The USAAF Airman: Service & Survival 1941-45 [Hardcover]

Martin J. Brayley (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1861269692 | ISBN-13: 978-1861269690 | Publication Date: May 15, 2008

For the US airman in World War Two, flying was not just a test of skill, but it was also a feat of stamina, endurance and often a matter of sheer survival.  And it was not just the weapons of the enemy that presented a threat to life, it was the conditions in which crew had to operate - at high altitude where the air is thin and the temperature is extremely low. Martin Brayley has written a book that looks at how aircrew survived missions during the War, with the help of training and highly specialized equipment.  The first book to concentrate on this aspect of warfare, this fascinating study benefits from the recollections of a number of veterans and a superb collection of photographs, both archive images and specially taken photographs of surviving uniforms and equipment.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

For the US airman in World War Two, flying was not just a test of skill, but it was also a feat of stamina, endurance and often a matter of sheer survival.  And it was not just the weapons of the enemy that presented a threat to life, it was the conditions in which crew had to operate - at high altitude where the air is thin and the temperature is extremely low.

About the Author

Martin Brayley is a professional photographer and an expert on military equipment. He is a life-long collector of militaria, and has contributed as a writer and photographer to many magazines, as well as writing several books.  He is the author of The World War Two Tommy [Crowood].   He is a resident of Portsmouth, England.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Crowood (May 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1861269692
• ISBN-13: 978-1861269690
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,503,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great reference book of the personal experiences of the USAAF Airman in WWII, July 17, 2008

By 

J. Rudy "Major, USAF" (Fairfax, VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The USAAF Airman: Service & Survival 1941-45 (Hardcover)

Martin J. Brayley provides a visually stimulating work on the personal experiences in book "The USAAF Airman: Service & Survival 1941-1945". The book covers such diverse topics as recruiting, training, and the personal equipment that Airmen used in combat.

The book's first focus area is on the experiences of the Airman from recruiting, through training, and finally into combat operations. I was surprised at reading background information on the atmosphere and physiology. However, this information was fundamental to understanding the design and development of many of the personal equipment items featured later in the book. This section is written to give you an understanding of the basics without getting too much into the details.

Brayley expertly uses personal recollections of Airmen to enhance many of the topics in the book. He recounts the experiences of T/Sgt John Carson bailing out of his stricken aircraft. "Sounds of bullets or flak whistling by convinced me I was being shot as, so I spilled the chute to become a tougher target... I had no serious wounds, just some surface wounds and splinters from the door... I also spotted two infantry men with rifles approaching. Capture was imminent... The German soldiers arrived immediately and demanded that I get to my feet. After taking the time to stay on bended knee and thank God for being spared, I stood up and entered captivity."

The second focus area is a near-encyclopedic reference on personal equipment. These chapters are very thorough. Several times I found myself skimming through evolutions of equipment design, such as the section on 10 different versions of the airman's survival vest. The photos and illustrations do any outstanding job on their own, telling the tale of equipment design evolution. These sections contain great reference material, but they could be a bit too much detail for the casual reader.

Overall, Brayley's book is a `shack'- it hits a bulls-eye with well-researched and concise topics, each supported with numerous photographs. Many of the photographs are previously unpublished, including such rarities as the B-18 and A-28. This book adds highlights the personal experiences to complement a WWII aviation library with books on the strategy and tactics of the USAAF. The photos alone are worth the value of this book.