Books by Tom Docherty

Tom Docherty has been a published author since 2000. Listed below are his aviation history books. To order books go to the publishers information on the links page.

Training for Triumph A history of RAF Aircrew Training in World War II. Published by Woodfield Publishing. ISBN 1-873203-71-3.	Hunt Like a Tiger 230 Squadron at War 1939-45. Published by Woodfield Publishing. ISBN 1-903953-37-5.
Ours To Hold OURS TO HOLD - RAF Aldergrove at War 1939-1945. ISBN 978-1-906183-03-5. Available direct from author via Amazon, Play.com and eBay.	Dinghy Drop No 279 Squadron RAF 1941-1946. Published by Pen & Sword. ISBN 978 1 84415 482 1.
No 7 Bomber Squadron No 7 Bomber Squadron RAF in World War II. Published by Pen & Sword. ISBN 978-1-84415-481-4	Swift To Battle Vol.1 SWIFT TO BATTLE - No 72 Fighter Squadron in Action. The Fighter Years 1937-1961. Vol 1 -1937-42 ISBN: 9781844158294 Published by Pen & Sword.
Swift To Battle Vol.2 SWIFT TO BATTLE - No 72 Fighter Squadron in Action. The Fighter Years 1937-1961. Vol 2 - 1942-47 ISBN: 9781848840874 Published by Pen & Sword.	Swift To Battle Vol.3 SWIFT TO BATTLE - No 72 Fighter Squadron in Action. The Fighter Years 1937-1961. Vol 3 - 1947-61 ISBN: 9781848841864 Published by Pen & Sword.

TRAINING FOR TRIUMPH  
A history of RAF Aircrew Training in WW II.  
Published by Woodfield Publishing.  £12.00
ISBN 1-873203-71-3.

This book is the culmination of 20 years of research and writing on the part of  Tom Docherty, who has compiled this superb history of Royal Air Force aircrew training in the United Kingdom during World War II.  Tom has gathered an impressive amount of material, including first hand accounts from many former aircrew, ground staff and instructors along with reproductions of ground plans, crests, log books and other memorabilia plus many photos.  The book salutes the remarkable achievement of the dedicated staff of the RAF's wartime establishments in training over 90,000 aircrew in a five-year period.  It is also a  tribute to the many airmen who lost their lives in the course of training, either due to accidents or as a result of enemy action during operational training sorties or air raids. 

HUNT LIKE A TIGER 230 Squadron at War 1939-45. 
Published by Woodfield Publishing.  £15.00
ISBN 1-903953-37-5.

Whilst serving on 230 Sqn in the 1990's it occurred to me that the history of the former flying boat squadrons of the RAF was very poorly recorded and that those serving beyond the areas of Coastal Command and the Battle of the Atlantic were particularly badly served.  Accordingly, I decided to set down the history of No 230 Squadron during WW2 and in the course of my research discovered that it was
a unit with an incredible pedigree. The squadron started the war in the Far East in Singapore but in the course of its wartime service its aircraft and personnel saw action in North Africa, the Mediterranean, the Aegean, Greece, Crete, East Africa, Ceylon, Madagascar and Burma before completing the circle and returning to RAF Seletar in Singapore.  The crews of the squadron engaged in dogfights with Italian and German fighters,  made the sighting which resulted in the Battle of Cape Matapan, sank Italian submarines in the Mediterranean, worked behind Japanese lines with the Chindits and attacked Japanese shipping along the coast of Burma using Sunderland flying boats in a role more commonly expected of a fighter-bomber! 

All this and more is covered here in detail, accompanied by first hand accounts from WW2 veterans and many historical photographs of the squadron and its aircraft, making this a must-have for former 230 Sqn personnel or anyone interested in the history of the Short Sunderland.

OURS TO HOLD - RAF Aldergrove at War 1939-1945.
Published by Old Forge Publishing 
ISBN 978-1-906183-03-5.
Out 20th June 2008 price £20.00.

During WWII RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland was a hive of activity.  A principal base for Coastal Command in the all-important Battle of the Atlantic and against the U-boat menace, Aldergrove was also an important training base.  Although this book mainly covers the years 1939-1945, a full history is provided from the airfield's beginnings in 1917.  Much of the airfield is now Belfast International Airport, but the
RAF and Army Air Corps still have a significant presence today. Much detail is provided about Liberator operations from the base, an aircraft more associated with the USAAF and its bombing campaigns in Europe.

