"A fleeting opportunity to strike": the combat experiences of Australians serving in RAF Coastal Command during the Second World War

Abstract

The experiences of Australians who served in Royal Air Force (RAF) Coastal Command during the Second World War remain largely unknown. Stories concerning Bomber and Fighter Commands are common in literature concerning the RAF, but Coastal Command is often rendered their defensive sister and relegated to third place in the scholarship. Despite this – and the misconceptions such labels have encouraged – the crews of Coastal Command have colourful and harrowing stories, and their service played a crucial role in the victory over European fascism in 1945. Show more