In October 1943 Jack changed from Liberators to Beaufighters having been selected for Torbeau training in Scotland. He joined a Strike Wing at North Coates attacking North Sea convoys off the coast of Holland. Later Jack and his Beaufighter were sent to the Far East where he was deployed to fly out of Assam over Burma supporting the ‘Forgotten’ Army. Midway through the ‘tour’ they converted to Mosquitoes; a change he was not particularly happy about. After a short ‘rest’ converting pilots to Mosquitoes he felt lucky to be put in charge of a small Unit flying Service Personnel to various venues in Southern India. Jack’s enthusiasm for flying is maintained and his lucky escapes documented. His fascination with the cultural and social experiences gained in India leaves its mark as he comments on the privileges he experiences – now as a Commissioned Officer - compared to the non- commissioned, and of the wealth chasm between the Indian Princes and the poor of India. This is not just about flying but how he and his comrades lived through those unique and special times.
By:
Jack Colman,
Richard Colman
Imprint: Fonthill Media Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Spine: 31mm
Weight: 630g
ISBN: 9781781557464
ISBN 10: 1781557462
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 16 July 2020
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Abbreviations; Introduction; 1 The Beautiful Beau; 2 The Road to Morocco; 3 Training for Torbeaus; 4 Morocco Again; 5 North Sea Capers; 6 The Full Wing in Action; 7 East Coast Torbeau Squadrons: The Context; 8 ‘Snakecharmer’ Goes East; 9 Holiday in Cairo; 10 East of Suez; 11 The Train to Bombay; 12 Getting the ‘Gen’ at Poona; 13 Preparations for Burma; 14 The Wettest Place on Earth; 15 Bill Briefs Us for Battle; 16 The Fright of My Life; 17 The Rains Ease Up; 18 Two Important Visitors; 19 The Beau Bows Out in Style; 20 The Mozzie: Wood, Glue, and a Silly Stick; 21 Mozzie Out: Stinson Back; 22 We Leave the War Behind; 23 The Good Life, Even in Hospital; 24 David and I Go on Holiday; 25 We Hear of VE Day; 26 Training for What?; 27 The Wedding Season; 28 I Send Peter to the Cocos, Then the War is Over; 29 Getting the Folks Home; 30 Our Time at Bhopal; 31 Dinner with the Nawab; 32 Flying Again; 33 The Best Job in the RAF; 34 I Come Home, Twice; Epilogue; Appendix I: Henry Everest Colman; Appendix II: List of Significant Events.
Born in 1919 Jack Colman was ambitious to become a Pilot. Joining the RAF shortly after his twenty-first birthday he was sent to Canada to learn to fly. As Pilot/Navigator on Liberators he completed a tour for Coastal Command from Iceland during which time he married Peggy. Changing to Beaufighters he was sent to the Far East until the end of the war. Although wanting to stay in the RAF, from 1946 to 1953 he flew as a Commercial Pilot for BEA before returning to Insurance and moving back to Yorkshire. He and Peggy had two boys Peter and Richard.
Reviews for Beaufighters Over Sea, Sand, and Steaming Jungles
"""Writing in the first person, Colman brings the reader into the cockpit. He talks about the locations of controls and instruments and seamlessly describes visual cues from the cockpit when attacking land and maritime targets. On one mission, two of his four 20mm cannons exploded and blew the bottom off his airplane; the reader can feel the explosions, hear the noise, and feel the air streaming into the cockpit.""-- ""Air Power History"""
