From Fiji to Balkan Skies

Woodfield Publishing Ltd
ISBN 1-873203-47-0
RAF memoir
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"The tale is recounted in a racy and exciting style that left this reviewer unable to put the book down... A very good read." Intercom magazine

by Dennis McCaig

The WW2 experiences of a 249 Squadron Spitfire/Mustang pilot 1943/4

In this entertaining autobiographical account, Dennis McCaig, originally from the Fiji Islands, tells of his eventful wartime experiences as a fighter pilot serving with 249 Squadron in Southern Italy 1943/44.

Known as ‘Fiji’ to his squadron colleagues, Dennis flew Spitfire Vs and later Mustangs on sorties across the Adriatic, tasked with locating and attacking 'targets of opportunity' in enemy-occupied Greece and Yugoslavia.

He describes a number of hair-raising encounters with the enemy and how, after one of them, he had to bale out of his damaged aircraft over the Greek mountains. The amazing story of how he evaded capture and eventually returned to his squadron is in Italy is worthy of a book in itself.

Back on flying duties, more eventful missions over the Balkans were to follow, until Fiji's luck finally ran out and after baling out again – this time into the freezing waters of the Adriatic in early Spring – he was taken prisoner by the Germans and transported across Europe to a POW camp.

It was the beginning of a different struggle to survive as a prisoner of war, at times more brutal and dangerous than flying in a fighter aircraft cockpit.

Readers of all ages will find much to engage their interest in this remarkable real-life adventure story.

details softback | 250 pages | b/w photos