Chris Davies
26th January 2016, 19:16
At long last, Volume 2 has now been published.
Foreword:
Following his introductory work covering his research into aircraft accidents in the north-east of England (Almost Forgotten), Chris Davies here continues his epic investigation in Volume 2. The hallmarks of his earlier work are still very much to the fore: like all good detective story writers, he gives the reader a wealth of detail. And there are also the traditional red-herrings, contradictions and dead ends, all of which he painstakingly sifts through to arrive at logical conclusions that inevitably give the reader the same sense of achievement and satisfaction as the author himself clearly enjoys. In reading his work one is invited to journey with him, experiencing the highs and lows, the early starts, the muddy fields, the false trails, dashed hopes, and frustrations of every kind. It is this very individual blow-by-blow narrative style that brings home the sheer scale of his self-imposed mission, his search for the historical truth. But this is more than a mere catalogue of where the crashes happened, searching for remains with his metal detector; Chris looks not only into the causes, but into the human side. Each chapter brings home the reality and sadness of aircraft accidents, usually unwitnessed in the bleak wilderness uplands of the beautiful Northumbrian countryside. This is personal; these young men (and they were, almost without exception, in the first flush of youth, with that dangerous blend of confidence and inexperience) faced daily challenges in operating to the limit of either their skill, the weather, or frailties of their planes. This is vibrant, living, history to which one can easily relate. And the human side is underpinned by Chris's interviews with those who, now in their later years, were young enough once to remember the various incidents, recalling them in vibrant detail. This cataloguing of contemporaneous accounts is remarkable, and should be recognised as such by historians of the future. For within a generation, these accounts, these memories, will be no more – and time is fast running out. And then the crash sites would again, sadly, be mere temporary marks on the land, with no story to tell.
Air Vice-Marshal D.A. Hurrell CB AFC FRAeS DL
To obtain a copy, please PM me
Regards
Chris
Foreword:
Following his introductory work covering his research into aircraft accidents in the north-east of England (Almost Forgotten), Chris Davies here continues his epic investigation in Volume 2. The hallmarks of his earlier work are still very much to the fore: like all good detective story writers, he gives the reader a wealth of detail. And there are also the traditional red-herrings, contradictions and dead ends, all of which he painstakingly sifts through to arrive at logical conclusions that inevitably give the reader the same sense of achievement and satisfaction as the author himself clearly enjoys. In reading his work one is invited to journey with him, experiencing the highs and lows, the early starts, the muddy fields, the false trails, dashed hopes, and frustrations of every kind. It is this very individual blow-by-blow narrative style that brings home the sheer scale of his self-imposed mission, his search for the historical truth. But this is more than a mere catalogue of where the crashes happened, searching for remains with his metal detector; Chris looks not only into the causes, but into the human side. Each chapter brings home the reality and sadness of aircraft accidents, usually unwitnessed in the bleak wilderness uplands of the beautiful Northumbrian countryside. This is personal; these young men (and they were, almost without exception, in the first flush of youth, with that dangerous blend of confidence and inexperience) faced daily challenges in operating to the limit of either their skill, the weather, or frailties of their planes. This is vibrant, living, history to which one can easily relate. And the human side is underpinned by Chris's interviews with those who, now in their later years, were young enough once to remember the various incidents, recalling them in vibrant detail. This cataloguing of contemporaneous accounts is remarkable, and should be recognised as such by historians of the future. For within a generation, these accounts, these memories, will be no more – and time is fast running out. And then the crash sites would again, sadly, be mere temporary marks on the land, with no story to tell.
Air Vice-Marshal D.A. Hurrell CB AFC FRAeS DL
To obtain a copy, please PM me
Regards
Chris