Some of my favorite memoirs of WWII pilots

What are the best aviation books? Of course the answer is very subjective, depending on one’s taste and interests. IMHO some very good books which give good picture of what the air war was about during the WWII are following.

Das Tagebuch Hauptmann Helmut Lipfert is very good and it is translated to English as The War Diary of Hauptmann Helmut Lipfert: JG 52 on the Russian Front 1943-45. Translator is David Johnston. Schiffer Publishing Ltd (1998) ISBN-13: 978-0887404467. 224 pages
 
I have read only the both Finnish editions of which the later, translated by Hannu Valtonen is clearly better translated. But I liked very much even the first version even if the translation wasn’t so good. Action packed memoirs began when at the end of his training at Ergänzungsjagdgruppe Ost, which was like a British OTU, he was informed on 26 Nov 1942 that he will be posted to JG 52. There is nothing on his previous life, not even on his war service as a NCO at the Signal Battalion 37 in the 1st Panzer Division or his flight training. And the books end at the end of the war, nothing even how the surrendering happened or to whom he surrendered.

Helmut Lipfert was born on 6 August 1916 in Thüringen. A former Arbeitdienstführer and Unteroffizier with the Panzerwaffe, Lipfert transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1941 and underwent fighter pilot training. Lipfert was posted to 6./JG 52, based on the Southern part of the Eastern front, on 26 November 1942. He gained his first victory on his 18th combat mission shooting down a Russian LaGG-5 fighter on 30 January 1943. His 10th victory was recorded on 25 June. He achieved his 20th victory on 5 September. During September 1943, Lipfert assumed command of 6./JG 52. On 8 October, he shot down five Russian aircraft to record his 30th through 34th victories. He got his his 50th victory on 12 November. By the end of 1943 his victory total had reached 80. After his 88th victory on 25 January 1944, he was sent on leave, not returning to the front until the end of March. He was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 5 April. His 100th victory was achieved on 11 April 1944 and his 150th on 24 October 1944. On 15 February 1945, Hauptmann Lipfert was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 53 based in Hungary. He shot down his 200th victim on 8 April 1945. On 17 April 1945 he was awarded the Eichenlaub for 203 victories. Following the dissolution of I./JG 53, Lipfert was transferred to JG 52, where he was assigned to 7./JG52 until the end of the war. Post-war Lipfert became a schoolteacher. He died on 10 August 1990.
Helmut Lipfert was credited with 203 victories in over 700 operational sorties. All his victories were recorded over the Eastern front and included two four-engine bombers and 39 Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft. Additionally, he claimed 27 unconfirmed victories.

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Johannes Kaufmann's 'Meine Flugberichte'. I have read the Finnish edition of the book, Sotilaslentäjänä 1935-1945 Koala, Helsinki (2002)  ISBN: 9525186369
translator Hannu Valtonen, number of pages: 226 , 32 photos.

Johannes Kaufmann, born 15.10.1915, last rank: Hauptmann. Units: I./SKG 210, I./ZG 1, 9./JG 4.
9 victories on the Eastern Front and 4 in West (2 fighters and 2 heavy bombers-Herausschüsse). This is from Hans Rings & Coll. unpublished summary of claims.

Kaufmann had quite an interesting career. For those able to read German a very useful small book with a lot of insight in German military aviation. Staffelkapitän 9./JG 4. Very strong in its description of LW training system. Not so much descriptions of combat activities but still gives a good indications what it was to fly ground attack sorties on the Eastern Front.

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If you cannot read German (or Finnish) there other good memoirs of Luftwaffe pilots, e.g. Hermann Buchner’s Stormbird: Flying Through Fire as a Luftwaffe Ground-Attack Pilot and Me 262 Ace Hikoki 2000 ISBN 1 902109 00 7    176 pages.

It gives fairly good info on training in Luftwaffe and as extras on the elementary flight training in the Austrian Luftstreitkräfte, on life in Austria just before the Anschluss and on the life of a Me 262 jet fighter pilot. As in Kaufmann’s book, it also told the story of an ground attack pilot on the Eastern Front and it has more action.

 Buchner is credited with 46 tank victories and 58 aerial victories, including 12 while flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter, accumulated in 631 combat sorties.

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A couple excellent memoirs of Finnish Air Force aces:

Eino “Eikka” Luukkanen’s memoirs, translated as Luukkanen, Eino. Fighter Over Finland: the Memoirs of a Fighter Pilot. London: Macdonald & Company Ltd. 1963. (Reprinted 1980 by Arno Press, NY as ISBN 0-405-12191-1. and in 1989 by Time-Life, NY as ISBN 0-80949-620-8.) 254 pages.

