Night Raiders of the Air

Book excerpt: A WWI pilot’s memoir of flying with the unit that dropped the first bomb at night on Germany—and, on November 11, 1918, the last one. One of the many who came to Europe from all over the British Commonwealth to fight in the First World War, A. R. Kingsford had sailed from New Zealand in 1914. He joined the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 and learned to fly at Northolt before being posted to 33 Squadron at Lincoln, where he flew against Zeppelins sent from across the North Sea on night bombing raids. Kingsford joined 100 Squadron in France early in 1918 and had an active career with this famous squadron up until the end of the war. Full of adventure, Night Raiders of the Air is a first-person account of this young volunteer’s experiences during the Great War—a fascinating read for anyone interested in the early days of military aviation.