The Royal Marines are renowned for their military skill and also for having one of the finest military bands in the world. These highly trained and talented musicians are equally at home parading at Buckingham Palace, playing at the Royal Albert Hall, or on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier in a foreign port. Why then when the Argentines invaded the Falklands in April 1982 did these superb musicians get involved in what became a serious and deadly military campaign? The answer is that, in addition to their musical expertise, the RM Band Service members are trained for military service and fully qualified in a multitude of military and medical skills, providing support to their comrades, the fighting commandos. The Band That Went to War is a graphic first-hand account of the Falklands War as it has never been told before. It describes the roles played by Royal Marine musicians in the conflict; unloading the wounded from helicopters, moving tons of stores and ammunition, burying their dead at sea and guarding and repatriating Argentine prisoners of war. These and other unseen tasks were achieved while still ready to provide morale boosting music to their commando brethren and other frontline troops. These men are not just musicians; they are Royal Marines.

Taken from an original painting by Peter Hogan, this dramatic print shows a Fairey Swordfish MkII patrolling over an Atlantic convoy as it forges its way through a forbidding sea. Another Swordfish is about to fly over a tiny MAC ship. 

A MAC (Merchant Aircraft Carrier) ship was a converted merchant ship and many, as illustrated, didn't have an internal hangar so the technicians and aircraft were constantly exposed to the elements.

This painting clearly illustrates the tiny decks from which the aircraft had to operate - barely wider than the aircraft and very short!

Overall size 59.5cm x 42cm.

Supplied as print only. (Frame shown is purely for illustration purposes.)

Like Achilles, the story of the Bismarck is of a light that shone like the brightest star, but was quickly extinguished. Story of the hunt for Bismarck is fascinating as Britain mustered all available resources to counter the threat to her vital shipping lanes. Well researched and illustrated this book is a great read about a great adventure.

Paperback.

The story of the transformation from what was a severely neglected element of the British armed forces at the beginning of WWII into a fine fighting force with an outstanding and influential operational history. From obsolete equipment and 4 aircraft carriers to state of the art aircraft and 59 aircraft carriers. A wealth of information, photographs and diagrams. Essential reading for anyone with an interest in the Fleet Air Arm.

Paperback.

In August 1944 the British Pacific Fleet did not exist. Six months later it was strong enough to launch air attacks on Japanese territory, and by the end of the war it constituted the most powerful force in the history of the Royal Navy, fighting as professional equals alongside the U.S. Navy. How this was achieved by a nation nearing exhaustion after five years of conflict is a story of epic proportions in which ingenuity, diplomacy, and dogged persistence all played a part. This ground-breaking new work by David Hobbs describes the background, creation, and expansion of the British Pacific Fleet from its first tentative strikes, through operations off the coast of Japan, to its impact on the immediate post-war period. It includes the opinions of U.S. Navy liaison officers attached to the British flagships. A fascinating read.

 Highly recommended.

• Publisher: ‎Seaforth Publishing; First Edition (16 Jun. 2011)
• Language: ‎English
• ISBN: 9781526702838
• Dimensions: ‎15.6 x 23.4 cm
• Paperback

An idea inspired by Winston Churchill in 1912 who was aware of the shortage of Lieutenants to man the burgeoning RN Fleets. The scheme was large both in vision and organisation with many establishments both ashore and afloat and it later expanded to provide training for the navies of Britain's dominions.

The book holds an incredible amount of detail and is something of a snap shot of Britain's Navy and what was expected of it at that time.

Paperback

In 1918 Britain was pre-eminent in the technology and tactics of deploying aircraft at sea. That lead was lost to Japan and the USA during the inter-war years as, subject to the will of the RAF, meagre resources were committed elsewhere. Where we hadn't languished during those wilderness years was in carrier strike doctrine. After regaining control of its flying assets in 1937, the Royal Navy had so much to prepare and so little time. 

A fascinating insight into a service doing the best with the least for almost two decades and yet a service that acquitted itself with distinction from the first day of WWII. Much is seen through the eyes of distinguished pilot Lt WP Lucy DSO RN. 

