No 43 'Fighting Cocks' Squadron [Paperback]

When Osprey announced the first ten 'Aviation Elite Units' titles, I was puzzled by the RAF squadrons chosen, 91 and 43. I had thought Osprey might want to start out with a bang and headline the RAF's most famous units like 249 Squadron or 74, 111 or even 303. Yet, after reading Andy Saunders' NO 43 FIGHTING COCKS SQUADRON, I realize Osprey made the right choice. Saunders' book is a gripping account of a long-serving unit that absorbed some hard knocks yet gave exemplary service in several theaters of war.

Established in 1916, 43 Squadron, based at Tangmere, flew Hawker Furies pre-WWII, eventually converting to Hurricanes in late 1938. Pilots like Tony Woods-Scawen, Caesar Hull and Peter Townsend ran up kills in the Phoney War and the French blitz. One of Fighter Command's stalwarts in the Battle of Britain, the squadron claimed some 60 kills but suffered heavy losses. After being rested in the north, the unit returned to ops in mid-1942, flying night intruder missions, providing cover for the Dieppe landing, etc. In November the squadron was assigned to the North African campaign, flying its Hurricane IICs to Algeria. Spitfires soon replaced the Hurris and 43 played a leading role in the air battles over North Africa, Sicily and Italy. In late 1944 the squadron (reluctantly) took on the dive-bombing mission. Notable 43 pilots included 'Tubby' Badger, Bob Turkington, Frank Carey, Freddie Lister, Tom Dalton-Morgan, Daniel du Vivier and Charles Lott. By war's end, the squadron was credited with 159 kills.

Almost all air combat books, such as the Osprey Aces and Elite Units volumes, emphasize exciting aerial duels. Saunders' book includes a fair share of that but the reader also gets a rare look at the cost of victory. One April 1940 photo captures five 43 pilots at rest. Four of the five were KIA within the year; the fifth in a hospital badly burned! So many of the early war photos depict smiling faces that failed to return from combat. Later in the book, a 43 pilot recounts a strafing mission, remembering: "We could almost see the whites of our victims' eyes. We could see them run for cover or crumple in heaps under our gunfire...It wasn't fun. It was horrible. Grim. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise, and don't believe them if they do."

NO 43 FIGHTING COCKS SQUADRON is an excellent summary of a long-serving squadron at war. Saunders' well-written narrative is complimented by over 120 black & white photographs and nine color pages of side-views depicting Furies, Hurricanes, Spits and the squadron crest. While it delivers its share of air combats, it also offers a rare look at the price paid in lives. Highly recommended.

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