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Article: The conflict within; An intimate Battle of Britain history focuses on the hopes and fears of the RAF's pilots.
- Article from:
- The Evening Standard (London, England)
- Article date:
- May 6, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Solo Syndication Limited. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: T J BINYON
FIGHTER BOYS: Saving Britain 1940 by Patrick Bishop (HarperCollins, pound sterling20)
ON an early page of this new book on the Battle of Britain, Patrick Bishop describes one of the first instances of aerial combat when, on 25 August 1914, Lieutenant Rabagliati of the Royal Flying Corps shot down an unnamed German: one pilot was armed with a .303 rifle, the other with a Mauser pistol with a wooden shoulder stock.
It's curious that we're not told what type of machines the two combatants were flying, but the omission can be seen as emblematic of the author's approach to the subject. His interest lies not in the technical side ...