Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson (12 August 1918–19 September 1944) was a distinguished RAF bomber pilot during WWII. He was the first CO of No. 617 Squadron, which he led in the "Dam Busters" raid in 1943, resulting in the breaching of two large dams in the Ruhr area of Germany. He completed over 170 war operations. From an early age, Gibson wanted to fly. He had a picture of his boyhood hero, Albert Ball VC, the WWI flying ace. Gibson commenced his RAF flying training on 16 November 1936 and earned his pilot's wings on 24 May 1937.While Gibson was a skilled pilot, he at times displayed rude and condescending behaviour towards junior ranks and ground crews in particular. When he became a Commander, Gibson lead from the front. In the aftermath of the successful Dambuster raid, and being awarded the VC, Gibson's response was subdued as he felt responsible for those he had recruited and who had not returned. After Operation Chastise, Gibson became a celebrity, touring the US and Canada. The view emerged that as a result of the tour he had acquired and retained an increased sense of his own importance. Gibson wrote the book Enemy Coast Ahead. He also involved himself in politics. He became very restless as he learned about the D-Day landings. He feared the war would end before he could get back into the action. Inactivity is a slow death. On his return, he appealed to Bomber Harris. The exact cause of Gibson's crash and death are unknown. Various factors may have caused the loss of his Mosquito. One theory is that the accident was due to Gibson's lack of experience flying and operating Mosquitoes. The same lack of experience flying the Mosquito applied to his navigator, Squadron Leader Warwick, who had never flown in one operationally. That a letter was found with Warwick's address (RAF Coningsby) on it suggests Warwick's inclusion on the flight was a very late decision. There were other theories such as enemy or friendly fire, machine and equipment sabotage etc. It could very well have been a mix of both actions and decisions made by Gibson and senior RAF personnel. Ultimately, Gibson was a courageous warrior, and a great leader, who died way before his time.

Biography of Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson VC, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, leader of the 'Dambusters' which asks what could have caused the plane crash which took his life at age 26, less than a year before the end of WWII. His death (& that of his navigator Squadron Leader James Warwick DFC) occurred when returning from a bombing raid on the German towns of Mönchengladbach & Rheydt & this book examines the various theories & evidence.

Gibson seems to have a contradiction: respected for his flying prowess & leadership & yet not liked on a personal level. He comes across as someone it would have been difficult to get on with, bombastic with lower ranks, & a bit of a martinet with others & yet willing to bend the rules himself. Yet his achievements cannot be denied. A fascinating look at this point in British history but some of the flying technical sections were a little dry to me. 3.5 stars (rounded up)

TWs: attitudes of the time including the use of racial slurs.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Pen & Sword/Air World, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Having a WW2 family connection to Guy Gibson, I really wanted to read this book. The author ensured that it lived up to my expectations in every respect.

Gibson has always been one of my boyhood heroes, a superb pilot, a courageous officer who led from the front, and most importantly he was my Mum's RAF boss!
She was a WAAF at Scampton during the period of the build-up to the raid on the dams and was present during and after the operation. My Mother would then be considered quite pretty, and Gibson treated her very politely, particularly as she walked his beloved dog every day.
She also had lots of respect for him. However, she often mentioned that he was very arrogant to junior ranks and wasn't particularly liked by most officers (or NCO's) in 617 Sqn, and the sister 57 squadron at Scampton - my Father's squadron (he was also aircrew and vaguely knew Gibson).
The book confirms Gibson's bombastic attitude and his dreadful treatment of the ground crews. Also his known appreciation of pretty women.
I was unaware of the strange circumstances leading up to his death, including his lack of experience in flying a Mosquito' on such a complex mission.

A super book, that I couldn't put down. I understand why Gibson's dog's name cannot be mentioned, but in a factual biography perhaps it should be stated with an explanation about the non-PC world of WW2.

Who hasn’t heard of the Dambusters? Learning more about the leader, Guy Gibson, sounded interesting, but I am disappointed. Gibson did well in the Dambuster Raid, but he did not impress me. Arrogant, egotistical, disliked by fellow officers, hypocritical, looking for glory. I read
This is a British publication that can trip up an American reader. “Over 200 machines would attack.” Machines = airplanes.

I grew up watching The Dambusters and hearing about Guy Gibson. However this book reveals more insights about his life and the manner of his death. The book has been well researched and for me raised more questions about the man than answers- it's a very interesting read.