Book: 'AIR WAR DIARY'

[Mike K]

Hi

I've been wanting to read this book for ages . I met the author back in 1975 , through a mutual interest in fly fishing, he had written quite a few books on that topic . David Scholes was a gifted writer and aviator . His wartime story is published in diary form , as he wrote it at the time .

I finally tracked down a copy through the local library. It's a great read . He wrote that his survival was down to 80% skill and 20% luck. He witnessed so many deaths through , in his opinion, sheer stupidity . Many prangs happened during training on Wellingtons and Stirlings particularly. He was always 100% prepared and well genned up on flying and all its complications and dangers .

He and his crew survived 30 missions flying Lancasters from Skellingthorpe with 61 squadron RAF. His crew were all Aussies except for the bomb aimer . In the book, there are many thoughts expressed on the English and US populace and their various good and bad habits !

He was 20 years old at the time .