Research sources and links

In the following lists of books, a unit or airfield may appear in chapters or sections rather than the whole book. Many of these books are out of print. These books are NOT available from BAAC, but the best place to start tracking a title down is through the various online booksellers. Please email us if you know of any books with chapters about specific squadrons, other units or airfields - particularly biographical ones! If you've read any books listed under unknown RAF units, please email which units are mentioned.

Page continually updated...

 

The following list gives details of books which are either entirely about or give reference to specific British regions.

British Isles

  • P Clark 'An Unexpected Foe'
  • D de la Bedoyere 'Aviation Archaeology in Britain' (Shire 2001)
  • D de la Bedoyere 'Battles Over Britain: The Archaeology of the Air War' (Tempus 2000)
  • D W Earl 'Avro Anson UK High Ground Crash Log' (Self published 2012)
  • D W Earl 'Hell on High Ground'
  • D W Earl 'Hell on High Ground Vol. 2'
  • D J Smith 'High Ground Wrecks and Relics'
  • N Wotherspoon, A Clark & M Sheldon 'Aircraft Wrecks the Walker's Guide' (Hardback 2009 / Paperback 2013)

Channel Islands

  • Edward Pinnegar 'A history of aviation in Alderney' (Amberley Publishing 2010)

England

Isle of Man

  • S Poole 'Rough Landing or Fatal Flight: a history of aircraft accidents on, over and around the Isle of Man' (Amulree Publications 1999)

Northern Ireland

  • D J Smith 'Action Stations 7: military airfields of Scotland, the North East and Northern Ireland' (Patrick Stephens)

Scotland

  • J Allan 'Wings over Scotland' (Tervor, 2002)
  • Martyn Chorlton 'Scottish airfields in the Second World War: vol 1 the Lothians' (2009)
  • Martyn Chorlton 'Scottish airfields in the Second World War: vol 2 Fife & central region' (2009)
  • Martyn Chorlton 'Scottish airfields in the Second World War: vol 3 the Grampians' (2011)
  • D W Earl 'Lost to the Isles: Accounts of Military Aircraft Accidents around the Scottish Isles 1914 - 1941' (Hanover Publications 2013)
  • D W Earl & P Dobson 'Lost to the Isles: Volume 2: Accounts of Military Aircraft Accidents Around the Scottish Isles 1942 - 1943' (Hanover Publications 2014)
  • D J Smith 'Action Stations 7: military airfields of Scotland, the North East and Northern Ireland' (Patrick Stephens)
  • Les Taylor 'Luftwaffe over Scotland' (2010)

Wales

  • Delve 'The military airfields of Britain: Wales and the West Midlands' (2007)
  • E Doylerush 'Fallen Eagles' (Midland Counties 1990)
  • Terrence Hill 'Down in Wales' (Carreg Gwalch 1994)
  • Terrence Hill 'Down in Wales 2' (Carreg Gwalch 1996)
  • Terrence Hill 'Final descent: air crashes in Wales and the borders' (Leo Cooper 1999)
  • Derrick Pratt & Mike Grant 'Wings Across the Border, Vol.1' (Bridge Books)
  • Derrick Pratt & Mike Grant 'Wings Across the Border, Vol.2' (Bridge Books)
  • Derrick Pratt & Mike Grant 'Wings Across the Border, Vol.3' (Bridge Books)
  • D J Smith 'Action Stations 3: military airfields of Wales and the North West' (Patrick Stephens)

East Anglia

  • Martin Bowman 'Ghost fields of East Anglia'
  • Micheal Bowyer 'Action Stations 1: military airfields of East Anglia' (Patrick Stephens 1979)
  • Michael Bowyer 'Air Raid: the enemy offensive against East Anglia 1939-45'

East Coast

  • J P Foynes 'Battle of the east coast 1939-45' (Foynes 1994)

Hebrides

  • Hughes 'The Hebrides at war' (Canongate 1998)

Midlands

  • M S Boylan 'A Moorlands Dedication: an account of the 40 military aircraft accidents in the Leek area of North Staffordshire during World War Two' (WH Beech 1992)
  • A Brew 'The history of Black Country aviation' (Sutton, 1983)
  • Delve 'The military airfields of Britain: Wales and the West Midlands' (2007)
  • Delve 'The military airfields of Britain: East Midlands' (2009)
  • Goodrum 'Dying to fly: the human cost of military flying; East Midlands' (2010)
  • Halpenny 'Action Stations 2: military airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands' (Patrick Stephens 1981)
  • M Bowyer 'Action Stations 6: military airfields of the Cotswolds and the Central Midlands' (Patrick Stephens 1983)

