Book Review: Buckham's Bombers by Mark Baker

 Buckham's Bombers

by

Mark Baker

THE AUSTRALIAN AIRMEN WHO HUNTED HITLER'S DEADLIEST BATTLESHIP

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 30th July 2024

Genre: Non Fiction / War Stories

Pages: 304

RRP: AU$34.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Buckham's Bombers

In Buckham's Bombers Mark Baker brings to life a unique part of airforce history with the story of one of the finest Australian air crews of WWII.

 

Baker recounts the events that led up to the destruction of Germany's most powerful battleship, the Tirpitz.

 

Buckham's Bombers is an extraordinary story of courage, perseverance and outstanding bravery. 

Baker has recounted the story from extensive interviews and contributors' recollections, both recorded and written.

 

I have read many fictional WWII stories but I found Buckham's recollections to be far more harrowing than any fictional story.

 

Buckham's Bombers follows Bruce Buckham, and his crew, from enlistment to training, the different aircraft used, and the bringing together of his crew. This is not only about Bruce Buckham and his crew but also the working of the RAF and RAAF, and the aircraft used during the war. 

 

Interspersed throughout Baker's narration are notes by Bruce Buckham in his own words and I loved his turn of phrase. Many times he played down his own role in an operation praising his crew for getting them through.

I learnt so much from this book: How the RAF & RAAF worked together. How the top echelons saw the men as numbers and not fathers,sons,uncles. How men who developed a mental illness, now known as PTSD, were labelled as having LMF (lack of moral fibre). This shocked and angered me!  

 

Buckham's Bombers is a confronting read. I laughed at their hijinks and deeply felt their losses. I also felt great pride for these men who fought, and died, for my freedom.

 

The book concludes with pages of acknowledgements, endnotes, bibliography, index and photographic inserts, showing just how much work went into this extraordinary story of Buckham and his crew.

 

I could go on and on about the extensive research Baker did before writing this book, years in the making, but it would be much better to read it and see for yourself. It is a truly fascinating read!   

 

 

My rating  5/ 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