FROM FIJI TO BALKAN SKIES: A Fighter pilot's experiences with 249 Squadron RAF Italy/Balkans 1943/44

In this entertaining autobiographical account, Dennis McCaig, originally from the Fiji Islands, tells of his eventful wartime experiences as a fighter pilot serving with 249 Squadron in Southern Italy 1943/44.

Known as ‘Fiji’ to his squadron colleagues, Dennis flew Spitfire Vs and later Mustangs on sorties across the Adriatic, tasked with locating and attacking 'targets of opportunity' in enemy-occupied Greece and Yugoslavia.

He describes a number of encounters with the enemy and how, after one of them, he had to bale out of his damaged aircraft over the Greek mountains. The story of how he evaded capture and eventually returned to his squadron is in Italy is worthy of a book in itself  and has all the qualities of 'Boys Own' adventure.

Back on flying duties, more eventful missions over the Balkans were to follow, until Fiji's luck finally ran out and after baling out again – this time into the freezing waters of the Adriatic in early Spring – he was taken prisoner by the Germans and transported across Europe to a POW camp  in Poland.

It was the beginning of a different struggle to survive as a prisoner of war, at times more brutal and lonely than flying  solo in a fighter aircraft cockpit...

 there is a wealth of information contained in this book to satisfy the needs of any historian or researcher  but the compelling narrative can be enjoyed by any armchair adventurer or aviation enthusiast.

Author: Dennis McCaig

Publisher: Woodfield Publishing (2001)

Description: 215 pages, paperback, 20,5 Χ 140 mm.

Condition: VERY GOOD

Shipping weight: 0.5 Kg.

Tags: YUGOSLAVIA, RAF, P-51 MUSTANG, SPITFIRE