Here is an authentic memoir of a remarkably wide range of Western Front experience, from the very beginning of the Great War until the end.

Strange was 23 years old when he learned to fly, and was at the Central Flying School when war broke out. He hurriedly packed his kit and reported to Royal Flying Corps headquarters, to join No.5 Squadron. He was on active duty throughout the whole of the war, seeing service over the Western Front from August 1914 to the enemy’s surrender.

In 1915 Strange transferred to No.6 Squadron and went on to form and command No.23 Squadron, but due to illness he did not accompany it to France. There followed a valuable period training others, taking charge of the Machine-Gun School at Hythe, and also other schools of aerial gunnery, before he returned to the Front. There he commanded the 23rd Wing, and finally took command of the 80th Wing from June 1918 until the end of the war. Along the way we see no shortage of insight into exactly how Allied airmen eventually prevailed.

Strange died aged 75 in 1966, having continued his association with aviation over the years and adding a Bar to his DFC in the Second World War.

"This book is of great charm and also, I think, of considerable value to WWI air warfare enthusiasts"

“It is hard to understand why this book has not been more popular over the years.”

“Very readable including some private photographs and aerial maps..”

"L.A. Strange was one of the original Royal Flying Corps pilots to fly to France in August 1914 and served in various capacities through the end of the war... His varied career from the declaration of war to the Armistice makes this an important source for first-hand information on the RFC and RAF."

“Recollections of an Airman is a worthwhile read to anyone interested in early aviation or military history… This book is well written, but it is important to note that it is a manuscript and not a scholarly work of historical research. It is an unvarnished first-person account of this critical period in history. The reader may find this to be the greatest value of this book, especially if read in conjunction with scholarly works written about the period. With this understanding, I recommend this book as a valuable resource to gain a more comprehensive perspective of this critical period in the twentieth century.”

“Rich with eyewitness accounts and personalities, Recollections of an Airman rates high marks and is a must read for historians interested in the birth of air combat tactics over the Western Front.”