ON LAUGHTER SILVERED WINGS: THE STORY OF LT COL. E.T (TED) IN SOUTH AFRICA

This is the thoroughly researched account of the life and times of a South African WW2 pilot, the author's father, Ted. It is highly personal, drawing on family history and changing lifestyles as the central figure fights his way through a series of experiences, flying coastal strike missions in the Mediterranean and North Africa, then in the Far East against the Japanese.  The story gets off to an engrossing operational start before tracking back to the personal family story to provide a context. Images of a lost world haunt pages that relate to an era in which a decisive individual could challenge the system and get results.  As the story of Coastal Command is often overlooked, the exploits recorded here serve as an overdue reminder of the unit and the part it played in the Allied effort.  Ted's wartime exploits include the first mid-air skyjacking in history; the daring solitary attack on the Italian fleet after he had lost the rest of his strike team; narrowly surviving being burned in a horrific air crash in the Ceylon jungle; many emergency crash-landings; and finally as commander of 27 Squadron carrying out dangerous rescue operations behind enemy lines for members of the Indian Resistance Movement operating in the Burmese jungle. These exploits, written largely in the voice of Ted Strever, and extensively illustrated with photographs, come vividly to life. Hardback, 228 pages. Published August 2014