CAN YOU HELP?
Did a relative of yours fly with the Fleet Air Arm during WWII?
If so, you might be able to help naval viation’s most dedicated historians.
Together with Theo Ballance and the late Mick Burrow and Ray Sturtivant, Lee Howard has been responsible for aseries of definitive works on naval aircraft/units (Fleet Air Arm Fixed-Wing Aircraft since 1946, Fleet Air Arm Helicopters since 1943 and The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm).
Sadly, Mick passed away in August 2024 while he and Lee were busily updating the ‘bible’: Fleet Air Arm Aircraft1939 and 1945 which details the individual histories of around 25,000 airframes.
The new edition aims to correcterrors, add fresh details, and include many new photos. To help fill gaps, Lee is searching for wartime aircrew logbooks (pilot, observer, or telegraphist/air gunner).
Every single one can offer vital insights into aircraft histories and personal stories – even if they seem unremarkable at first glance.
Although many logbooks were destroyed after the war, over 3,000 have already helped shape the research. Lee hopes more are still out there, held by descendants of that brave wartime generation.
Personal photos featuring wartime aircraft are also sought to help make this the most comprehensive book on the subject.Lee can be contacted via lee.howard@air-britain.com
