Spitfire Final Flight

By D G Leigh

Suffering from the latter stages of Alzheimer's Captain Tom “Winkle” Brown is a retired test pilot and World War Two veteran approaching his century year.
When 36 pristine Spitfires are discovered buried deep within the Burmese jungle he gets a surprise visit from Grant Global Industries, with a most intriguing proposition.

Buckle your flight harness for a hell for leather tale of courage, duty and inspiration.

Editorial Reviews

★★★★★ Took me on a roller coaster of emotions from sadness to the excitement of a dogfight. Audible customer, Charlie Wood.

★★★★★ This book is a beautiful piece of fiction. It brought tears to my eyes in places. Audible customer, Ray C.

★★★★★ How much of it is true I have no idea, but on how I want it all to be so. Audible customer, Norma Miles.

★★★★★ Simply beautiful in its strength, determination, and love of flying. Audible customer, RJ.

★★★★ A bizarre yet heartwarming story about a man struggling with Alzheimer's and remembering his late wife whilst flying a stolen Spitfire. Audible customer, Maddin Hair.

★★★★★ The will they or won't they suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat. Audible customer, Aurora Dawn.

★★★★★ Endearing, realistic tale. Audible customer, Margaret.

★★★★★ An amazing story. Audible customer, Paige.

★★★★★ My grandfathers were pilots and this brought back so many wonderful memories. The thrill of his last flight is shared with you and it’s funny and heart warming. Audible customer, Angel of music.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bright Ideas Inc
• Release date: Sep 4, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370832675

D G Leigh

David grew up by the sea in a medium size fishing village.He filled his childhood days beach-combing, exploring nature and wandering around museums. Those early years gave him the love he has for the great outdoors and those motionless exhibition ignited his thirst for inhaling the real world.At eighteen he threw his rucksack across his shoulders. Over the following decade he encompassed the globe. Sometimes travelling alone through remote and dangerous places. These were his pirate years. Riding horseback on foreign shores waiting for the next escapade to tap him on the shoulder. Meeting many wonderful people from every corner of planet and haphazardly faced death on numerous occasions.He now resides in London with his wife and son.

Book preview

Spitfire:Final Flight

The incredible story of 36 buried Burmese Spitfires

and the extraordinary plan to steal one.

By D G Leigh

Published by Bright Ideas Inc

Copyright 2016 D G Leigh

V4 2020

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This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people.

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Foreword from the author

On the ground the Spitfire is beautiful.

In flight she's graceful.

Engaged in combat, deadly.

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Out of Retirement

--- One ---

Death has a unique odour.

Hospitals disguise the ever-present reaper with cleansing disinfectant solutions. Scorched battlefields are entrenched with the pungent stench of grotesqueness while nursing homes have a lingering doughy musk that suffocates all freshness. World War Two combat veteran and RAF test pilot Tom "Winkle" Brown has unfortunately been tainted by the aroma of all three.

Nineteen-year-old care assistant Susan, whose skirt was shorter than her tunic, escorted businessman Sam Grant and his daughter Nancy through the maze of corridors that criss-crossed Sycamore residential care home for the elderly and infirm. Certainly not the easiest building to navigate even for the soundest of minds. The teenager's bulky laceless boots thumped loudly as she strutted the parquet hallways. Echoing footsteps announced the presence of able-bodied visitors accompanying her. Big news in a place where people shuffled when moving. Residents peeked to see who had arrived. Visits from family members become less frequent. After unpacking your belongings they tell you it's nice here and you'll fit right in, later leaving with your empty suitcase because you're never going anywhere else again.

Plastic sleeves mounted on each suite door. A polaroid of the current occupant inserted. An elderly face, not always smiling, with their first name written in freehand underneath. Some rooms had the photo removed. Susan noticed Sam checking the dorms. It's always sad when we lose a sweetheart. They simply rise higher. Death part of the everyday routine. Comforting griefing relatives part of her job description. Susan's make-up and coloured streaked hairstyle suggested she would be better suited as the lead singer of a basement punk band. This yobbish looking girl had a heart of pure gold that seeped through her Amazonian war paint.

They'd been walking for a while, this place is huge. Are you taking us to his room? Sam accustomed to attending appointments in high-rise boardrooms.

No, my boss Miss Witmore wants to meet you first. She's stunned by your company's phone call. Tom has been our guest here for almost thirty years. He arrived shortly after his wife passed away. Nobody has ever come to visit him.

A glancing shift of eyes between Sam and Nancy. I didn't know he was married? Did they have the right man? His declassified service record mentioned nothing about a spouse.

They tied the knot the day after he retired. Something terrible happened soon afterwards? He only reminisces about his early courtship with Joyce, they were childhood sweethearts. I guess that's all he can clearly remember nowadays. It's not unusual, a lot of folks here literally live in the past. Philosophical beyond her intelligence. We are surrounded by friends and family, our safe-zone but as we grow older people that we love and care for die, sometimes you're the last one left. It's lonely. You long to have them with you again. He often asks where she is? I tell him she's resting, peacefully.

Nancy disapproved of Susan's appearance, very unprofessional. She only knew the corporate world, didn't understand the type of person that it takes to care for the needy. Nancy spoke for the first time since entering the building. She followed two paces behind. She'd been working alongside her father from the age of nine. Learnt to listen and keep quiet in the background, a habit that she had never fully shaken off into adulthood. We understand. Miss Witmore explained Tom's condition to us. We just want to ask him a few questions if he's feeling up to it? We did actually have a job offer for him but that's before we found out about his illness.

What possible job could a ninety-four-year-old do? He has good days among the not so good. Depends on his medication. Susan smiled fondly. I sometimes take my lunch-break with him, when I can. He used to be as bright as a button, made me laugh but since the beginning of the year there are now moments where he doesn't remember my name, she checked if anybody else was within earshot before continuing, he's a saint. We never have any trouble with Tommy.

Trouble? Sam inquired.

Susan stopped in her tracks. Turned to eyed Sam up and down, approximating his age, sixty? You know, as you get older you can get a bit, she licked her ruby lips and searched for an acceptable word, kooky! Confident with her final choice. Mabel, seventy-seven, runs down these halls stark naked singing God save the Queen. Now that's kooky! Not a pleasant sight.

"I think I know what you