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Sqn Ldr Bill 'Cherry' Vale, DFC and Bar, AFC, was one of the RAF's top ten fighter aces of the Second World War - yet he has remained a surprisingly unsung hero of the air war.
In 1940 Bill flew antiquated Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters in combat against the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica in North Africa and Greece. He scored his first kill in July 1940 in the Western Desert, claiming an Italian CR42 fighter, but it was in the skies over Greece that Bill honed his fighting skills and gained many of his combat successes. During this period he was shot down and briefly taken prisoner by the Italians, but he escaped and with the help of Greek partisans rejoined his unit.
By the time he returned to operations his squadron had begun to receive Hurricanes and when Greece fell in April 1941, Bill flew to Crete where he operated virtually alone as 'Hurricane Flight Crete'. In a few days he had claimed a further 7 aircraft shot down to take his personal score to 27 and 3 shared. Shortly before the German invasion of Crete, Bill was evacuated from the island by Sunderland flying boat. When he reached Egypt he found himself fighting Vichy French forces during the action against Syria, claiming a French bomber and two fighters.
Bill was promoted to flight lieutenant and posted home to England in April 1942 for instructing duties. He was now the holder of the DFC and Bar, and the Greek Air Force Cross, and his final score stood at 30 kills plus 3 shared. He left the RAF in October 1946 and died in a road accident in 1981. Gladiator Ace is a compelling biography of Bill 'Cherry' Vale has been exhaustively researched and is an unpublished story of a top-scoring RAF fighter ace. Based on Bill's log books, personal correspondence and interviews it also features rare archive photographs. Gladiator Ace is a valuable addition to the pantheon of fighting 'greats' of the air war over the Mediterranean and North Africa in 1939-45.
Author Brian Cull is the acclaimed author of many aviation titles including Hurricanes over Malta, Spitfires over Sicily, Hurricanes over Tobruk, With the Yanks in Korea, Buffaloes over Singapore and Diver! Diver! Diver! He lives in Suffolk.
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