Squadrons No. 63

Hawker Typhoon
The “Fellowship of the Bellows” Squadrons

Philedition

Reviewed by Graham Carter

This is a 58-page case-bound A4 ‘bookazine’ with a glossy card cover and is the latest in this long series of editions covering specific squadrons using a variety of Allied fighters and light bombers during WWII. It contains 52 pages of information on semi-matte paper and 6 more that are either blank or advertise other volumes.

This volume covers just the three so called Bellows Squadrons which used the Typhoon from 1943 to early 1945 ; 137 Sqn , 193 Sqn and 263 Sqn. According to the RAF Museum Collection site “The Fellowship of the Bellows” was a fundraising organisation originating in Argentina in 1940 to collect money to purchase additional aircraft for the RAF during the Battle of Britain. The bellows referred to the need for ‘more air force’.” During the war some £600,000 was raised in Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Mainly used to purchase Hurricanes, Spitfires and Whirlwinds, some was also directed to other aircraft purchases such as the squadrons that recieved gifted Typhoons. Interestingly, an online site does not mention 137 Sqn, only 193, 263 and 692 Sqn.

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Each is treated with between 12 and 18  pages of in-depth coverage looking at their actions, bases, and personnel. Each is accompanied by tables of battle claims, and aircraft losses due to action or accidents, interspersed with a mass of useful photos of aircraft and personnel from private sources, all in B&W. Quality is a little variable depending upon the originals, but are interesting in that they often show casual scenes around the planes. There follows an ‘In Memoriam’ table of details of the staggering number of pilots who lost their lives while flying these aircraft, probably due to the front-line ground-attack nature of their operations. There are also a large number of personal profiles of pilots involved in action in these planes and the make very interesting reading. There are none of the larger colour profiles to end the book but each chapter has several smaller ones from the pens(?) of Gaetan Marie illustrating aircraft in the accompanying photos. All Typhoons are the later ’bubble-top’ variants. 

While not dwelling much on the colours worn by aircraft, I still found the text to be both fascinating, sobering, and excellent look at the operations of the three squadrons.

Thanks to Phil Listemann for the review sample.

Review Text Copyright © 2024 by Graham Carter
This Page Created on 12 February, 2024
Last updated 13 February, 2024

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