Honour Restored

by Peter Brown

The author was a World War II Spitfire pilot, and he has written this book for the generations who have no memories or knowledge of the Battle of Britain, and who cannot know of its great achievement and its crucial impact on the lives of all Europeans since.

268 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2004

About the author

Peter Brown joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1938. He was flying Spitfires in 1940 with 611 ‘West Lancashire’ Squadron during the Dunkirk evacuation and continued in action over Southern England during the Battle of Britain, later joining 41 Squadron before being rested in mid-1941 to become a flying instructor.

With a credited score of three and one shared enemy aircraft destroyed, Peter had numerous flying establishment appointments through the remainder of the war including teaching Turkish pilots to fly Spitfires. Released from the RAF in late 1945 with the rank of Squadron Leader, he was awarded an Air Force Cross.

In civilian life, Peter pursued a successful career in the plastics industry and after retirement worked as a healer in the care of cancer patients. He also undertook extensive research into elements of the Battle of Britain, especially the ‘Big Wing’ controversy, culminating in the release of his book titled ‘Honour Restored’.

Brown passed away on January 20, 2011. He was 91 years old.

Reviews

[Brian Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

With “Honour Restored: The Battle of Britain, Dowding and the Fight for Freedom,” Air Chief Marshall Hugh Dowding, finally has his bulldog in the form of author Peter Brown. This book is a compelling read for anyone familiar with the history of the battle. It provides a vigorous defense of Dowding and Keith Park, 11 Group Commander, explaining Brown’s view as to why those men were not sufficiently honored for defeating the Luftwaffe’s attempt to gain air superiority over England in 1940. Brown also has much to say about the role of weather in the battle plus a valuable analysis of the “big wing” tactical initiative. For all its merits, this is not a good first book on the Battle of Britain. It’s much better for the reader already familiar with the events and some of the controversy surrounding how the battle was fought.