Book description
RAF Southend focuses in diary-type format on the airport between
October 1940 and August 1944, from when it became a fighter station in
its own right, to it becoming an armament practice camp later in the
war. It describes the manning and maintenance of the forward fighter
station, often under attack, and follows the varying fortunes of the
staff and personnel who were posted there, and the highs and lows and
often tragic events that occurred on and around the aerodrome. It also
gives in-depth details of the numerous defensive and offensive
operations carried out by the various RAF fighter squadrons while
based there. Through interviews with ex-staff and eyewitnesses 'who
were there' and the meticulous cross-referencing of original material,
it makes for a very accurate and interesting read for people with an
interest in local history and/or aviation and military history.
Peter Brown has researched local history for several years and one of
the most challenging areas he is still working on is the names of the
fallen and women on the memorial sites in and around Southend-on-Sea
from the First World War. In the summer of 2008, Brown was party to a
're-discovery' of the underground air-raid shelters beneath the Ekco
Plastics Compound in Southend. After bringing it to the attention of the
Southend Museum and the Braintree Archaeological Team, the successful
retrieval of a considerable number of items was carried out.
