The Best of Luck

In the Royal Air Force

1935 – 1946

An autobiography of luck, mostly good, some not so good

Dennis Conroy

ISBN-10: 1-4120-0910-3

ISBN-13: 978-1412009102


356 pages
Black & White photographs
Paperback


Dennis Conroy was born in the famous seaport of Plymouth, England from where the Mayflower Pilgrims set out on their epic voyage to America. From an early age he was interested in aviation and, as a youngster, would spend hours at a time watching the flying boats and seaplanes taking off from and alighting on Plymouth Sound.


At the age of eighteen, he enlisted in the Royal Air Force and trained as an armourer. Rapidly volunteering for overseas service, he was sent to Heliopolis, near Cairo in Egypt, joining 208 Squadron equipped with hawker Audax two-seater biplanes. Here, in addition to his ground duties, he trained as an Air Gunner and flew on operations against the enemy in the Western Desert and Libya. Chapters 4 to 15 describe in wonderful detail his exploits with the Squadron.


Subsequently, Conroy trained as a fighter pilot and flew Hurricane and Typhoon fighter-bombers against enemy shipping and land targets in the European theatre of World War II.


These memoirs do not consist solely of air combat missions but, in addition, include many interesting incidents in Middle East (Western Desert) and the European theatres of World War II, amongst which was attachment to the United States 8th Air Force to criticise and advise on the armament procedures of their flying fortress squadrons.

One chapter describes the author's four-year relationship with, and under the command of, Raymond Collishaw, the famous Canadian ace fighter pilot of World War One. Some little known tales concerning this great airman are included.

Published by

Trafford Publishing

Suite 6E

2333 Government Street

Victoria

British Columbia

Canada


2003