Ascalon: The Story of Sir Winston Churchill's Wartime Flights from 1943-1945

by Jerrard Tickell, John Lewis Mitchell

For Sir Winston Churchill no risk was too great if it would help Britain win the war.

As he criss-crossed the world, negotiating crucial pacts with the Allies, or supporting the generals and troops on the ground, the only way to get around was by plane.

But with the entire world caught up in war, the skies were far from safe.

Hitler’s mighty Luftwaffe were geared up and ready to attack. If they could bring down Churchill's plane, Britain's resistance might crumble, and the war might still be turned in Germany's favour.

The York Ascalon and her Douglas C54 Skymaster successor were chosen as Churchill's personal aircraft during the Second World War. And John Mitchell, a junior officer, was selected to navigate the aircraft.

Over the next few years, Mitchell became a friend and confident Churchill: the man who grappled with the red dispatch boxes in the stateroom of what he called “my aerial yacht”.

From the log books and diaries of Group Captain Mitchell, Jerrard Tickell tells the dramatic inside story of those heroic flights.

'Churchill's Flight's' is a fascinating insight into the risks run by Britain's wartime leader, and the heroism and dedication of the staff who supported him. It is a book no one interested in WWII will want to miss.

Jerrard Tickell was born in Dublin and educated in Tipperary and London. He joined the Royal Army Service Corps in 1940 and was commissioned in 1941, when he was appointed to the War Office. Between 1943 and 1945 his official duties took him to Africa, the Middle East, Washington DC, Canada, the West Indies, and Europe. He wrote 21 novels, including the best-selling 'Appointment With Venus', as well as several non-fiction books.

Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.

128 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1964

Reviews

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the Kindle version of this book,which goes by the title of "Churchill's Flights". It gives an interesting look into the lives of the flight crew that transported one of the most important political leaders of World War II. The book shows a side of Mr. Churchill that is not normally seen in most biographies. He is shown here to be a different individual from his public persona. This book is a interesting read for those interested in WWII and the political leaders but does not contain much about the actual policy decisions made during the time. I classify this book as a excellent secondary read for historians but not a must-read.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Churchill spent much of the latter half of WWII travelling around visiting troops or meeting other world leaders. This book, based on the recollections of the crew of his personal aircraft, looks at those journeys.

Whilst it focusses mainly on the operational side of crew life it also offers some glimpses into the Churchill beneath the war leader image.

The Kindle edition Churchill's Flights appears to have been created by OCR from the earlier print edition and there are a scattering of scan errors that really should have been picked up on a proof read. That quibble aside this is a fascinating account of a little known aspect of the war.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful view of the WWII's two penultimate years through the eyes of Churchill's flight crew