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PURSUIT THROUGH DARKENED SKIES

AN ACE NIGHT-FIGHTER CREW IN WORLD WAR II

(MICHAEL ALLEN D.F.C.)

When Michael Allen ‘crewed-up’ with Harry White in August 1941, it was the start of a four-year partnership as navigator and pilot respectively; together they formed one of the RAF’s top-scoring night-fighter crews of World War II.  Known in the night-fighter world as ‘Mike Allen’, his job was to operate the primitive airborne interception equipment (AI) and guide Harry ‘through darkened skies’ until his pilot could see the enemy aircraft ahead of them.

Their early experiences of night fighting were in the defensive role, patrolling the coastlines of Kent and Sussex in a Douglas Havoc equipped with the little-known and cumbersome searchlight system called Turbinlite.  When the Turbinlite squadrons were disbanded they were posted to No. 1421 Squadron flying the RAF’s first purpose-designed night-fighter, the Bristol Beaufighter.

At this time, June 1943, the Squadron – under its legendary C.O., Wing-Commander ‘Bob’ Braham – was pioneering a new tactic designed to support the heavy night raids being carried out by Bomber Command.  The plan was to send British night-fighters out over Germany and occupied Europe to find and destroy German night-fighters.  Carrying out the first high-level bomber support operations, the task of the squadron was to mix with the bomber stream, patrol the target area and seek out the defending Messerschmitt Bf 110s and Junkers 88s.  The operation was code-named SERRATE and the secret of its early success lay in a homing device that enabled 141 Squadron navigators to detect the emission signals of the German airborne radar equipment used by their night-fighters.  The five months of pioneering work by the crews of 141, and the ensuing months up to May 1945 are covered in fascinating detail.

This book relates an absorbing account of the little-known Bomber Support operations, interwoven with the strong bonds that wartime comradeship creates; above all it reveals the bravery and resolution of Britain’s World War II night-fighter crews.

This 1999 1^st edition hardback publication is in very good overall condition.  The pages are tightly bound and are free from tears, creases, and any significant marks.  The dustjacket displays only very minor rubbing and light knocks to the edges and corners (see photograph).  The book runs to 347 pages (23.5cm x 15cm), three interesting appendices, name index, and is illustrated throughout the text with several photographs.

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