Stanford Tuck

The first full reappraisal of one of Britain’s great fighter aces, this book examines the truth behind Tuck’s 1956 biography, Fly for Your Life. It looks at the evidence behind the myths, and reveals the real Stanford Tuck, a more complex man than the one-dimensional hero of the previous biography.

During the Second World War, Bob Tuck was a top-scoring British fighter ace with an official score of 29 enemy aircraft destroyed by January 1942, and became the glamorous role model for the RAF publicity machine. He had joined the RAF in 1935 and quickly showed his excellent flying skills. In 1940 his Spitfire squadron was fighting over Dunkirk where he first proved himself an expert shot. During the Battle of Britain his legendary prowess grew and he was posted to command a leaderless and demoralised squadron, this time flying Hurricanes, where he continued to prove himself an outstanding fighter ace, gaining the rare distinction of three DFCs and then the DSO for his leadership.

Shot down over France in January 1942, he was imprisoned in Stalag Luft III alongside Roger Bushell, the mastermind of the Great Escape. In January 1944, he was purged along with around 20 other POWs to a new camp. Still determined to escape, he took a risky chance during the Long March along with a Polish officer, making their way east to Russian forces and thence to England. Post-war he became good friends with the Luftwaffe ace, Adolf Galland, and was a key advisor with him on the film, Battle of Britain, and, often with his other friend, Douglas Bader, made many media appearances. His health suffered in later years from the impact of his war service and his imprisonment and he died aged 70 in 1987.