Elite 104: Britain’s Air Defences 1939–45

by Dr Alfred Price, illustrated by Darko Pavlovic

Published by Osprey Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-84176-710-7, 64 pages

No, this isn’t all about the RAF in the Battle of Britain. It actually covers all aspects of British air defence from the RAF fighters to light and heavy anti-aircraft guns, balloon barrages, the Royal Observer Corps with sound locators (this was before radar worked properly over land areas), searchlights, and even aerial mines and anti-aircraft rockets.

Most directly relevant to Missing Links readers is the description of gunsite layouts and how they were placed relative to the defended areas – if you want to build a Bofors site you need to read this. It’s also very useful for anyone wanting a basic primer on air defence, since although the weapons have changed the principles behind their use have not. The photographs and plates give a good view of gunner’s uniforms on active service as well!

Recommended.
John Prigent

More details from Osprey Publishing

Read an extract at Osprey Publishing