Aces, Warriors & Wingmen: The Firsthand Accounts of Canada's Fighter Pilots in the Second World War Review

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Aces, Warriors & Wingmen: The Firsthand Accounts of Canada's Fighter Pilots in the Second World War ReviewFrom 1990-2005, the author interviewed many of Canada's surviving WWII fighter pilots, and used the tape recorded interviews from 106 of them as the basis of this book. He undertook a daunting task: he traveled back and forth across Canada several times, tracking down individuals, following up on leads from previous interviews, and working diligently to get as much information as possible, as accurately as possible. The pilots, now in their seventies and eighties, remember the war with varying degrees of clarity. Some, referring to notes and logbooks, could provide amazing details, but others offer only vague recollections about their accomplishments, and sometimes, even about their decorations. The good thing about interviewing them now is that many are more candid and honest about their combat actions than they would have been with the war fresher in their memories.
I'm not aware of any other book that gives such a broad and rich perspective of Canada's contribution to WWII's air war. It covers all theaters and aircraft types, and aviators serving in the RAF, RCAF, and RN. Other books about WWII aces tend to give more in-depth coverage to fewer pilots, whereas this book provides many more, but shorter, anecdotes.
One source of frustration is the way the author sometimes introduces a pilot, gives no consequential information, then jumps on to the next pilot. Rather than covering each man's story in full, the author often splits up one person's recollections between several chapters. Another odd feature is the author's inclusion of spurious details. He sometime's includes a pilot's service number with great fanfare, but more often not, though it's not clear why it would ever be useful to know. Similarly, he may include details of one pilot's current home, or back yard, and nothing about another's. You rather get the impression that he tends to throw in every detail he put into his notes, whether they added anything to the story or not.
That aside, this book is a must read for WWII aviation buffs, particularly those with an interest in the Commonwealth forces. In many cases, it's as fascinating to see what these pilots did after the war, as it is to see what they did in the war. And several of them have written books, which the author references, so you can often read further on someone who has particularly interested you. You may even have a chance to still meet some of these men, although several have died between being interviewed and the book's publication. Strongly recommended.
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