Search results for ""Author Peter Bodle""

Zero to Hero is unique in that it tells the story of Victor Roe, one of the longest- serving RAF rear gunners with The Pathfinders and in so doing, plots the rise of an 'institutionalised' lad from a Boys' Home to a well-respected bomber aircrew member amongst peers, who were an elite group of top class airmen and who all of whom had a far better start in life than he did. In stories such as this, it is not uncommon to find the words 'humble beginning' describing the start in life that someone had. In Victor's case a humble beginning would have been a huge step up from where he started his short, but astonishingly praiseworthy life. One of nine children born to two impoverished alcoholics-all of whom were removed by the courts from their parent's custody by the age of two-is hardly the start that would be attributed to a hero of the RAF, but that was how Victor started. Victor was always determined that with the advent of war, he would do his bit for his country, no one can deny that he did that and more.

Read more less

Pasco's Boatyard started in 1771. When it was sold to new owners Craig Brown and Chris De Glanville in 2013, one of their aims was to preserve the traditions of wooden boats in the St Just Creek, and to foster the shipwright skills required to build and maintain them. Under previous ownership, the thrust of the yard's activities had been towards mooring, wintering, and maintaining boats for their owners-it was now time to change. One of the first decisions of the new owners was to agree on a way of demonstrating those skills and traditions, so what better way than to design and build the first new Pasco's boat in over a decade? It would also demonstrate to the local community the yard's commitment to expanding maritime employment in the St Just area. There was no better man to lead the team than Bob Edwards, who was a well-established designer and builder of boats, as well as an enthusiastic owner of an earlier Pasco's P21 Motor Launch. A few discussions, and several nights of drawing plans and making calculations later, and the stage was set for the new P23 to become the next of the long line of Pasco's built boats. This book follows that build.

Read more less

This book gives a rare insight into the life inside the tanker squadrons of the Royal Air Force, viewed through the eyes of Tony Golds, one of the RAF tanker fleets longest serving Navigator/Plotters. During his service career which spanned four decades, he flew in dozens of aeroplanes, for literally thousands of hours and covered something in excess of two million miles. Initially the prime role of the first tankers (Valiants) was to service the legendary English Electric Lightning interceptor fighters patrolling the North Sea. During his career, Tony served in every continent of the world, including a healthy series of tours at Ascension just after the Falklands War. He was in one of the tanker crews chosen to assist in devising the procedures needed to get both the Vulcans in the Black Buck operation down to the Falklands, and subsequently the Hercules C130 freighters to form the Ascension / Falklands air bridge, so vital for the support of the Falkland Islands, once the shooting war was over.

Read more less