PREFACE
These are the recollections of an R.A.F. Officer whose brief career spanned the heady days of 1937 to the end of the War in 1945.
They are recollections and no more except that my colleagues, Alan Lywood and Tony Jillings, have been most helpful in jogging my ancient memory regarding events during 1940—1. In no way were the units or events fully researched — this would have been impossible during the time allowed for writing this. Others, much better qualified, are more able to write such definitive histories. Nevertheless, here is a first-hand record of events as they took place in the Middle East, Malta, Greece, East Africa and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). 
The task was undertaken mainly to correct or establish facts which had either been ignored in accounts of the period or inaccurately portrayed.
The description of training methods of the 'thirties might interest younger generations of pilots as might the lack of management training for taking command of larger units such as squadrons and R.A.F. stations to those who now have the blessing of modern services staff training. I owe a special thanks to Dr. Arthur Banks for providing much documentary information from his researches into the Service records. 
Finally, I am deeply grateful to Fred Mock for allowing the use of his excellent painting of our discovery of the Italian cruisers before the Battle of Matapan for the cover illustration.
I hope that my meager efforts might inspire those sadly dwindling numbers of my colleagues to "go and do likewise."  

D. K. Bednall Dorchester Dorset January, 1989