Book Review: Out on a Wing by Sir Miles Thomas

I bought this book for the sole purpose of covering Thomas' experience in WWI, and I am glad that I did. Although brief, it gives some first hand accounting for some very lightly covered area as far as memoirs go. Thomas started out as a driver in an armored car squadron in East Africa, working with Rolls-Royce armored cars, Napier transport vehicles and Model T Fords. Aside from some anecdotal observations of living conditions, and more importantly, how these modern mechanized vehicles worked (or not) in the muddy conditions of East Africa, there is little more to glean from his service in East Africa. After a somewhat brief tour in East Africa, Thomas transferred to Egypt, where he received a commission in the Royal Flying Corps, and ultimately became an instructor pilot at Heliopolis on a variety of types of aircraft.
After his tour at Heliopolis, Thomas was assigned to No. 72 Squadron, then en route to Mesopotamia. Thomas arrived in Mesopotamia well after the fall and subsequent recapture of Kut. Having arrived before No. 72 Sq arrived, he was temporarily detailed to No. 63 Sq at Samara, where he served on 1 Apr 1918, the official formation date of the Royal Air Force. Thomas describes the typical activities associated with the squadrons at the time: scout detail for two-seat bombers, and his attempts (mostly unsuccessful) of trying to get the enemy to engage, as well as reconnaissance duty. Ultimately, Thomas was detailed as the personal pilot to Colonel (later Sir) A. T. Wilson, the Political Officer of Mesopotamia under Sir Percy Cox. Later he was detailed to support Dunsterforce. Before his departure after the conclusion of the armistice, Thomas was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Altogether a very anecdotal accounting, but some interesting details not found elsewhere

Book Review: Operations in Persia, 1914-1918

I know I have been offering a link to my reviews via LibraryThing, but thought I would also include it within the blog so you know what I am/have been reading as of late. Having just finished this, am now reading Aubrey Herbert's Mons, Anzac and Kut.


When it comes to official histories, F. J. Moberly's coverage of some of the "forgotten fronts" stand out as some of the best, and Operations in Persia is no different. Moberly is more commonly associated with his Campaign in Mesopotamia (1923-1927, 4 vols). However the tangential operations in Persia were linked in many different ways to the campaign then being waged in Mesopotamia. This detailed volume is the most detailed accounting published on the campaign by far, surpassing those rare first hand accounts (see L.C. Dunsterville's The Adventure of Dunsterforce or Martin H. Donohoe's With the Persian Expedition accounting for a first-hand view of the operations). Originally printed in a limited run of 500 copies in 1929, most of which marked either secret or confidential, many of the originals were destroyed, so coming across an original would be quite the find, but this is the more commonly accessible copy printed in 1987.
Moberly does a great job of covering the disparate facets of the operations in Persia, since for the majority of the war, they were directed from various quarters, but under the overarching cognizance of London and India. Great details on Sir Percy Sykes' South Persia Rifles, Dunsterville's move towards the Causcasus, and some very good detais on the campaign in Eastern Persia under Dyer and Malleson.
Moberly also has good source documents covering the German's attempt to raise the banner of jihad in Persia, or at least at best rally the tribes to agitate against the English and the very weak governments that governed somewhat ineffectively from Tehran. His coverage of Wassmuss and Niedermayer's (et al) exploits is as good as it gets, albeit probably not as engaging a read as it has been recounted by Peter Hopkirk.
Not exactly bed-time reading due to the very detailed coverage of the campaign, but nonetheless a great recounting of a forgotten aspect of WWI