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Posted by Malcolm Fife
on 19/10/2004, 23:04:39, in reply to "Re: H.M.S.Jackdaw, Crail Airfield."
81.79.176.213
Hello Alfred,
Thanks for your message.My book is called Crail and Dunino Airfields. It is available from several aviation bookshops or direct from the publisher,GMS Enterprises,67 Pyhill ,Bretton,Peterborough,England,PE3 8QQ.Tel 44 (0) 1733 265123.It costs £10 plus postage.I got the material for my book from a large number of sources.A Canadian engineer who was there for much of the war supplied me a several pages of his recollections of the airfield.A small number of pilots also sent me details of their experiences including one who later took part in Battle of El Alamaine.The Museum at Crail let me have copies of their photographs from their extensive collection.The Public Records Office provided a further source of information but unfortunately many of the Fleet Air Arm records were destroyed at the end of World War II.Little survives for Crail.There are also a number of books written by former F.A.A. pilots who trained here including one called" Barracuda Pilot".860 squadron was manned mainly by Dutch personnel.Its homebase was nearby Dunino Airfield although there aircraft would also have been deployed to Crail.One of their Swordfish crashed near May Island in the Firth of Forth killing the wireless operator.The squadron left for Machrihanish at the end of 1943. best wishes Malcolm Fife.
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