47 - Flying to Victory: The Western Desert Campaign 1940-41

In this episode we’re in the Western Desert in 1940-41 looking at the air campaign fought by Raymond Collishaw and his RAF crews.

Collishaw was a WW1 fighter ace. When the war broke out in 1939 now Air Commodore Collishaw he commanded an RAF Group in Egypt. The fighting in the western desert in 1940 and early 41 is often overlooked yet with his army counterpart, Richard O’Connor they scored some stunning successes. Collishaws ideas on tactical air support would become the blue print for allied air operations later in the war.

Joining me is Mike Bechthold.

Mike is the author of Flying to Victory: Raymond Collishaw and the Western Desert Campaign 1940-41.