...A Detailed Guide To The RAF & FAA's Last Twin Engine Fighter.

A superb reference guide to the Hornet and Sea Hornets airframe and camouflage markings. Aimed at modeller's but not to be overlooked by pure plane enthusiasts interested in the mechanics of this aircraft. This book takes a comprehensive look at the Hornet and Sea Hornet revealing its development and operational uses, details the various markings, has period photos and two informative build articles listing its technical specifications.

Format: A4, soft cover

This is the good, the bad and the ugly of the history of RNAS/RAF/FAA.  Set during a period across two world wars, the book highlights a series of triumphs and tragedies which shape the history of British Naval Aviation.  Adlam presents a highly entertaining and controversial study which is sure to appeal to a wide variety of aviation enthusiasts.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pen & Sword Aviation (24 Sept. 2014)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16.51 x 2.54 x 24.13 cm

Duke Hawkins books are renowned for their level of detail and fantastic photography. Each book is a comprehensive study of an iconic aircraft packed with detailed information, superb images and knowledgeable commentary about its history and use by air forces around the globe.

Essential reads for any aircraft enthusiast.

'The Royal Navy called them auxiliary carriers. To the crews of endangered merchantmen in the Atlantic and Arctic they were heaven sent protection. To the men who manned them they were Combustible, Vulnerable and Expendable.'

David Wragg reveals the full story of these ships' crucial role and contribution.

 Hardback.

Airframe Album No.19

The Fairey Barracuda contains:

• A wealth of historical and walkaround photographs and detail images of the type including data from flight manuals and spare parts catalogues
• Period detail images & diagrams during production and service use
• Isometric views by Juraj Jankovic of all prototype, production and test airframes
• Concise camouflage and marking notes
• Colour profiles by Richard J. Caruana
• Lists of all Barracuda kits, accessories, decals & masks produced in all scales
• Detailed build of the Special Hobby 1/72nd Barracuda Mk I by Libor Jekl
•  Front cover artwork by Arkadiusz Wrobel
•  At least 128 pages

The eighteenth title in the Airframe Album series is an essential reference for any Fleet Air Arm enthusiast tackling the Trumpeter (1/48), Special Hobby and and older kits in 1/72nd scale and will be an ideal companion to our Airframe Album titles covering the Hawker Sea Fury and de Havilland Sea Hornet.

Contents include: A wealth of historical and walkaround photographs and detail images of the type.

• Period detail images during production and service use
• Period diagrams and data from flight manuals and spare parts catalogues
• Fully detailed 3D isometric views by Juraj Jankovic of all prototype, production and test airframes
• Full colour profiles by Richard J. Caruana and concise camouflage and marking notes
• Lists of all Firefly kits,  accessories, decals & masks produced in all scales
• Detailed build of the Trumpeter 1/48 Firefly Mk I by Steve Evans
• At least 128 pages in total
• Publisher: ‎ Valiant Wings Publishing (26 May 2022)
• Language: ‎ English
• Paperback: ‎ 128 pages
• ISBN‏: ‎ 9781912932283
• Dimensions: ‎ 29 x 21 x 1 cm

On 3 April 1982 British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced that Argentine armed forces had landed on British sovereign territory; had captured the men of Royal Marine detachment NP8901; had run up the Argentine flag; and had declared the islands and their population to be Argentine. An immediate response was required and a task force was rapidly assembled to retake the islands. From this point until the Argentine surrender on 14 June, the British forces fought what was in many ways a 19th-century style colonial campaign at the end of extended supply lines some 8,000 miles from home. This volume will detail the major stages of the land campaign to retake the islands, focusing on the San Carlos landings, the battle for Darwin and Goose Green, and the final battles for Mt Longdon, Tumbledown and Wireless Ridge, the mountains that surrounded the island's capital, Stanley.

