Brothers in Arms

This vivid account of WWII aerial warfare follows two frontline fighter units locked in deadly combat during the Battle of Britain. This is the story of the Air Battle for England as experienced by the men of 609 (West Riding) Squadron, based in southern England, and 1/JG53, a Luftwaffe staffel based in northern France. Historian Chris Goss presents a day-by-day, blow-by-blow account that captures the tension of aerial combat, the elation of a successful 'kill', the tragedy of seeing a friend shot down, and the relief felt by survivors on both sides of the fight. We learn of exhausting, unremitting action, and days of frustrating weather-induced inactivity, along with those brief moments of leisure and pleasure grasped from the daily struggle for survival. What we also discover is that there was, in many regards, little difference in the experiences and reactions between the men defending king and country and those fighting for the Führer—creating a form of bond derived from those shared experiences of, indeed, brothers in arms.