North Wales

  • E Doylerush 'No landing place: a guide to aircraft crashes in Snowdonia' (Midland Counties 1985)
  • E Doylerush 'No landing place volume 2'
  • Jones 'Airfields and landing grounds of Wales: north' (2008)

Northern England

  • Bamford/ Collier 'Eyes of the night: the air defence of north-western England 1940-43' (2006)
  • Martyn Chorlton 'Airfields of North East England in the Second World War'
  • K Delve 'The military airfields of Britain: Northern England'
  • M J Hurst 'Air Crashes In The Lake District' (Airlife 1997)
  • Bill Norman 'Luftwaffe over the North' (1939-1943) (Leo Cooper 1993 and 1997)
  • D J Smith 'Action Stations 3: military airfields of Wales and the North West' (Patrick Stephens)
  • D J Smith 'Action Stations 7: military airfields of Scotland, the North East and Northern Ireland' (Patrick Stephens)
  • P J Smith 'Flying bombs over the Pennines' (24th December 1944) (Neil Richardson 1988)

Peak District

  • R Collier 'Dark Peak wrecks' (Barnsley Chronicle 1979)
  • R Collier & R Wilkinson 'Dark Peak Aircraft Wrecks' (2 vols) (Pen & Sword 1995)
  • R Collier 'Dark Peak aircraft wrecks' (Wharncliffe Woodmoor 1982)
  • P J Cunningham 'Peakland air crashes: the south' (Landmark Publishing 2005)
  • P J Cunningham 'Peakland air crashes: the central area' (Landmark Publishing 2006)
  • P J Cunningham 'Peakland air crashes: the north' (Landmark Publishing 2006)

South East England

  • C Ashworth 'Action Stations 9: military airfields of the South East' (Patrick Stephens)
  • Brooks 'Thames Valley airfields in the second world war: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Middlesex' (Countryside 2000)
  • B Halpenny 'Action Stations 8: military airfields of Greater London' (Patrick Stephens)
  • Peter Jacobs 'Airfields of 11 Group' (Pen & Sword 2005)

South Wales

  • E Doylerush 'Rocks in the clouds: high ground aircraft crashes of south Wales' (2007)
  • Hughes 'Wings over the Wye: illustrated history' (Hughes 1984)
  • Jones 'Airfields and landing grounds of Wales: south' (2007)
  • P Durham & D Jones 'Warplane wrecks of south Wales and the Marches' (1982)
  • Jones 'Airfields and landing grounds of Wales: west' (2008)

South West England

  • The military airfields of Britain: South-western England'
  • C Ashworth 'Action Stations 5: military airfields of the South West' (Patrick Stephens)
  • Dudley & Johnson 'Weston-super-Mare and the aeroplane' (2010)
  • Sutton 'South west wings: a diary of aviation incidents and accidents in west Somerset and north Devon' (ALD, 2003)

Southern England

  • P Jacobs 'Southern and West Country Airfields of D-Day Invasion Air Force' (Pen & Sword 2013)

Thames Valley

  • 'Thames Valley airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)

Argyll

  • E Wilson 'Night on Ben Talaidh' (Brown & Whittaker 2004)

Bedfordshire

  • 'Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)

Birmingham

  • G Negus & T Staddon 'Aviation in Birmingham' (Midland Counties 1984)

Cambridgeshire

  • Bowyer 'Military Airfields of Cambridgeshire' (Patrick Stephens Ltd 1987)
  • Julian Evan-Hart 'War-torn skies of Great Britain: Cambridgeshire' (Red Kite 2008)
  • Smith 'Cambridgeshire Airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside 1999)
  • Smith 'Heroes of Bomber Command: Cambridgeshire' (2008)

Cheshire

  • Ferguson 'Cheshire Airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside 2008)

Cornwall

  • P London 'In Cornish Skies: images of aviation' (The History Press)
  • Peter London 'Aviation in Cornwall' (Air Britain)
  • G Smith 'Devon an Cornwall airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)

Cumbria

  • Connon 'In the shadow of the eagles wing: aviation in Cumbria, Dumfries & Galloway 1825-1914' (St Patrick's 1982)
  • Martyn Chorlton 'Cumbria airfields of world war 2' (includes Isle of Man) (Countryside 2006)

