<div><B>A stirring account of the Royal Navy&rsquo;s World War II heroics that &ldquo;can be thoroughly recommended to anyone interested in the &lsquo;<B>Forgotten Fleet.&rsquo; &rdquo;&mdash;<I>The Aviation Historian</I></B> <BR />  <BR /> In 1944, with the invasion of Europe underway and battles in the Atlantic and Mediterranean all but won, the Royal Navy&rsquo;s strength could be focused on the Far East and the Pacific where the Japanese were still a long way from defeat. The Allies needed to combine their forces more effectively if they were to bring the war to an end quickly. In response the Royal Navy massed its ships to add weight to the US Navy. With an attack force of four fleet carriers, and two more on the way, a fleet was born for use in the Indian Ocean and, later, the Pacific. <BR />  <BR /> This book is about the exceptional group of young men, from Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Holland and South Africa who joined the Fleet Air Arm as pilots. With their American-built Hellcats they were in the thick of the action, providing a hard, professional core to this fighting fleet that few would equal. The author was lucky to meet or correspond with nearly all the survivors, and he follows the young pilots lives from selection, through training to operations. The 5th Wing went to sea in 1944 and were in continuous action, in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from then until the last days of the war. They participated in strikes on Sumatra with the aim of destroying its highly important oil refineries, then they joined in the battles for Leyte and Okinawa, before moving with the British Fleet to begin the invasion Japan itself.</B></div>

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Heaven High, Ocean Deep

<div><B>The dramatic history behind one of WWII’s most powerful—and dangerous—planes, “spiced with many first-hand accounts, American and British”</B> (<B><I>Aeroplane</I>).</B><br/><br/><I>Despite everything, I felt very lucky to have flown Corsairs. They were the best, you know, even though it took me some time to realize this when so many friends died flying them. </I>—Colin Facer, Corsair pilot, HMS <I>Illustrious</I><br/><br/>The Vought-Sikorsky Corsair was one of the most potent fighters of WWII—and one of the most flawed. Conceived by Rex Beisel, Vought’s Chief Designer in 1938, it was condemned by the US Navy as too dangerous for carrier operations and wasn’t certified for use at sea. With British companies unable to build fighters with sufficient range and potency for carrier use, the Admiralty sought alternatives, and due to Roosevelt’s Lend Lease program, they could acquire weapons from American factories. In practice, this meant standing in line behind the US military for service, but it still opened up new opportunities. So with newly built Corsairs being stockpiled and the promise of an improved version to come, the Royal Navy saw an opening worthy of development and exploited it.<br/><br/>By the end of the war, the Fleet Air Arm had acquired more than 2,000 Corsairs to equip its squadrons. But the risks identified by the USN were largely ignored by the Royal Navy and far too many men and aircraft were lost in accidents as a result. Yet in the hands of experienced carrier pilots, its virtues were only too apparent and, in due course, they achieved great things. Eventually, the US Navy noted this “success” and certified the Corsair for use on their carriers too, but the aircraft never entirely lost its reputation as a “widowmaker.”<br/><br/>This book, with photos included, describes the Corsair’s development and tells the sad but inspiring story of the young men who struggled and suffered to make the Corsair a going concern in the most vicious, unforgiving war one can imagine. The author met and corresponded with almost a hundred veterans from America, Britain, New Zealand, and Canada. Their recollections made this book possible—and through their vivid memories we can experience what it felt like to be barely of age, a civilian called to arms, and a fighter pilot.</div>

Widowmaker

<div>In 1958 one of Britain`s greatest locomotive designers died without public fanfare or recognition, mourned only by his family. Yet William Stanier, arguably one of our greatest engineers and his leader, said of him that without his Chief Draughtsman all he achieved with the LMS would not have been possible. How could such a man slip from our view and remain anonymous, although his Princess Coronations, Black 5s and 8Fs are regarded as three of the finest classes of locomotive ever built? And today many survive as stars to grace the ever growing preservation movement.In reality, Tom Coleman was an intensely private and modest man who never sought recognition or commendation. His need for privacy may be one reason why his life has remained shrouded in mystery for so long, but finally his story has been slowly pieced together from a wide variety of sources, many previously untapped. So now we can see for ourselves his great contribution to railway history and recognise his singular talents.</div>

