SPITFIRES IN THE SUN (or the Spitfire in IAF 1944-1957)

Spitfires in the Sun

Interesting reading in many ways. Books or articles on the Indian Spitfires are rare, so a book of close to 200 pages dedicated in those ‘forgotten’ Spitfires is really a good news. When British India split into two countries in 1947, only the RIAF chose to include in its inventory the Spitfire, the RPAF choosing to use the Hawker Tempest only. However, for the Indians, the Spitfire was only a temporary measure waiting for more modern equipment. Consequently, their usage would be limited, and they spent most of their career in the RIAF/IAF as advanced trainers, even if they were used in action during the invasion of Kashmir. Even if I’m not a big fan of any chapter about the survivors – over 40 pages here! -,  in any case, there is a lot of valuable information and data in this book, not counting the photographs.

Phil H. Listemann