent first-hand accounts from the men & women who knew ‘Warby’ best. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about WWII, the Battle of Malta, or fighter aces.