Biographical note:

Gregory Fremont-Barnes holds a doctorate in Modern History from the University of Oxford and serves as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of War Studies at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. A prolific author, his books include Waterloo 1815: The British Army's Day of Destiny and many others on military and naval subjects covering the 18th to the 21st centuries. Holding a particular interest in insurgency and counterinsurgency, his wider work for the UK Ministry of Defence on these subjects regularly takes him to Africa, the Middle East and South America. As an academic advisor, Dr Fremont-Barnes has accompanied many groups of British Army officers and senior NCOs in their visits to numerous battlefields of the Peninsular War, the Waterloo campaign, Normandy and the Falklands.

Format: paperback
Number of pages: 96
ISBN: 9781849086073
Published: 20 May 2012

The Royal Navy saw the potential of taking aircraft to sea just 6 years after man's first controlled powered flight. Ultimately, the aircraft carrier became a game changer in how wars were fought and won and often not just at sea. Dave Morris' fascinating book picks out so many things to illustrate how flying from ships at sea involves, and conquers, a completely different set of challenges to those faced by land based aircraft.. Excellent read.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Amberley Publishing (15 Aug. 2019)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 96 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 9781445689029
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16.26 x 1.02 x 23.11 cm

For the first time, this book tells the story of how naval air operations evolved into a vital element of the Royal Navy’s ability to fight a three-dimensional war against both the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe. An integral part of RN, the Fleet Air Arm was not a large organisation, with only 406 pilots and 232 front-line aircraft available for operations in September 1939. Nevertheless, its impact far outweighed its numbers – it was an RN fighter that shot down the first enemy aircraft of the war, and an RN pilot was the first British fighter 'ace' with 5 or more kills. The Fleet Air Arm’s rollcall of achievements in northern waters went on to include the Norwegian Campaign, the crippling of Bismarck, the gallant sortie against Scharnhorst and Gneisenau as they passed through the Channel, air attacks on enemy E-boats in the narrow seas, air cover for the Russian convoys, air attacks that disabled Tirpitz, and strikes and minelaying operations against German shipping in the Norwegian littoral that continued until May 1945. By the end of the war in Europe the FAA had grown to 3243 pilots and 1336 aircraft. This book sets all these varied actions within their proper naval context and both technical and tactical aspects are explained with 'thumb-nail' descriptions of aircraft, their weapons and avionics. Cross reference with the Fleet Air Arm Roll of Honour has been made for the first time to put names to those aircrew killed in action wherever possible as a mark of respect for their determination against enemy forces on, above and below the sea surface which more often than not outnumbered them. The Fleet Air Arm and the War in Europe completes David Hobbs’ much-praised six-volume series chronicling the operational history of British naval aviation from the earliest days to the present.

• Publisher : ‎ Seaforth Publishing 30 Jan. 2022
• Language ‏: ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏: ‎ 440 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏: ‎ 9781526799791

The Aerospatiale / Westland Gazelle is one of the longest serving and most successful reconnaissance and light attack helicopters. The Gazelle soon made an impression with its high speed, smooth looks and design innovations such as the Fenestron ducted tail rotor and composite main rotor blades. In this readable book, aviation expert David Oliver tells the full story of the development of the Gazelle as well as its various air force, military and naval roles and deployments.

A fun gift and a great way to celebrate our long tradition of Naval Aviation.

Handwash recommended
330ml capacity

The Wildcat has been a popular aircraft type with modellers and has recently been the subject of several new tooling's in all scales, especially in 1/72nd and 1/48th. This latest book will go some way towards unpicking the different variants and detail differences that apply to the type.

This twenty-second book in this much-acclaimed series has 208 pages packed with vital information that no active modeller and Wildcat enthusiast should be without.

