Veteran's book inspired by Ludlow war hero
An RAF veteran has penned a book about a Ludlow Second World War hero who inspired his career.
Ron Powell has written Battle of Britain - Hitler's First Bloody Nose, which has been inspired by the life of Laurie Whitbread, who was shot down and killed in 1940.
The book, which is being released to coincide with the 75th anniversary of VE Day, is also inspired by Ron's encounters with two survivors of the battle.
He said: "There are so many sources of information on the Battle of Britain that you’d think it would be easy to get a clear picture of what it was all about.
"But I’ve found that not all authors agree on even the most basic aspects, while others seem to have particular agendas to promote or axes to grind. So, I’ve tried to find a way through the clutter to provide a brief, coherent and readable narrative that includes plenty of pictures alongside the narrative.
"Chief among my inspirations is the short life of another ex-Ludlow Grammar School boy, Laurie Whitbread, shot down and killed in September 1940. He also inspired my 32-year Royal Air Force career, and my Battle of Britain novel, Wings Over Summer.
"But I was also influenced by encounters with two survivors of the Battle, Geoffrey Wellum and Tony Iveson, and it is to them that the book is dedicated.
"Their stories sit alongside those of a selection of other pilots in a narrative that outlines the forces they were up against, the equipment and tactics they employed and how the combat unfolded.
"I’ve also tried to highlight the historic importance of the Battle. After all, it really was Hitler’s first bloody nose."
The book joins Ron’s other titles on Amazon, from where it is available as an e-book or paperback.
You can find out more about his career, writing and public speaking on his website, ronpowell.co.uk.
Ron added: "I believe there are parallels between the current Covid-19 crisis and the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940.
"Then, a relatively small group of front line staff, the pilots of Fighter Command, risked their lives day after day, fighting a powerful enemy. Some paid the ultimate price, but in the end they won a great victory and went down in history as The Few.
"Today, it is NHS staff and other key workers that are manning the front line. They too are suffering losses and, as a writer of historical fiction, I’ll be interested to see how we remember them."
