BUCK McNAIR: CANADIAN SPITFIRE ACE. THE STORY OF GROUP CAPTAIN R W McNAIR DSO, DFC & 2 Bars, Ld'H, CdG, RCAF.

London: Grub Street, 2001. 179 pp, large 8vo (9 7/16" H). B&w photographs, Spitfire profiles. "Robert 'Buck' McNair came from Nova Scotia, the second of three sons born of a mix of Scottish and German parents. As a young man he became interested in flight, and was lucky enough to be able to fly floatplanes off the Canadian lakes. When war came, he went through flight training in Canada, sailed to England, and in the summer of 1941 found himself in the newly formed 411 Squadron RCAF. Eventually this unit began flying sweeps over Northern France and he saw his first combat actions during that autumn. An aggressive fighter pilot, he was chosen by his Canadian CO to accompany him to the besieged island of Malta in the spring of 1942, to coincide with the arrival on that island of the first Spitfires." McNair went on to win three DFCs and a DSO among other awards and although he was twice wounded, his score of victories reached 16, "with others probably destroyed and damaged. This is a remarkable story of courage and heroism by one of the Second World War's top-scoring fighter pilots who inspired his men and fellow pilots in actions above the skies of France and Malta, and who, despite being almost blind in one eye, continued to lead and spur his men onto greater actions." Tiny wrinkle at top of spine. Dust jacket has minor edge wrinkling, minor rubbing.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Near Fine/Very Good+.