The grandson of a prominent Edinburgh lawyer, and the son of a self-made farmer in South Africa and Southern Rhodesia, Teddy Peacock-Edwards was born on 27 May 1915, in Kokstad, South Africa. He was one of eleven young men from Southern Rhodesia recruited into the RAF in 1938 and thence followed a multi-varied time in the RAF encompassing the full span of the Second World War. This book, written by his acclaimed fighter pilot son, Rick Peacock-Edwards, describes his father’s formative years and gives his overall impressions of his father as an individual, a father, and fighter pilot and then later covers Teddy’s experiences as a Fairey Battle pilot in France from September 1939 to June 1940 as a part of the British Expeditionary Force. The next phase of his life involved conversion to the Hurricane and as a pilot in the Battle of Britain, based at Kenley in Surrey on 253 Squadron. This period was immediately followed by an involvement in the defence of Malta in 1941, mainly as a flight commander on 261 Squadron, again equipped with Hurricanes. The story then progressively moves towards the Far East leading to a period of more than two years in Ceylon where he fought the Japanese during their Easter Sunday 1942 surprise attack on Colombo. Teddy also met his future wife, Jill, whilst in Ceylon. Wartime experiences are enhanced by reference to over 60 letters written by Teddy to his sister back in Rhodesia during the Second World War. The rest of the book covers the period from his return from Ceylon in the summer of 1944 to his post-war involvement in the RAF, and his return to South Africa. Throughout these pages, Rick gives his overall impressions of Teddy as an individual, father and fighter pilot. A fascinating insight from someone who, because of his comparative experiences and achievements, understands better than most the requirements for becoming a successful fighter pilot. A unique tribute to a remarkable man.
