Australian Airmen from World War I to Vietnam
This book highlights the achievements of a cross-section of Australian airmen in various conflicts throughout the world. Australians have always occupied prominent places in aviation and military service. The particular conflicts covered here range from those in World War I, during which Australian airmen served in Britain's Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force as well as their own Australian Flying Corps - the embryonic RAAF; World War II when they could be found not only in the RAAF but in huge numbers in the RAF and were even spread thinly in the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm and could also be found (often unofficially) in some units of the US Army Air Force; Korea in both the RAAF and RAN; and Vietnam where, again, they were not only in the RAAF but also on exchange in the USAF and RAN personnel served with both the RAAF and the US Army. Wherever they served, their accomplishments matched and often excelled the deeds of those around them.
In many instances the airmen featured in this work have been overlooked by history. They did not bask in the glare of publicity which was given - not undeservedly - to others. Yet, they achieved much - as much as, and sometimes more than, their better known contemporaries, and they were therefore no less deserving of our attention and gratitude.
The stories in this book are just a few among so many exploits still waiting to be told.