The F4F Wildcat contains:

• 55+ pages of technical information
• 45+ pages of walk-around images and technical diagrams
• 25+ pages of camouflage and markings
• 25+ pages of model builds and modelling information
• 200+ photographs including wartime images
• Colour side views by Richard J. Caruana
• 3D isometric views of all variants by Juraj Jankovic
• Specially commissioned extensive full kit builds by Steve A. Evans & Libor Jekl
• Specially commissioned front cover artwork by Jerry Boucher
• Set of 1/48th scale plans

The iconic Hawker-Siddeley Harrier was designed to fight the Cold War from the fields of West Germany but won its battle spurs in the Falklands, Belize and Afghanistan. It was controversially scrapped by the British Government fifty years after entering service with the RAF and its loss raised serious questions over Royal Navy fleet protection. This book not only describes the aircraft and its operations but includes quotes from the pilots who flew and fought in it. Author David Oliver describes the development and production of the Harrier from the original Kestrel project, which was the only successful attempt at a vertical take-off and landing aircraft at the time. He follows the Harrier into service with the RAF and also covers the development of the Sea Harrier, with its special characteristics and its extraordinarily successful performance in the Falklands War where its unique engine made it an agile fighter. He also describes the use of the Harrier in other deployments such as Belize and Afghanistan, covers Anglo-US developments and examines the legacy of the Harrier in the shape of the F-35B Lightning II multi-role fighter.

This book is just crammed with detail and is an ideal reference book for anyone interested in the superb powerhouse that is the Hawker Sea Fury - the pinnacle of piston engine technology. Packed with illustrations (including those shots you don't normally get of the systems behind the service panels) and informed commentary. Highly recommended both for enthusiasts and model makers.

Paperback.

Jack Thomas flew from MAC ships and his log book includes W5856 - one of the Swordfish that is cared for in the Navy Wings hangar. Jack's poetry captures both the excitement and fear of battle and the peace and tranquility of the ordinary, made not so ordinary, by his observation and combat heightened perception.

Also available signed by the author who sadly passed away this year (2017).

Paperback.

The Rolls-Royce Merlin is the most recognisable aero engine in the world. It powered the Battle of Britain aircraft, the Spitfire and Hurricane, as they defended the shores of Britain against the Luftwaffe, foiling Hitler's plans to invade in summer 1940. It also powered the Lancasters and Halifaxes of Bomber Command as they went on their missions of destruction to the German heartland. And the ‘wooden wonder’, the Mosquito, was powered by the Merlin, its pinpoint bombing accuracy and reconnaissance work proving vital to the war effort. For the Americans, the Merlin was the power plant of the Mustang escort fighter that protected the US Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress and B-29 Super Fortress bombers on their daylight raids to the enemy. The P-51 was also used in the North African, Mediterranean and Pacific theatres. So the Merlin worked day and night to secure the eventual Allied victory. It has rightfully been described as the most significant aircraft piston engine in history and in the twenty-first century its distinctive ‘drone’ can still be heard over England as the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight take to the air on special occasions – most recently on the centenary of the RAF – with its Lancaster leading the Merlin-powered Spitfires and Hurricanes in formation. Retired military and commercial pilot Gordon Wilson tells the human story of the development of the engine and its operational use during the war, featuring the voices of air crew who relied on this technological tour de force.

So many eminent writers have written excellent books about the Swordfish and the actions for which it is most famous - Taranto, Bismarck, Channel Dash etc. 

The Swordfish is known for these actions, but they far from define its capability.

We have concentrated on the aircraft, its versatility, its ability to operate in conditions where others couldn't and, most importantly, its crews. All this with reference to its operational tasking and environment rather than specific actions.

We have drawn on a range of sources, but in particular the autobiographies of a number of Swordfish crew members.

It's crammed with over 40 pages of information and pictures and we hope you find it a fascinating read..........and it's free!

We hope you enjoy it.

 

The story of the war in the far east and the part played by the British Pacific Fleet, the largest fleet ever assembled by the Royal Navy, is not as well known as it should be. For example, few are aware that Fleet Air Arm battle honours include Okinawa and Japan. The intention of the vast combined British and American fleets was to starve Japan of food and resources and destroy their military capability. This was to be achieved by the decimation of the Japanese air force, air raids on infrastructure, production facilities and military targets and naval and air attacks on coastal defences. In those final few months tens of thousands of sorties were flown and coastal cities were pummelled by a fleet including up to ten battleships.