In October 1941, 19-year-old Dennis Varey volunteered for the RAF, despite being in a reserved occupation as an engineer. The bombing of his hometown had pushed him to fight back. After basic training, he became an Observer in December 1941, and by June 1942, he was accepted for pilot training under the Empire Air Training Scheme. He trained in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), then moved to Cairo before joining the Italian campaign. Dennis participated in Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France, in 1944. As the Allied forces struggled in Normandy, Dennis flew sorties to support the landings, providing air cover and ground attacks. Promoted to Flight Sergeant, he continued flying over Italy, Crete, and the Balkans until he was shot down by a Messerschmitt Bf 109. Wounded and captured, Dennis escaped captivity and returned to his unit, later being posted home to train future pilots. This book recounts the story of Dennis and his comrades in 260 Squadron, whose multi-national crew supported key battles across North Africa and Europe. Using letters, diaries, and first-hand accounts, it highlights the sacrifices of these young men, many of whom never returned or were forever changed by their experiences. AUTHOR: Paul L. Dawson BSc Hons M. Res MIFA FINS has had a lifelong passion for archaeology and history, holding both a degree in archaeology, and a master's degree in history. Over the last twenty-five years he has written almost fifty books, primarily on the period 1660 to 1831, exploring the relationship between political and religious dissent with the state, equine nutrition and biomechanics, as well as the history of his home city of Wakefield in West Yorkshire. Perhaps he is best known for his series of ground-breaking books on the Waterloo Campaign of 1815 and his studies of the uniforms and equipment of the French army 1792-1815. Outside of writing and research, he is a gifted equestrian, riding for film and TV, as well as competing dressage and teaching classical equitation. In his free time, he is a church musician ? both organist, choir director and solo singer ? and lay minister with the General Assembly of Unitarians and Free Christians. Following a severe traumatic brain injury, resulting in speech, cognition and some mobility issues, he is a campaigner for disability rights for others recovering from brain injury. 16 b/w illustrations