Excelent memoirs on the desperate fight of Finns against colossal odds during the Winter War (30 Nov. 1939 - 13 March 1944) and on the victorious years 1941 - 42, on the hard fight in 1943 and on the desperate fight against great odds during the Summer of 1944 while flying Fokker D.XXsI, Brewster B-239s, war-booty Polikarpov I-153s and in the end Bf 109Gs as the CO of the premier Messerchmitt Bf 109G unit of the Finnish Air Force, HLeLv 34. He was credited with 54 kills while flying 441 operational sorties.
See more on him http://www.saunalahti.fi/~fta/finace03.htm

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Eino Ilmari Juutilainen's Double Fighter Knight.(translated by Nikunen, Heikki).  Tampere, Finland: Apali Oy, 1996. ISBN 9-52502-604-3. 255 pages

The top scorer of the Finnish Air Force with 94 kills and flew 437 operational sorties. Very good action packed memoirs.

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And one Soviet memoirs

IMHO best Soviet memoirs are Vasily B Emelianenko's Red Star Against the Swastika: The Story of a Soviet Pilot over the Eastern Front. Greenhill Books; First edition (2006) ISBN-13: 978-1853676499  240 pages
 
Emelianenko was highly decorated Il-2 pilot serving 7th GShAP ( before March 1942 known as the 4. ShAP) means 7th Guards Ground Attack Air Regiment/4th Ground Attack Air Regiment. He was awarded the highest decoration - the Hero of the Soviet Union. He went on to complete a total of ninety-two sorties. His plane was shot down three times, and on each occasion he managed to pilot the damaged aircraft home, demonstrating remarkable resilience and bravery in the face of terrifying odds. Emelianenko's vivid memoirs provide a rare insight into the reality of fighting over the Eastern Front and the tactics of the Red Army Air Force. The book isn’t only a memoirs of Emelianenko but also a short history of his air regiment. In the end of it there is a long list of personel losses of the regiment.

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And last but not least three memoirs of pilots who served in RAF

"Johnnie” Johnsson’s Wing Leader  Chatto & Windus, London, 1956
 
 I read the book first time in early teens and have liked it since. IMHO one of the very best memoirs of a WWII pilot.

Even if Johnnie is well known in the English speaking countries, here is the main facts on his life.
James "Johnnie" Johnson the highest scoring RAF fighter pilot to survive the war, he shot down 38 enemy aircraft in the skies over Western Europe between June 1941 and September 1944. Originally from Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire , graduated as a civil engineer in 1938.  Failing to get into the Auxiliary Air Force and the Volunteer Reserve at his first attempt, he joined the Leicestershire Yeomanry. But shortly after this, the Air Ministry invited him to attend a selection board for the VR, in which he was successful and became a Sergeant Pilot (under training).  Undertaking his training at weekends at Stapleford Tawney and Marshal's at Cambridge before Service flying training at RAF Sealand, being commissioned in 1940. Operational training at Hawarden was followed by his first posting to No 19 Sqn at Duxford.
At the point 19 Sqn were experiencing problems trying to introduce the first cannon armed Spitfires into service and the Sqn had no time to complete Johnnie's training.  He therefore found himself posted to No 616 Sqn at Coltishall which had been pulled out of the front line to recover.  He shared his first victory with 'Cocky' Dundas in January 1941.  A move to Tangmere meant that his score began to mount and he was soon commanding  'B' Flight of 616. Johnnie stayed with 616 during it's moves between 11 and  12 Groups throughout 1941 and early 1942 flying Spitfire I's, II's, V's and high altitude VI's.
Then in  July 1942 he took over No 610 (County of Chester) Sqn at Coltishall.  Shortly after taking over 610 were part of a West Malling Wing involved in 'Operation Dynamo', the Dieppe Raid.  They eventually rejoined No 11 Group in January 1943 and Johnnie's score continued to rise.  March 1943 brought promotion to Wing Commander and command of the Canadian Wing at Kenley.  With the build up for the invasion of France, the Kenley Wing became No 127 Airfield (later recalled Wing) in No 83 Group of the 2nd Tactical Air Force and started preparing for it's role on the continent.  However by late 1943, he had been in constant action since early 1941 and it was decided that he should be rested from ops and was appointed to the planning staff at No 11 Group.
Six months later, he once again found himself commanding a Canadian Wing, No 144, preparing for the forthcoming invasion.  Flying furiously during the pre-invasion stage, the invasion itself and the post invasion period, the Wing built up a creditable reputation.  However, following deployment of the tactical Wings on the continent it became obvious that one Group Captain controlling three Wing was too cumbersome.  Therefore a reorganization took place resulting in the disbandment of No 144 Wing and reallocation of it's squadron's to the remaining Wings.  As a result, Johnnie found himself once more the Wing Leader of No 127 Wing.
Having led his Wing through France, Belgium and into Germany he was promoted to Group Captain in March 1945 and moved to command No 125 Wing at Eindhoven.  He ended the war at Celle and was credited with 34 confirmed and seven shared victories, three and two shared probables, ten and three shared damaged and one destroyed on the ground.
During the Korean War he was attached to the USAF in order to gain experience of jet fighter operations.  On return from Korea he became OC Flying Wing at RAF Fassberg in Germany, before becoming the first Station Commander of the newly opened RAF Wildenrath.
He finished his RAF career prematurely in 1966 on completion of his tour of duty as AOC, Middle East Air Force.  Since retiring he has worked as a consultant and served as a Director of a number of companies based around the world as well as writing a number of books.

