The chalk downs of Sussex possess a fascinating history of spell-craft; spirit-lore; rural magic; and a rich tradition of image sorcery. With its situation at the crossroads of eastern and western England; as well as its proximity to the sea; it has witnessed centuries of cultural migrations; which have resulted in a remarkably diverse admixture of spiritual traditions. In Martin Duffy's second major work for Three Hands Press; the eternal strata of Sussex magic and folklore are brought forth in a richly woven narrative that brings these powerful and archaic traditions to life.
#997754 in Books Ingramcontent 2016-06-15Original language:English 9.20 x 1.80 x 6.00l; .0 #File Name: 1938879198848 pagesOne Way Ticket to Berlin A Day in the Life of the Mighty Eighth
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Wonderful book about The Greatest GenerationBy TerryThe Dutch are renowned worldwide for their respect; appreciation and love for the Allied forces that liberated their country during WW2. One need only observe the loving care the Dutch citizens; of all ages; afford the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten. There are 8;301 graves in this well-groomed cemetery and all of these graves have been adopted; mostly by the Dutch. This commitment by the Dutch has lasted for over 70 years and is unprecedented. John Meurs; a Dutch citizen ; and author of “One Way Ticket to Berlin “offers to his readers a powerful; respectful; loving and intimate look into many of the lives of the Eight Airforce bomber crews on a particular raid to Berlin. This book carries the powerful tradition of the Dutch in honoring fallen Allied service personnel; The Greatest Generation.John’s first book entitled “Not Home for Christmas†describes an 8th Air Force bomber raid in WW2. On Sunday; November 26; 1944 John experienced the crash of an American B-17 bomber crash in his Dutch backyard. The date of the crash was Sunday; November 26; 1944. 34 American bombers were lost that day and his first book focuses on the loss of all crewmen in these bombers. This book received excellent reviews in .His sequel to his first book is this “One Way Ticket to Berlin.†On April 29th; 1944; 751 heavy bombers departed from England on a bombing mission to Berlin. Relying on first-person interviews from survivors as well as testimonies from close and distant relatives and other crew members; John has woven together a very intimate; interesting; moving account of all of the crews of the 64 bombers that were shot down or crash landed due to battle damage on that fateful Saturday. John’s research encompassed about 12 years and his information was gleaned from books on the 8th Air Force; Missing Air Crew Reports (MACR) various libraries and local historical societies of the veterans home towns. Pains taking internet searches were a standard feature in his exhausting research. Mayors and other elected officials in the veteran’s home town were also contacted as needed.“One Way Ticket to Berlin†is divided into 64 chapters; each chapter focused on one of the 64 bombers lost on that raid that particular day. On April 29th; 1944; 643 aircrews of these bombers had a one way ticket to Berlin. Of these 643 aircrew; 179 were KIA; 375 became POWs while the remainder are listed as evaded (EVD); Returned to Duty (RTD) or INT: Interred. The personal individual and crew photographs; often accompanied by first person accounts; are dramatic and haunting.One special chapter; 55; describes the crash landing on April 29th; 1944 due to battle damage of the B-17G Karen B. All the crew survived the crash landing. One crewman; along with 6 Dutch resistance fighters and another Allied airman were executed almost immediately. The author had intimate knowledge of all the Dutch resistance fighters and the Allied crewmen executed and it was his intention to write about that horrific event. However; as his research began to expand; he decided to research and write about all of the bomber crews that were shot down or crash landed on April 29th; 1944. Thus “One Way Ticket to Berlin.â€On a more personal note; in later life I and a close colleague of mine; had the very special honor to know well 2 Lt. John. R. Welch; the bombardier on the B-17 G; Queenie that was shot down on April 29th; 1944. Of his 10 man crew; 5 were KIA and 5 were POW. Lt. Welch’s’ photo at the Washington; DC W2 Memorial appears on page 105.May I just suggest that these 2 books were a labor of love for the author. In the Publisher’s Note section of John’s second book “ One Way Ticket to Berlin†publisher writes that with; “ Not Home for Christmas†all revenues received from the sale of the book will be used to pay manufacturing cost plus expenses related to fulfillment and shipping. John did not request ant royalty or other compensation.For those interested in personal narratives of WW2; and in particular the air war over Europe ;this book would be a very worthwhile and valuable addition to your permanent library.John: Thank you. This book carries the powerful Dutch tradition in honoring fallen Allied WW2 service personnel; The Greatest Generation.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Wow what a great bookBy POVMr. Meurs has done a tremendous job researching crew member stories. I found the personal narratives compelling and humbling. Collectively; they provide a clear picture of the triumphs and tragedies experienced by WW2 fliers. On a personal level; I now have a better understanding of what my father went through both as a crew member and POW. Like many men of his generation; he did his duty; experienced terrible things; returned home and never talked about. The lifelong burden of carrying those horrific memories qualify them as true heroes.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Amazing storiesBy Reid C. WheelerAn amazing series of individual crew member recollections of the bomber crews lost on April 29; 1942. My father-in-law was the pilot of one of the planes - he lived until he was 93.
