Description

This book is a facsimile copy of the pages of a pilot’s flying logbook recording the operational tours of Wing Commander Roland ‘Bee’ Beamont during World War 2. Recording his time with 87, 79, 56 and 609 Squadrons as well as with 150 and 122 Wings, this book covers his flying during the Battle of France and Battle of Britain, the logbook continues through the first intruder patrols into occupied Europe; flying the Hawker Typhoon against tip-and-run Luftwaffe raids, night intruders over France and Belgium, D-Day and the invasion of Europe, Tempest versus V-1 Doodlebug interceptions and the march of the Tempest Wing through the Low Countries and into Germany where W/C Beamont force-landed and was imprisoned in Stalag III, Sagan and Stalag IIIa, Luckenwalde. The pages of Beamont’s logbook are added to by extracts from operational, squadron and wing records as well as recollections and reminiscences, combat reports, diaries, citations and photographs from ‘Bee’s personal collection.

Including a wealth of photographs to illustrate the entries in his flying logbook, this is a document of great importance to historians and researchers of the RAF in World War 2. W/C Beamont was later to become one of Great Britain’s foremost test pilot flying the three greatest post-war aircraft produced by this country – Lightning, Canberra and TSR-2.