Contents

‘Wings’ by Cecil Roberts

BATTLE ORDER 204 (1) Bomb Doors Open!

1 A Passion for Planes

2 Name, Rank and Number

BATTLE ORDER 204 (2) D Dog

3 Slow Boat to Britain

4 Loving Life

BATTLE ORDER 204 (3) Target Dortmund

5 Confronting Death

6 Airborne Again At Last

‘High Flight’ by John Magee

7 Wimpeys and Crewing Up

8 Heavies and ‘Butch’ Harris

‘An Airman’s Prayer’ by Hugh Brodie

9 625 Squadron

BATTLE ORDER 204 (4) Hit!

10 Holland, Happy Valley and France

BATTLE ORDER 204 (5) Put on Parachutes!

11 J Jig

12 Erks and Armourers

13 Holland, Happy Valley and Operation Hurricane

BATTLE ORDER 204 (6) Take Up Crash Positions!

14 ‘Three of our aircraft are missing’

15 Bold, cautious, true and my loving comrade’

16 G George and D Dog

BATTLE ORDER 204 (7) A Perfect Landing

17 A Fractured Skull and a Headless Crew

BATTLE ORDER 204 (8) Outstanding Devotion to Duty

18 ‘It is so good to be alive!’

19 Victory At Last!

20 ‘In hospital again. Nothing serious. Don’t worry.’

21 Going Home

Epilogue

About the Others

Writing Battle Order 204

Acknowledgements

About the Poems

Glossary

Sources