Silently into the Midst of Things
177 Squadron Royal Air Force in Burma, 1943-1945: History and Personal Narratives [Paperback]

Atholl Sutherland Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 18, 2001

The men who were to become 177 Squadron RAF assembled in India in early 1943, not knowing their destination - or their fates. Soon after they were flying repeatedly by day and by night over Burma and Siam, frequently in abominable weather, destroying Japanese transportation and infrastructure, playing an important role in the eventual Allied victory. 'Silently into the midst of things' was an appropriate motto for the 177 Squadron. Equipped with twin-engined, cannon and rocket firing Bristol Beaufighters, the pilots flew just above the jungle or the plains - too low to be detected by radar - and were often unseen and unheard until the moment of attack. No wonder the Japanese called them 'Whispering Death' ... using the squadron's Operations Record Book, his own memories and those of his colleagues, Atholl Sutherland Brown has meticulously recreated the triumphs and disasters of a group of unknown heroes - the air and ground crews of the 177 Squadron.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Atholl Sutherland Brown was born in Ottawa in 1923, lived in London, England, as a child but much of the rest of his life in Victoria, BC, Canada. He was a pilot in Burma with 177 Squadron RAF in 1944-45 and awarded the DFC in 1945. After the World War he became a geologist, and eventually Chief Geologist of the British Columbia Geological Survey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 258 pages
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing (May 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1552126633
• ISBN-13: 978-1552126639
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,434,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Whispering success, July 10, 2007

By 

Andy Wright (Melbourne, Victoria) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silently into the Midst of Things
177 Squadron Royal Air Force in Burma, 1943-1945: History and Personal Narratives (Paperback)

The Burma theatre is perhaps unjustly overlooked by many reading about WWII most probably because of the mass of material available on the Pacific and European theatres. Fortunately, among those masses, there are gems like this book that make valuable contributions to recording the history of the forgotten theatre.

After the war the author worked as a geologist so the opening to the book is a very informative description of the topography of Burma. Coupled with the type of flying 177 Squadron did over Burma, very low and fast, and the reader gets the impression that the author is an authority on the Burmese landscape!

The book follows the history of 177 from inception to disbandment. Equipped with Bristol Beaufighters, the author and his colleagues flew ground attack sorties day and night at very low level. The author draws on his memories, the squadron operations book and the memoirs/writings of his squadron mates to paint a vivid picture of life in 177. The drawing together of these records is the most valuable service the author has done. While my only (minor) complaint about the book is the poor quality of some of the reproduced photos (understandable that the originals might be poor given the humidity etc in Burma), the writing does more than enough to paint a picture of what these men faced on operations.

Told with some humour and an eye for detail, perhaps the last word should be left to the last words from the book:
"What enemy projectiles could not accomplish, Time's arrows have done. This is why we want to tell our story while we can."

We owe these men a great debt[...]