DINGHY DROP - 279 Squadron RAF 1941-1946.
Published by Pen & Sword.  £19.99.
ISBN 978 1 84415 482 1.
OUT NOW! 

From small beginnings the RAF Air Sea Rescue Service grew into a large organisation by the end of WW2.  With the need to search further and further from the shores of the British Isles came a requirement for longer-ranged and better equipped aircraft both in terms of search & rescue equipment and defensive capability.  No 279 Sqn was formed in 1941 to meet this requirement and was successively equipped with the Lockheed Hudson and the Vickers Warwick as well as a small number of Hawker Hurricanes and Supermarine Sea Otters.  The
squadron was heavily involved in the development and trials of the Airborne Lifeboat designed by the famous yachtsman Uffa Fox and was the first to use it operationally.  279 Sqn was instrumental in the search & rescue of numerous RAF and USAAF aircrew during its existence and suffered many losses to enemy action and bad weather in the process.  This book is recommended to all those with an interest in the RAF and Air Sea Rescue during WWII.

No 7 Bomber Squadron RAF in World War II.  
Published by Pen & Sword.  ISBN 978-1-84415-481-4
OUT NOW!
£19.99

No 7 Sqn had its origins in the First World War and in the inter-war period was equipped with types such as the Heyford, Whitley, Anson and Hampden.  When war broke out the squadron and its Hampdens were absorbed into an Operational Training Unit and it was not till late 1940 that they came back to the operational arena as the first unit to be equipped with the huge Short Stirling four-engined heavy bomber.  After a period of operations the squadron moved to No 8 Group, the famous Pathfinder Force, still with Stirlings, but later re-equipping with the war-winning Avro Lancaster.  Post War the squadron continued with bomber types until becoming a support helicopter squadron in which role it continues today.  This book covers the squadrons wartime
operations and has many first hand accounts of the night war over Germany and is profusely illustrated.  Many photos being seen for the first time in print.
(This book is being advertised on some publishing websites as 'Bomber Squadron No 7')

SWIFT TO BATTLE - No 72 Fighter Squadron in Action
Vol 1 1937-42.
ISBN: 9781844158294
Published: 16 April 2009 £19.99
Published by Pen & Sword. 

This history of No 72 Sqn, in 3 volumes, covers the period of the squadron's existence from 1937-1961.  Vol.1 covers 1937-42
During this time it was reformed with Gloster Gladiators and just prior to WWII re-equipped with the famous Supermarine Spitfire, a type it flew throughout the period and from the outbreak of WW2 in September 1939 during the'Phoney War', Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain and offensive operations over occupied France. Later serving in North Africa, Sicily and Italy, before  disbanding in Austria in 1946.  Post-war the squadron reformed in Fighter Command  equipped with De Havilland Vampires at Odiham.  Moving to North Weald it later re-equipped with Meteor day
fighters. A further move to Church Fenton saw a change of role and re-equipment with Meteor night fighters before moving to Leconfield and operating the first of the Fighter All-Weather types introduced in the mid-1950's, the Gloster Javelin.  The squadron operated Javelins till disbandment in 1961 and reformation as a support helicopter squadron until 2002 when it once again changed role and is now a Reserve squadron operating Tucanos in the training role.

SWIFT TO BATTLE - No 72 Fighter Squadron RAF in Action 
Vol 2 1942-47. ISBN: 9781848840874
Published: 17 September 2009 £25.00
Published by Pen & Sword. 
 

SWIFT TO BATTLE - No 72 Fighter Squadron RAF in Action
Vol 3 1947-61. ISBN: 9781848841864
Published: 14 April 2010
Published by Pen & Sword.  £19.99

FLIGHTLINES - AVIATION HISTORY FROM WW1 TO THE PRESENT

ISBN: B&W 1st edition 978-1980634355

Colour 2nd edition 978-1980796503

ASIN: B07BTF5GC6 Kindle edition

Flightlines is an aviation history collection spanning the history of aviation from WW1 to the present day. In these pages you will find articles on the use of the Alpha Jet by the Belgian Air Force, F-5 fighters of the Canadian Air Force, the story of a former Luftwaffe air base used by the RAF post-war. Also featured is the pre-WW2 history of Mersa Matruh, an airfield situated in the sands of Egypt, flying the A-4 Skyhawk with the Blue Angels, the Fouga Magister in worldwide service, USN and USMC Skyhawks, German Atlantics, the Convair F-102, VA-72 in Vietnam, Danish Air Force Drakens, USMC Phantoms and training the RAF in the USA during WW2.