Thousands of young Canadians volunteered for service in the RCAF, RAF, and other air services during WWII, risking their lives to protect others. The airforce played a critical part in the Allied victory and the stories of those brave men and women are as powerful and gripping as they were sixty years ago.

The stories collected in Flying Under Fire were originally published in the Canadian Aviation Historical Society Journal and are the first-hand accounts of pilots, trainees, and ground crew who recall the danger, excitement, tragedy, and victory of serving their country. They bring an immediacy and a special brand of grim humour to their tales, capturing the hopes, fears, and spirit of the times.

This book, made possible by the survivors of a long and difficult war, is dedicated to the memory of the 14,541 air personnel who did not return.