LMS Locomotive Design & Development

<div>When Stanier joined the LMS in 1932, as their CME, he was expected to breathe new life into this ailing giant. Since its formation it had steadily lost ground to its main rival, the LNER. In Doncaster, Nigel Gresley and his team, with an eye to advancing locomotive design at the same time as making the company commercially successful, had quickly begun producing a series of high performance and iconic Pacific engines to pull their high profile express trains. Their impact left the LMS trailing in their wake.Under previous CMEs, the LMS had concentrated on 4-6-0 designs to pull their express services, but many felt they lacked sufficient power and had little to offer in performance or glamour when compared to their rivals.Stanier, heavily influenced by his mentor, George Churchward, his work on the GWR and the potential of the Pacific design, saw such a class as essential to the success of the LMS. And so the Princess Royal Class came into being, against a background of some opposition and cultural differences. Despite this, they proved their worth and became popular with their crew and managers. Within a few short years, however, their premier position in the company had been taken by a very worthy successor, the Princess Coronation Class.Overshadowed and often overlooked, they tend to be seen as a stepping stone to something better. Yet, in reality they stand up well to the closest scrutiny, and this book tells the story of these engines through the eyes of those who came into contact with them. They also best represent the impact William Stanier had on locomotive design and best describe the way he changed the culture of the LMS to allow it to grow successfully. It is a story of great endeavor and courage that can only be told by revealing and discussing political, social, economic and engineering issues.</div>

The Princess Royal Pacifics

<div>Turbomotive was unique in Britain's railway history, and an experimental engine that proved successful but came too late to effect the direction of steam development or deflect the onset of diesel and electric locomotives. It was the brainchild of two of the most influential engineers of the twentieth century   William Stanier of the LMS and Henry Guy of Metropolitan Vickers. They hoped that turbine power, which had already revolutionized ships propulsion and power stations, would do the same for the railways.When Turbomotive appeared in 1935, she became a PR phenomenon at a time when commercial rivalry between the LMS and the LNER was reaching its height. Its launch at Euston in June was accompanied by a great fanfare and much publicity. Such was the interest in this 'revolutionary' idea that the engine would attract attention all her life.Although producing good but not remarkable performances, she remained in service, plying her trade between London and Liverpool for longer than anyone predicted. Most expected a quick rebuild to conventional form, but the coming of war and lack of resources meant that she carried on until 1950 in turbine form.Inevitably, change came when maintenance costs seemed likely to escalate and rebuilding seemed unavoidable. She reappeared in August 1952, part Princess and part Coronation, but her new life was cut short by the disaster at Harrow in October. Although many thought her repairable, she was scrapped to make way for another 'experimental' steam engine.This book presents the compulsive and fascinating story of this remarkable locomotive, drawn from a wide variety of sources, many previously untapped and unpublished, including memories of the designers, the crew who drove her, accountants and hardheaded business men, PR teams, the press, the passengers and many more.</div>

The Turbomotive: Stanier's Advanced Pacific

<div><B>This British Railways history recounts the life of a controversial steam engine and its miraculous transformation at the hands of a brilliant engineer.</B><BR />  <BR /> As Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway, Oliver Bulleid designed what were perhaps the most controversial steam locomotives ever built in Britain: the Pacifics. Loved and loathed in equal measure, the debate over their strengths and weaknesses took on a new dimension when British Railways decided to modify them in the 1950s.<BR />  <BR /> When noted engineer Ron Jarvis was charged with improving on Bulleid&rsquo;s designs, he displayed a master&rsquo;s touch, saving the best of Bulleid&rsquo;s work while incorporating other established design principles. What emerged was described by Bert Spencer, Gresley&rsquo;s talented assistant, as taking &lsquo;a swan and creating a soaring eagle.&rsquo;<BR />  <BR /> This book explores all the elements of the lives of these Pacifics and their two designers. It draws on previously unpublished material to describe their gradual evolution, which didn&rsquo;t start or finish with the 1950s major rebuilding program.</div>

