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Morgan, David H. S.

Hostile skies : the Falklands conflict through the eyes of a Sea Harrier pilot / David H.S. Morgan. - London : Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2006. - 319 pages, [16] pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color), portraits (chiefly color) ; 24 cm

Includes index.

"David Morgan reveals what it is really like to be a jet fighter pilot in this vivid memoir from the Falklands War. In 1982, David Morgan was an RAF officer, on secondment to the Royal Navy, when the Argentine invasion took place. He flew in the first British air strike against the enemy positions around Port Stanley, the raid memorably described by BBC reporter Brian Hanrahan who 'counted them all out, and counted them all back'. But three out of the thirty British pilots were killed later that first week. Morgan was first on the scene at Bluff Cove, where Argentine jets had bombed the landing ships Sir Tristram and Sir Galahad, with great loss of life. He and his wingman pounced on four enemy Skyhawk fighter-bombers: he shot down two, his wingman hit the third. David Morgan was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery. He is credited with downing several helicopters as well as pressing home ground attack missions in the teeth of heavy anti-aircraft fire. After the war, he met an Argentine pilot who had had him in his sights but his guns jammed. David Morgan is also a published poet and his writing style elevates his story above that of most other war memoirs. He includes heartfelt letters he sent back to England to his wife, his young children, and his former mistress. He had confessed to his affair just as the fleet sailed, and writes very movingly of the difficulty in rescuing personal relationships while sent to war the other side of the world."--Jacket.

ISBN: 0297846450 9780297846451

Standard No.: 9780297846451

Nat. Bib. No.: GBA618758 bnb

Nat. Bib. Agency Control No.: 013391319 Uk

Subjects--Personal Names:
Morgan, David H. S.

Subjects--Meeting Names:
Falkland Islands War (1982)

Subjects--Topical Terms:
Fighter pilots--Great Britain--Biography.
Falkland Islands War, 1982--Personal narratives, British.
Falkland Islands War, 1982--Aerial operations, British.
Military operations, Aerial--British.

Subjects--Geographic Terms:
Great Britain.

Index Terms--Genre/Form:
Personal narratives--British.
Biography.

LC Class. No.: F3031.5 / .M66 2006

Dewey Class. No.: 997.11024092