Read my review of Doug Hurst's new book on 77 Squadron RAAF in the Korean War.
"The Forgotten Few"
Title: “The Forgotten Few” 77 Squadron RAAF in Korea
Author: Doug Hurst
ISBN: 978-1-74175-500-8
Pages: 253 pages and 12 pages of images.
Review:
The Australian participation in the Korean War has for many years been largely overlooked. Much like the conflict itself, it seemed to be lost between the enormity of World War Two and the controversy of Vietnam. Doug Hurst’s newly released “The Forgotten Few” has gone a long way to resolving this oversight for those who served with 77 Squadron RAAF.
In a thoroughly researched and well written effort, Hurst has integrated the first hand experience and opinion of those who actually flew in the conflict. The resultant book is a tremendous balance of history and entertainment, which would be of equal interest to a veteran or their grandkids. It traces 77 Squadron’s early commitment flying Mustangs from their Japanese bases through their subsequent conversion and operations in the Gloster Meteor F8. From bomber escorts to ground attack and air-to-air engagements, the squadron and its pilots are thrust from role to role and base to base with minimal time to keep pace with an equally dynamic conflict that raged up and down the Korean Peninsula. Further underpinning the text are insights into the strategy, tactics and politics of the war which add yet another dimension of interest and understanding.
For much of the war, the pilots of 77 Squadron faced a one-in-four chance of being killed or taken prisoner. For those who met this fate and for those who served and survived, this book is not only an accurate record, but also a fitting tribute to a band of brothers who etched their own very significant mark in the war torn skies of Korea. Deservedly, this record goes a long way towards telling their story and ensuring that they are no longer “The Forgotten Few”.
Owen Zupp July 2008
What they're saying about "Down to Earth"!
"Splendidly written and gripping stuff!”
Colin G. King DFM. Author of “Luck Is No Accident.”
‘Down to Earth’ is among the very best Second World War stories. It is one of the few books that gives you an exact feel for the period…
AMAZON.CO.UK Review
“I usually rave and rave about wartime aviation memoirs because, to me, they are such a privilege to read. However, Down To Earth is more than that.”
AMAZON.COM Review
“…a vivid account of flying in WWII, virtually placing the reader at the controls!”
RAG & TUBE Magazine
October 2007. FlyPast Magazine reviews "Down to Earth".
“There are some autobiographies that stand head and shoulders above the others and this is one of them! Sqn Ldr McGlashan died on July 31, 2005 and Australian Owen Zupp (he wrote the much-praised We Lead, Others Follow in the September issue) was determined that Ken’s writings should get a wider audience – and bless him for doing so.
Always describing himself as “just another pilot”, let me give you a taster of his exploits…Shot down over Dunkirk in Hurricane P2902, he landed on the beach and was evacuated via a boat that was then shot at! (The Hurricane, R-for-Robert, was salvaged and is under restoration to fly again.)
He was a novice during the Battle of Britain and was involved in the debacle that was the ‘Dieppe Raid’; as well as ‘spoofing’ for D-Day. Frustrations followed with the makeshift ‘Turbinlite’ experiment of modified Douglas Havocs and Hurricanes. Then it was on to the DH Mosquito and an horrific crash following an asymmetric landing that he was not trained for. Despite this, Ken fell in love with the ‘Wooden Wonder’ and perfected night-fighting and training.
A sojourn with BOAC in the Middle East provides great insights into how a wartime airline functioned. Post-war he commanded 25 Squadron on ‘Mossies’ and there is the story of an incredible ‘rescue’ of a colleague who suffers an engine failure at 30,000ft in the ‘clag’. Ken’s climb to guide him in had me on the edge of my seat – but then most of the book had that effect.
Beautifully written, the work is inter-woven with wonderful comments from his wife Doreen, who followed him, move-by-move, through his varied career. And it has that almost extinct element that should be in a biographical work – an index! What more could you want? www.grubstreet.co.uk”
Read about how some inflight problems are not always straightforward. Reproduced with the kind permission of Australian Aviation magazine. www.ausaviation.com.au
