This “incredibly engaging and deeply personal” story of World War II pilot Joe Singleton “draws the reader into the dangerous world of night fighting” (Manhattan Book Review).
Joe Singleton was an unlikely hero. A junior manager at a paints and varnish company at the outbreak of war, he was surprised to discover he had a hidden talent for flying. Despite RAF Fighter Squadrons crying out for replacements after the carnage of the Battle of Britain, Joe was posted to the rapidly developing world of night fighting. He flew first Defiants, then Beaufighters, finding himself in the thick of the very earliest stages of ground-controlled interception and airborne radar engagements.
His skills finally began to bear fruit when piloting a Mosquito, and he took part in several successful missions. But the pinnacle came on the night of March 19, 1944: scrambling to intercept a big German raid on Hull, he located and shot down a Junkers 188, then went on to shoot down two more, all in the space of thirteen dramatic minutes. He and his navigator survived the crash-landing that ensued, and he went on to be feted as a national hero.
Three in Thirteen is a unique sortie-by-sortie account of his journey from bewildered recruit to celebrated expert, illustrated with extracts from Joe’s RAF logbook and unpublished photographs and illustrations. Roger Dunsford’s extensive experience as an RAF pilot brings a vivid immediacy to Joe’s experiences, combined with astute analysis of the planes, the tactics, and the events of that fateful night.
“Inspirational and thoroughly engaging—a true hero’s story.” —Books Monthly
Roger Dunsford’s Service career took him from Co-Pilot to Captain to Flight Commander on the last Vulcan Bomber Squadron. He was a Vulcan Display pilot before becoming a Qualified Flying Instructor, CO of Southampton University Air Squadron, an Exchange Officer at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado, and Wing Commander Air Battle Staff at the RAF’s Air Warfare Centre. In this last post and as a Group Captain he was involved in the planning and rehearsals for the second Gulf War.Geoff Coughlin is the founder and editor of a web-based scale modelling magazine, dedicated to helping scale modellers across the globe develop their skills. He is also author of eight titles on scale modelling and an aviation history enthusiast.