Writing Worth Reading
Writing Worth Reading
It’s an absolute classic of the war. Hillary came from a privileged background to become a pilot, but later he was shot down and suffered very badly from burns. During his long recovery he wrote this book. Nevertheless he maintained a desire to fly…and was killed during a training accident.
Why did you choose The Last Enemy by Richard Hillary?
Because it’s an absolute classic of the war. It follows the personal journey that he went through, though it’s a tragic tale. Hillary came from a privileged background to become a pilot, but later he was shot down and suffered very badly from burns. During his long recovery he wrote this book. Nevertheless he maintained a desire to fly and he went back again – and was killed during a training accident.
I understand that Hillary hadn’t properly recovered from his horrific injuries – he had had surgery to give him new eyelids and a new upper lid, among other things. When he returned to flying he still couldn’t hold a knife and fork, yet he was sent out. What was the RAF thinking?
That’s right; he had what was called a ‘clawed hand’ from the burns. I believe, however, that he forced the issue with the RAF.
Have you ever flown in an RAF aircraft?
On my 40th birthday I went up in a Tiger Moth. I felt ill the whole time – the motion sickness was awful. I am, without a doubt, an armchair aviator.
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Steve Darlow is the grandson of a bomber command pilot and the author of nine books on military aviation. During 12 years of research, he has interviewed more than a hundred RAF aircrew.
