Binding: Hardcover EAN: 9781904943617 ISBN: 1904943616 Label: Grub Street Manufacturer: Grub Street Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 192 Publication Date: 2006-11 Publisher: Grub Street Sales Rank: 325556 Studio: Grub Street
Product DescriptionIt is not often that a remarkable gem of a manuscript is uncovered and published. Geoffrey Wellum's First Light was one example. The memoir of Timothy Ashmead Vigors is another. Born in Hatfield but raised in Eire and educated at Eton and Cranwell, early 1940 found Tim Vigors in France flying Fairey Battle bombers. After the Fall he converted to fighters joining 222 Squadron with whom he saw frantic and distinguished service over Dunkirk and then during the dangerous days of The Battle of Britain, when he became an ace. Transferred to the Far East in January 1941 as a flight commander with 243, thence to 453 Squadron RAAF, on 10th December he led a flight of Buffaloes to cover the sinking Prince of Wales and Repulse. Dramatically shot down, burnt and attacked on his parachute, he was evacuated to Java, and from there to India. And this is where his hand-written account ends. Throughout, the author describes his experiences in an honest, refreshing way. It is a fascinating and valuable record, one destined to be seen as a classic. Postwar, Tim was no less active primarily in the horse world, in Ireland and England, selling, breeding and consulting; but also in aviation, with his own company Vigors Aviation.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Life's Too Short to Cry - Tim Vigors
With memories of Geoffrey Wellum's recent book 'First Light', I was excited to find that a new Second World War RAF pilot's autobiography had been published so recently as 2006. I found the facts of the book most interesting, but it lacks tension and literary style, and I never found myself wanting to read on and on, as with Wellum and many other authors. As a keen student of the great Douglas Bader, I was fascinated by Vigors' references to their flying together, at a time when Bader was developing ... Read More
Rating: - A Delightful Story with Unique Insights
This memoir of a fighter pilot in World War II left me with several thoughts.
First was the thought that no matter how good you were, fate or luck or whatever had a lot to do with your survival. One time with almost no warning the Germans were bombing their air field. They were emergency scrambling to get airborne. Some of the Spitfires were hit by German bombs. They paid no attention as to how good a pilot you were. In another instance Vigors was scheduled to fly somewhere on a transport ... Read More
- Life's Too Short to Cry - Tim Vigors
- A Delightful Story with Unique Insights