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Neville Duke’s War Diaries Grub Street  First Edition (1995) Hardcover: 240 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1898697169.

I valued this book highly because it was based on Duke’s war-time Journals. Editor Norman Franks gives enough background and complementary info but the core of the book is the diaries. It is a very good mix and gives out well what Duke knew and felt during his combat career.
 
Neville Frederick Duke DSO, OBE, DFC & Two Bars, AFC, FRAeS (11 January 1922—7 April 2007) was a British Second World War flying ace. He was the most successful Western Allied ace in the Mediterranean Theatre, and was credited with the destruction of 27 enemy aircraft during his 486 sorties and some 712 operational hours. After the end of the war, Duke was acknowledged as one of the world's foremost test pilots. In 1953, he became holder of the world air speed record when he flew a Hawker Hunter at 727.63 mph (1,171.01 km/h) over Littlehampton.
He was born in Tonbridge, Kent and started working as an auctioneer and estate agent before attempting to join the Fleet Air Arm on his 18th birthday. He was rejected and joined the RAF instead as a cadet in June 1940.
Duke underwent pilot training and was commissioned at 58 OTU, Grangemouth in February 1941, before being posted to 92 Squadron at Biggin Hill in April, flying Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vs. By August 1941, Duke had claimed two Messerschmitt Bf 109s shot down. When the unit was withdrawn for a rest in October 1941, Duke was posted to North Africa to fly with 112 Squadron on the Curtiss Tomahawk. On 30 November 1941, Duke was shot down by the high scoring German ace Oberstabsfeldwebel Otto Schulz from Jagdgeschwader 27. On 5 December, he was again shot down by a pilot from JG 27. However, his own tally of victories continued to mount and, after the squadron was re-equipped with the more capable Curtiss Kittyhawk, by February 1942, Duke had at least eight victories, resulting in the award of the DFC in March. He completed his first tour of operations the next month and then spent six months instructing at the fighter school in the Canal Zone.
In November 1942, Duke rejoined 92 Squadron, which has been transferred to North Africa flying the tropicalised Spitfire Mark V. He became a flight commander in February 1943 and received a DSO in March. By the end of his second tour in June, Duke had amassed a further 14 victories to his total and was awarded a Bar to his DFC.
Promoted to Squadron Leader, Duke was posted to No. 73 Operational Training Unit at Abu Sueir as chief flying instructor before returning to operations in March 1944 for his third tour, as CO of 145 Squadron in Italy, flying Spitfire Mk VIIIs. He claimed five more aircraft shot down in May, gaining a second Bar to his DFC. On 7 June, Duke was shot down by flak and bailed out into Lake Bracciano, almost drowning when unable to release his parachute harness. He sheltered with Italian partisans until U.S. troops arrived. Duke scored his final kills on 7 September 1944, becoming the Mediterranean Theatre's top Allied fighter ace at the age of 22.

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Tony Jonsson’s Dancing in the Skies. Grub Street the Basement; First edition (1995). ISBN-10: 1898697035. 208 pages

I really liked this, a good read and seemed to be very honest and true. I read it side by side memories of one Finnish ace, not Luukkanen's or Juutilainen's, who forgets or “forgets” to mention some embarrassing events of his career. Of course I knew the career of the Finnish ace beforehand and on the other hand almost nothing on Jonsson’s career but Tony tells numerous errors he made, so my impression is that his memories are honest. Besides some minor complains that usually come into mind while reading memoirs I have only a couple complains, firstly he didn’t give dates of many of his combats, which is a pity, because I like to cross-check events and secondly in his forewords he tells that he had left away parts of his descriptions of his early life in Iceland from the English edition. Because IMHO Iceland is very interesting place (have been there once) I’d have like to read more on life there in 30s. So the book is well worth of having.

Thorsteinn Elton Jonsson was born in Reykjavik on 19 Oct 1921. His mother, who dies in 1936, was English. Tony travelled to the UK in April 1940 and succeeded to join the RAF. After training he was posted to 17 Squadron in July 1941 to fly Hurricanes but was posted to 111 Squadron in Sept. 1941on Spitfires. He participated in the Operation "Torch", the invasion of French North-West Africa. There he claimed four victories and one probable Nov 1942 - Jan 1943 while flying Spitfire Vs. When his tour ended in March 1943 he returned to UK and was commissioned.

In Jan 1944 he was posted to 65 Squadron as a Flying Officer, now flying Mustang IIIs and was to claim four more victories over Normandy by the end of July 1944. His second tour ended in December 1944 and he returned to Iceland, flying target tugs there, then returning to UK for training to multi-engined types after which he flew Dakotas between England and India. He left the RAF in Dec 1946. He then joined Icelandair as an airline pilot. His war-time tally was 8 destroyed, one probable and 3 damaged. He died on 30 December 2001.

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