Hawker Typhoon
The Rhodesian Squadrons

Squadrons Number 43

Philedition

Reviewed by Graham Carter

52 pages follow the familiar format of this ‘Bookazine’ series of A4 publications in a glossy light cardboard cover. Printed on semi-matte paper that allows good reproduction of images and text. The book starts with a page of glossaries and a brief introduction to the Typhoon and its operational service. Only two Rhodesian Squadrons used this aircraft, Nos. 245 and 266, and so they get quite a detailed treatment.

Each chapter starts with a colour squadron badge, history of operations and a list of Commanding Officers, followed by a description of operations, all illustrated with a number of B&W photos, many of them showing aircraft and aircrew. These have been down from private collections and so are new to publication. There is then a list of operational claims and aircraft losses for each squadron.

The text then ends with a table of pilots lost in action with their age, date of loss and the aircraft they were flying. It is a sobering memorial as, from only two squadrons, 56 men were lost between April 1942 and May 1945.
The final pages feature nine colour profiles of Typhoons, three being the car-door version, from the squadrons rendered by Chris Thomas, and concluding with four view colour camouflage drawings.

It is useful to have a publication looking at lesser-known users of aircraft.

Advantages : Useful to both modellers and those interested in the history of this much maligned aeroplane (at least until it was used in the ground-attack role), good set of well reproduced personal photos and very nice coloured profiles.

This is an interesting and valuable volume for both the historian and modeller that adds another chapter to the literature on the Hawker Typhoon. It offers something different for this popular modelling subject and is recommended.

Thanks to Phil Listemann for the review sample.

Review Text Copyright © 2020 by Graham Carter
This Page Created on 7 October, 2020
Last updated 29 June, 2021

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