Derbyshire

  • 'Nottingham and Derbyshire airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)

Devon

  • S & J Rendell 'Lundy by Air' (Self published 1999)
  • G Smith 'Devon an Cornwall airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)

Dorset

  • C Cruddas 'In Dorset's Skies: images of aviation' (The History Press)
  • Dawson 'Wings over Dorset' (Dorset Publishing 1983, 1989)
  • Legg 'Dorset flight: the complete history' (Dorset Publishing 2001)
  • Graham Smith 'Dorset airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)
  • 'Wings over Weymouth'

Dumfries & Galloway

  • A Bell 'Stranraer in World War Two' (Stranraer and District Local History Trust 1999)
  • Connon 'In the shadow of the eagles wing: aviation in Cumbria, Dumfries & Galloway 1825-1914' (St Patrick's 1982)
  • J Carter (Ed) 'RAF Operations in Wigtownshire - Air Accidents & Casualties during WWII' (Wigtown Cultural Heritage Group 2009)
  • J Hunter 'A Galloway Man Among "The Few": Andrew McDowall DFM and Bar, DSO and Bar, AFC' (Stranraer and District Local History Trust 2010)
  • S Rankin 'The Rhinns' Forgotten Air Disaster' (Stranraer and District Local History Trust 2002)

Essex

  • M Bowman 'US 9th Air Force bases in Essex 1943-45'
  • Graham Smith 'Essex airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)
  • Smith 'Essex and its race for the skies 1900-1939' (2008)

Glamorgan

  • Thursby 'Glamorgan aviation: Eheda' (2009)
  • Steven H Jones 'Fallen Flyers: Tragedy in the Skies Over Wartime Gower' (Bryngold Books 2005)

Gloucestershire

  • D Berryman 'Gloucestershire airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)
  • D James 'The flying machine in Gloucestershire'
  • J Rennison 'Wings over Gloucestershire' (Piccadilly Publishing 1988)

Gwynedd

  • Snowdonia Aviation Historical Group 'The air war over Gwynedd' (1985)
  • R Sloan 'Aircraft crashes, flying accidents in Gwynedd 1910-1990' (Carreg Gwalch, 1994)

Hampshire

  • Robin Brooks 'Hampshire airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)
  • Colin Crudas 'In Hampshire Skies' (The History Press 2001)
  • Gilliam 'Wight air wrecks' (Tempus, 2002)

Herefordshire

  • Robin Brooks 'Herefordshire & Worcestershire airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside 2006)
  • Philip Hughes 'Wings over the Wye - an illustrated history of aviation in Herefordshire and the Wye valley' (1984)

Hertfordshire

  • Julian Evan-Hart 'War-torn skies of Great Britain: Hertfordshire' (Red Kite 2007)
  • 'Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)

Highlands & Islands

  • J Hughes 'A Steep Turn to the Stars: A history of aviation in the Moray Firth' (Benevenagh Books 1991, reprinted GMS Aviation Books 1999)

Kent

  • Kent airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)
  • Humphreys 'Kent aviation: a century of flight' (Sutton 2001)
  • Matthews 'Heroes of Fighter Command: Kent' (2008)
  • 'Wings over south Canterbury'

Lancashire

  • R Freethy 'Memories of the Lancashire Aircraft Industry' (Countryside 2009)
  • N Wotherspoon 'North West aircraft wrecks' (Pen & Sword 2006)
  • 'Lancashire airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)

Leicestershire

  • R Bonser 'Aviation in Leicestershire and Rutland' (Midland Counties Publications 2001)
  • M Chorlton 'Leicester and Rutland airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)

Lincolnshire

  • S. Finn 'Lincolnshire air war' (Finn 1973)
  • S. Finn 'Lincolnshire air war book two' (Control Column 1983)
  • Green et al 'Wings over Lincolnshire' (Midland 1994)
  • Halpenny 'Action Stations 2: military airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands' (Patrick Stephens 1981)
  • M Ingham 'Air Force Memorials of Lincolnshire' (Midland Publishing 1995)
  • R Matthews 'Heroes of Bomber Command: Lincolnshire' (Countryside 2005)
  • P Otter 'Lincolnshire airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)
  • 'Metal Birds 1, 2 & 3' (three separate books on Lincolnshire air war)

