Book Review: Wing Leader by Group Captain J.E. Johnson
First-hand accounts of WWII exploits have enjoyed a renaissance in the past decade as authors and historians scrambled to record the memories of the dwindling number of surviving servicemen and women. But the first boom in such accounts happened in the immediate post-war years.
British fighter ace “Johnnie” Johnson’s book was first published in 1956, appeared in paperback a year later and is still in print today. I borrowed a 1973 copy from a friend; presumably Johnson’s tale had received a sales boost from the release of the Battle of Britain movie four years earlier.
Johnson himself missed most of the real Battle after requiring an operation to correct an earlier repair to his collarbone from a school rugby injury. Rejoining his squadron in December 1940, he learned first-hand from experienced, inspiring colleagues like Douglas Bader and Billy Burton. Six months later came the first of his aerial victories and in Wing Leader we follow Johnson as he racks up the rest in operations from English and recaptured continental airfields.
Johnson was a fast learner and showed strong leadership of his own, quickly being promoted not just for his fighting skill but for the respect he commanded in his colleagues and no doubt for his ability as a diplomat when dealing with senior officers, even when voicing concerns over tactics he resented like the Rhubarb ground-attack missions. He thought deeply about how best to do his job: a whole chapter is devoted to aerial combat techniques, as a precursor to his later book, Full Circle, a history of air fighting co-written with “Laddie" Lucas.
Head-shaking escapades punctuate the daily life of a wartime pilot. After D-Day, he arranged for a friendly pub landlord near his former Tangmere base to send fresh lobsters on a supply flight to the new field in Normandy, while beer barrels were clipped to bomb racks under a Spitfire wing. But it’s Johnson’s vivid, detailed accounts of air combat that really hold your attention.
Johnson flew after the war, too, piloting F-80s and F-86s with the USAF in Korea and later serving in senior roles with the RAF, reaching the rank of air vice marshal on his retirement. He founded a trust for affordable housing and continued to enjoy the country sports that feature extensively in Wing Leader as welcome moments of distraction from the day-to-day business of air combat and the constant stream of friends lost.
Wing Leader
by Group Captain J.E. Johnson
Ballantine, 1957. SBN 345-03042-7-125
Find it on eBay
British fighter ace “Johnnie” Johnson’s book was first published in 1956, appeared in paperback a year later and is still in print today. I borrowed a 1973 copy from a friend; presumably Johnson’s tale had received a sales boost from the release of the Battle of Britain movie four years earlier.
Johnson himself missed most of the real Battle after requiring an operation to correct an earlier repair to his collarbone from a school rugby injury. Rejoining his squadron in December 1940, he learned first-hand from experienced, inspiring colleagues like Douglas Bader and Billy Burton. Six months later came the first of his aerial victories and in Wing Leader we follow Johnson as he racks up the rest in operations from English and recaptured continental airfields.
Johnson was a fast learner and showed strong leadership of his own, quickly being promoted not just for his fighting skill but for the respect he commanded in his colleagues and no doubt for his ability as a diplomat when dealing with senior officers, even when voicing concerns over tactics he resented like the Rhubarb ground-attack missions. He thought deeply about how best to do his job: a whole chapter is devoted to aerial combat techniques, as a precursor to his later book, Full Circle, a history of air fighting co-written with “Laddie" Lucas.
Head-shaking escapades punctuate the daily life of a wartime pilot. After D-Day, he arranged for a friendly pub landlord near his former Tangmere base to send fresh lobsters on a supply flight to the new field in Normandy, while beer barrels were clipped to bomb racks under a Spitfire wing. But it’s Johnson’s vivid, detailed accounts of air combat that really hold your attention.
Johnson flew after the war, too, piloting F-80s and F-86s with the USAF in Korea and later serving in senior roles with the RAF, reaching the rank of air vice marshal on his retirement. He founded a trust for affordable housing and continued to enjoy the country sports that feature extensively in Wing Leader as welcome moments of distraction from the day-to-day business of air combat and the constant stream of friends lost.
Wing Leader
by Group Captain J.E. Johnson
Ballantine, 1957. SBN 345-03042-7-125
Find it on eBay