The author's family boasts an extraordinary lineage of nine Royal Air Force pilots, spanning from the First World War to the present day. Beginning with the Royal Flying Corps, the family has produced high-ranking officers and notable figures in aviation history. The author's great uncle, an Air Marshal, conceived the idea of sending the 'Little Ships' to Dunkirk and later became Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He also had an interest in the paranormal, inspiring the film The Night My Number Came Up. The author's grandparents were both of flag rank: Air Commodore Ernest Howard-Williams briefly served as deputy to Fighter Command's Hugh Dowding, while Air Vice-Marshal Frank Inglis, head of RAF intelligence, was instrumental in convincing President Roosevelt of the 'Germany First' policy. Other family members include a night fighter pilot during the Second World War, a Battle of Britain fighter pilot, and Group Captain Peter Helmore, a pathfinder with numerous operations. The author's uncle, Air Commodore William Helmore, was an engineer who invented the Helmover Torpedo and broadcasted live from a Liberator over D-Day beaches. The family legacy continues with the author's son, a Chinook helicopter captain in the modern RAF. AUTHOR: Anthony Inglis Howard-Wiliams is one of the busiest and best-known international classical music Grammy-nominated conductors. He has led more than 250 performances at the Royal Albert Hall, conducted royal concerts, is the Music Director of the London Concert Orchestra and for the Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins. For 33 years until 2020, Anthony was Music Supervisor Consultant to Phantom of the Opera in London and is equally at home in the worlds of opera and ballet. Coming from a family of RAF pilots, he has been a long standing supporter of the RAF Association. 32 b/w illustrations