Moray

  • J Hughes 'A Steep Turn to the Stars: A history of aviation in the Moray Firth' (Benevenagh Books 1991, reprinted GMS Aviation Books 1999)

Norfolk

  • Bowman 'World War II RAF airfields in Norfolk' (2009)
  • Matthews 'Heroes of Bomber Command; Norfolk' (Countryside 2006)
  • G Smith 'Norfolk airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside 1997, 2004)

Northamptonshire

  • G Smith 'Northamptonshire airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)
  • M Gibson 'Aviation in Northamptonshire' (Northamptonshire Libraries 1982)

Northumberland & County Durham

  • Gray et al 'Air crash Northumberland' (individual accounts and aviation archaeology) (2009)
  • Bill Norman 'Broken Eagles 2' (Luftwaffe losses over Northumberland & Durham, 1939-45) (Leo Cooper 2002)
  • Derek Walton 'Northumberland Aviation Diary' (Norav Publications 1999)
  • C.R. Davies 'Almost Forgotten: The Search for Aviation Accidents in Northumberland' (Amberley Publishing 2012)

Nottinghamshire

  • Nottingham and Derbyshire airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)
  • Needham 'Nottinghamshire air crashes' (2009)

Orkney

  • Rev Dr T Crouther Gordon DFC 'Early flying in Orkney: seaplanes in World War I' (BBC Radio Orkney 1985)
  • Lamb 'Sky over Scapa 1939-1945' (2008)

Oxfordshire

  • Brooks 'Oxfordshire Airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside 2001)
  • Wright 'Royal Flying Corps in Oxfordshire 1912-18' (Wright 1985)

Pembrokeshire

  • Paul Williams 'The James Brothers: Pembrokeshire's aviation pioneers'

Rutland

  • R Bonser 'Aviation in Leicestershire and Rutland' (Midland Counties Publications 2001)
  • M Chorlton 'Leicester and Rutland airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)

Shropshire

  • Brew and Abraham 'Shropshire airfields'
  • Robin Brooks 'Shropshire airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside 2008)
  • Neal 'Shropshire airfields in the Second World War' (expanded second edition) (Countryside 2009)

Somerset

  • C Cruddas 'In Somerset's Skies: images of aviation' (The History Press)
  • P Forrester 'Wings over Somerset: Aircraft crashes since the end of World War II' (The History Press 2012)
  • 'Somerset airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)

Staffordshire

  • Staffordshire airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside)
  • Brew 'Staffordshire and Black Country airfields: Archive Photo Series' (Chalford 1997)
  • Martin Holdcroft 'Ashley the Crowded Skies' (Self / Blore Rural District History Society, 2013)

Suffolk

  • Smith 'Suffolk airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside 1997)
  • Smith 'Heroes of Bomber Command: Suffolk' (2009)

Surrey

  • Matthews 'Heroes of Fighter Command: Surrey' (2009)
  • Parry 'War-torn skies of Great Britain: Surrey' (Red Kite 2007)
  • Pilkington 'Surrey airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside 1997)

Sussex

  • Brooks 'Sussex Airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside 1998)
  • Matthews 'Heroes of Fighter Command: Sussex' (2008)

Warwickshire

  • Graham Smith 'Warwickshire airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside 2004)

Wiltshire

  • Berryman 'Wiltshire airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside 2005)
  • C Cruddas 'In Wiltshire's Skies: images of aviation' (The History Press)
  • 'Wings over Wiltshire'

Worcestershire

  • Robin Brooks 'Herefordshire & Worcestershire airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside 2006)

Yorkshire

  • Bright 'Air war over east Yorkshire in WW2' (Flight Recorder 2005)
  • Dodsworth 'Wings over Yorkshire: pioneer aviators and their flying machines, a pictorial survey' (Hutton Press 1988)
  • Halpenny 'Action Stations 4: military airfields of Yorkshire' (1982)
  • Bill Norman 'Broken Eagles' (Luftwaffe losses over Yorkshire,1939-45) (Leo Cooper 2001)
  • Bill Norman 'Failed to Return' (Yorkshire Memorials: 4 Group and No.6 (RCAF) Group) (Leo Cooper 1995)
  • P Otter 'Yorkshire Airfields in the Second World War' (Countryside 2003)
  • Redman 'Yorkshires early flying days' (Dalesman, 1981)
  • Wadsworth 'Heroes of Bomber Command: Yorkshire' (Countryside 2007)

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