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Squadron Airborne

By: Elleston Trevor
Narrated by: Andrew Fallaize
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Summary

Squadron Airborne brings alive the actions of fighter pilots, ground staff, and auxiliary personnel at a fictional Spitfire fighter-plane squadron in September 1940.

Peter Stuyckes is a 19-year-old who has just finished his training as a pilot for England’s Royal Air Force (RAF) when he arrives at an aerodrome called Westhill near the town of Melford, England. There he joins an established squadron already in the thick of the fighting but with a less-than-stunning first flight in front of his new colleagues. Stuyckes doesn’t know it then, but he is to become part of what will be called the Battle of Britain, the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces.

In the midst of casualties and survivors, battle fatigue and botched landings, parachute escapes and pilots shot down during aerial battles, members of the ground crew hasten to repair the Spitfire planes that make it back, proudly tallying their pilots’ strikes. It all takes place along with romantic encounters in between, until the squadron prepares to leave for rest and refit at Lincolnshire, after which a new squadron will take their place.

Elleston Trevor, who was himself a member of the RAF, takes the listener into the action of one week during the Battle of Britain in this tense, exciting, and realistic story.

©1956 Elleston Trevor (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing
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What listeners say about Squadron Airborne

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good insight into life on a WW2 aerodrome

An excellent book from an author that clearly lived the experiences he wrote about.
Took all my will to keep going though, the narrating was horrendous. I think he thought he was reading a kids book!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

In the moment book.

Enjoyed this book. Not over dramatic. Good read.
Relatively short compared to other audible I've downloaded.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant - looking for more of the same

A great story, a great story teller - have looked for more by the same author and narrator but haven’t found any - such a pity

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Diabolical narrator

I’m sure this would be an absolutely fantastic story if it were narrated by someone else.
The characters voices sound like they have been done by various members of the muppets.
From a totally improbably high pitched nasal voice to a completely dull monotone.
I ended up laughing at the characterisation of some of the people as it bought to mind muppets acting out the story.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Awful narration

The accents and character voices by the narrator are abysmal; just kill the story . Leaden

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Truly extraordinary

The story was particularly original as it gave a totally believable impression of life on a fighter airfield not only from the pilots’ standpoint but also from the point of view of the ground staff.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Squadron Airbourne

A well writen, absorbing account of a snapshot In time of the life of a RAF squadron during the Battle of Britain In 1940.
This Book examines the effect of the conflict on all ranks


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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good wartime story

Good story of people in wartime and how they cope with the unusual circumstances to find love and friendships. Quite open ended. I would love to hear some more of the characters and how they got on further. Maybe more deeper about the characters and background.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great atmospheric story spooled by the reader.

The reader would have been better to have read the story straight.

The forced voices of the various characters was dull and grating. His perception of the voices of the ground crew, sncos was grating to the ear. A bit of research to get the correct " gen" and rather over the top accents he tried to use for the officers and the men and women would have enhanced this reading.


I first read this book in the early 60s and was captured by Elliston Trevor' s story. Having been in the RAF and survived being aircrew as a flight engineer during the war, he brings great atmosphere, experience and knowledge to the book.

His later book " The flight of the Phoenix" was another cracking read and film.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Easy listen

Great story, very easy to listen to. It will keep you gripped and wanting more!

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3 people found this helpful