The Modified Bulleid Pacifics

<div><B>An in-depth look at the team who worked with the renowned British railway engineer, with numerous photos included.</B><br/><br/>To renowned engineer Nigel Gresley must go great credit for many of the London and North Eastern Railway’s achievements, but those around him have faded into obscurity and are now largely forgotten, even though their contributions were immense. To redress this imbalance, Tim Hillier-Graves has explored the life of Gresley and his team, and sought to uncover a more expansive picture of these events. This in no way diminishes Gresley’s stunning accomplishments—but builds a fuller and more authentic view of a dynamic period in railway history.<br/><br/>The book draws upon many sources of information, some of it previously unpublished, to present a fascinating picture of all that happened and all that was achieved, often in the most difficult of circumstances, by a very gifted team of engineers and their exceptional leader.</div>

Gresley and His Locomotives

<div><B>A pictorial history of the sixteen-member British steam locomotive class all named after famous admirals.</B><br/><br/>The Lord Nelson Class has come to be viewed as an “also ran” amongst express locomotives and is largely overlooked for that reason. It had the misfortune to be sandwiched on Southern metals between the classic and much revered King Arthurs and Schools and by Bullied’s controversial Pacifics. In such company any design might suffer by comparison. And yet when first appearing they attracted plaudits from railway professionals, including the footplate crew, and the public alike. But with only 16 being built their impact was muted and any faults in their design were magnified beyond their actual impact. In truth they deserved far better than this and were, in fact sturdy, reliable performers that served the company well on the heavy boat trains for which they were designed and across their other passenger services for 30 years and more in peace and war.<br/><br/>Much has been written about these locomotives, but no story is ever complete, with new information and photographs emerging to deepen our understanding of them. This book provides an in-depth view that re-examines these impressive engines using, new material, eyewitness accounts, contemporary assessments and more than 200 photographs and drawings.</div>

Southern Railway, Lord Nelson Class 4-6-0s

<div>Arthur Peppercorn, a vicar's son from Herefordshire, was the last L N E R Chief Mechanical Engineer.  He managed his department for a very short time before it was swept away in the wholesale changes that followed Nationalisation of British Railways in 1948.Although a disciple and follower of Sir Nigel Gresley, he was his own man and developed his talent for production engineering that fully complimented the design skills of his greatly respected leader.  He then became a worthy deputy to Edward Thompson during a war that demanded great personal sacrifices from both men.  When he finally became C M E in 1946 he used his wide talents and experience to lead in developing two successful pacific classes of locomotives, that many rate as being among the best locomotives of this type ever to appear in Britain.  This book, which is the first detailed biography of Peppercorn, tells his fascinating story and describes the influences on his life and career, illustrating his many achievements along the way.</div>

Peppercorn, His Life & Locomotives

<div>Although closed to traffic in 1966, with most of its infrastructure swiftly destroyed by British Railways, this unique railway line still lives in the minds of many, some too young to remember it in its heyday.  For more then a hundred years it courted disaster and could on a number of occasions have succumbed to overpowering financial pressures, but it survived with the help of partnerships with larger, more secure companies, namely the Midland Railway and the London &amp; South Western Railway. Later on, after the grouping in 1923, the line came under the control of the L M S and the Southern Railway.  It was unfortunate that the line suffered in later years, from inter regional rivalry between the Western and Southern Regions of British Railways, which led to its eventual closure.  The variety of companies involved in its running meant that during its lifetime the small pool of locomotives needed to service the line was supplemented by the best each partner could offer.  So from the beginning to the end there were a myriad number of types of locomotive running over the Mendips providing a lively variety of motive power.  This heavily illustrated book traces this unique and fascinating history and brings to life this singular, much missed and loved railway.</div>

Tim Hillier-Graves
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Books By Tim Hillier-Graves (10 Books)