Book Review: Fighter Pilot on the Western Front

With no ILS needles to guide them to the ground through clouds, an engine and airframe crippled by enemy fire, and suffering from the effects of low temperatures at high altitudes, many of today’s pilots could learn numerous lessons from these steel men piloting wooden machines during the Great War and the years following. Wing Commander Crundall’s memoirs of flying for the Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force from 1916 to 1919 serves as an excellent reminder of the grim realities these brave airmen faced on a daily basis. With a writing frequency akin to a journal, the author records events happening at the squadron, getting into mischief with his pals, details of his deadly missions, life while on leave, and the breakneck speeds of aerial scraps between friend and foe at ten thousand feet above terra firma. It is my opinion that this book will surely benefit the reader who purchases it, whether the aviation oriented or history enthused, and the shelf on which it is displayed due to its gripping contents and eye-catching cover art.

Although authored rather unimaginatively, this book is saturated with hardly believable stories about fighting German airmen over the western front and bringing severely crippled Sopwith machines back over the lines to friendly territory. One thing I noticed was how similarly the book was written compared to I Chose the Sky in that it is very matter of fact- The author describes the aforementioned scenes with little extra detail or emotion, just as “Tich” Rochford did in his famous memoirs. There are still numerous interesting takeaways from this book for any who read it and I am exceedingly glad to have it on my shelf for these reasons. One of these takeaways is the interesting fact that the author flew and wrote much about flying the famous Sopwith Triplane with 8 Naval, the squadron popular for its “black flight” led by twelve-time ace Raymond Collishaw. Although the book is mainly centered around details of his days and less about the qualities of the machines he flew, he briefly describes the triplane’s flying characteristics, its performance in aerial fights, and how only one gun limited their capabilities in fights compared to the German machines they were competing against. In much the same manner the author writes about the squadron’s transition to the Sopwith Camel and little is described about its infamous handling qualities with more attention being focused on the squadron’s daily activities and missions. A perfect example of his writing style being: “There are rumors that the squadron is to exchange its Sopwith Triplanes for Sopwith Camels. Sopwith Camels are biplanes. They, like Triplanes, are fitted with 130 hp Clerget rotary engines but Camels have two Vickers machines guns firing through the propeller as against the one in Triplanes.” (Wing Commander E.D. Crundall. Fighter Pilot on the Western Front, 1975.)

Between spells at the front, Crundall served as a flying instructor in England and unfortunately hardly anything is written about the actual instruction of students but rather many pages of his taking machines on cross country trips to visit friends and family. I did not find this portion of the book to be uninteresting however, as the author included many stories regarding engine failures and deadstick landings into minute fields in this section of the book. This of course only reinforced my belief that many pilots of today lack the airmanship and composure to handle similar emergencies, at least without making a production out of their ordeal for everyone to see. Apart from the incessant battle flying done in such iconic machines, another fascinating aspect to this book is the inclusion of flying over France and Germany after the war’s end. I have found it rather rare to gather extensive literature on this period of time from a pilot’s perspective and Wing Commander Crundall more than delivered on this topic, providing the reader with much insight into the actions of a fighter squadron months after the armistice. A truly spectacular example of this is how the author quite literally OWNED a Fokker DVII that was dormant in a hangar taken over by the squadron following November 11, 1918. The German fighter was fixed and flown by Crundall for pleasure and to different aerodromes as the occupation was advancing which is a remarkable fact itself. Details of this peculiar happening are described in the author’s later chapters as well, albeit quite concise.

This book, although written in a very matter of fact manner, provides the reader with a tremendous insight into the daily actions and operations of a fighting squadron stationed on the western front during the second half of the First World War to the beginning of 1919. Wing Commander Crundall recalls everything between fighting Germans over the trenches, life with fellow fighter pilots in an active squadron while on the ground, flying aeroplanes popularized in today’s aviation world such as the Triplane and Camel, landing aeroplanes after suffering tremendous bodily injury, landing aeroplanes that are in mechanical shambles in fields that can hardly be labelled as tennis courts, and even flying battle planes during the months following the armistice. Notwithstanding the book’s lack of emotional depth, it is my opinion that it will only benefit the reader who adds it to their shelf, whether they are the professional historian or amateur aviation enthusiast. Fighter Pilot on the Western Front is an aviation classic that should be read by anyone looking to further their understanding of or passion for the First World War aviator stationed on the western front during that momentous conflict.

Sources:

Wing Commander E.D. Crundall. Fighter Pilot on the Western Front, 1975.