We Kept Britain Flying

Corporal Leonard Guttridge was among the many unsung heroes of the Battle of Britain—the Royal Air Force mechanics and armorers who patched bullet holes, repaired engines, refueled empty tanks and replenished ammunition, enabling outnumbered pilots to return to the skies. His journal, written in tiny notebooks, at moments under enemy fire, chronicles the battle and its human toll, and portrays the tenacity of the RAF ground crews without whom the British could not have defeated the German Luftwaffe.

Vivien J. Olsen is an attorney for a non-profit organization in Topeka, Kansas.
Jan K. Herman is the former chief medical historian of the U.S. Navy. He has written and produced documentaries for the Navy, highlighting its medical service during World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam. He has authored more than 50 articles and five books. Now retired, he resides in Takoma Park, Maryland.

Leonard F. Guttridge
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 235
Bibliographic Info: 12 photos, glossary, notes, index
Copyright Date: 2023
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9336-1
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5081-4
Imprint: McFarland

Preface 1

About the Author 3

A Note to the Reader 7

Abbreviations 11

The RAF versus the Luftwaffe: September 1939 13

The Diary: 1937–1945  15

Afterthought 216

Glossary of Aircraft Mentioned 217

RAF Bases Where Posted (1937–1945) 220

Index 221