Overview

At the outbreak of the Second World War D. M. Crook, of No. 609 Squadron AAF, was at Yeadon, still undergoing his training; by the winter of 1939-40, he had his wings. Successfully applying to return to his Squadron, then on defense duties in northern England, Crook began to familiarize himself with their new fighter: the Spitfire. Soon they were posted to RAF Northolt, and it was at this time that Crook, much to his chagrin, was left grounded, undergoing knee surgery as they flew over Dunkirk. Following the Allied evacuation from France, Crook returned to the air and found himself facing the relentless sorties as the skies above Britain transformed into a battlefield. In one particularly frank passage, Crook recounts how he mistakenly shot down a Blenheim, going on to illustrate how easy it was for pilots to misidentify aircraft. Spitfire Pilot is a remarkable account of one officer's life in 609 Squadron during one of the most famous battles of the Second World War.

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Steven Crossley, a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, has built a career on both sides of the Atlantic as an actor and audiobook narrator, for which he has won more than a dozen AudioFile Earphones Awards and been a nominee for the prestigious Audie Award. He is a member of the internationally renowned theater company Complicite and has appeared in numerous theater, television, film, and radio dramas. Richard Overy is Professor of History at the University of Exeter and one of Britain's most distinguished historians. His many works include The Bombing War, Dictators and The Morbid Age. Flight Lieutenant David M. Crook, DFC (1914-1944) was commissioned into the Auxiliary Air Force in September 1938, as an acting pilot officer. In May 1940 he was promoted to pilot officer, and in December of the same year to flight officer, before reaching the rank of flight lieutenant a year later. One of The Few who fought in the Battle of Britain, where he won the DFC, in December 1944 he failed to return to base: his Spitfire was reported to have dived into the sea. He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

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