Thunderbolts over Burma

Book excerpt: A Royal Air Force pilot shares a riveting account of flying into combat against the Japanese in this WWII memoir supported by additional research. Though ill health initially kept Angus Findon from joining the Royal Air Force, he never gave up his dream. In 1945 he joined 34 Squadron and was soon flying Republic P-47 Thunderbolts in the last battles of the Second World War. He and his fellow Thunderbolt pilots often operating alongside RAF Spitfires, played a vital part in the Battle of the Sittang Bend. Allied intelligence knew of a planned Japanese break-out at Pegu. When the attack came, the Allies forces were ready. The RAF response was swift, destructive, and devastating for the Japanese. The Battle of Sittang Bend effectively brought the war in Burma to an end. In his remarkable memoir, Angus Findon details his journey from initial training to Allied victory. Supported by additional research by aviation historian Mark Hillier, Thunderbolts Over Burma graphically recounts what it was like to fly the Thunderbolt and operate in the harsh conditions of the Burmese airfields during the final months of the Second World War.