Last of the Ten Fighter Boys

By Jimmy Corbin

In 1940, against the backdrop of the Battle of Britain, 66 Squadron’s commanding officer, Squadron Leader Athol Forbes, asked ten of his pilots to record their experiences of flying one of the greatest aerial battles ever waged. The Ten Fighter Boys, published in 1942, comprised the first-hand accounts of pilot officers and sergeant pilots from all walks of life among them was Sergeant Jimmy Corbin, who wrote the third chapter. He was 23 – old by pilot standards – and, like the rest of the squadron, based at Biggin Hill, Kent. Now, sixty years later, Flight Lieutenant Jimmy Corbin, Spitfire pilot, tells his extraordinary wartime story. He describes how an ordinary working-class boy from Maidstone was propelled into the thick of action in the skies over Kent during the summer and autumn of 1940. As the sole survivor of the original ‘Ten Fighter Boys’, Jimmy’s story is all the more poignant now that the men who fought the Battle of Britain pass from living memory.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The History Press
• Release date: Sep 30, 2011
• ISBN: 9780752468365

Jimmy Corbin

Originally a teacher, Jimmy Corbin joined the Spitfire Squadron in 1940 and fought as a pilot in the Battle of Britain. Later he instructed at an Operational Training Unit before being posted to North Africa as a Spitfire pilot. After the war ended, he resumed his career in teaching. Now retired, Jimmy lives in Maidstone.

Reviews for Last of the Ten Fighter Boys

[johnthefireman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Much better than I expected, actually. Gripping first-hand stories of the reality of life in a Spitfire squadron, not all excitement but plenty of waiting, frustration and boredom, written by the young pilots themselves, not by professional authors. Some died even before the first edition was published in 1942. I'm always interested in period slang. "Peelow" and "bogle" were new to me, as was "weaver" describing a particular role in squadron flying formation. Some interesting snippets on dog-fighting tactics. Quite real and gritty.

[john5918 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Much better than I expected, actually. Gripping first-hand stories of the reality of life in a Spitfire squadron, not all excitement but plenty of waiting, frustration and boredom, written by the young pilots themselves, not by professional authors. Some died even before the first edition was published in 1942. I'm always interested in period slang. "Peelow" and "bogle" were new to me, as was "weaver" describing a particular role in squadron flying formation. Some interesting snippets on dog-fighting tactics. Quite real and gritty.

[Christine Hughes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing story from a great man. There is no bragging or exaggeration, simply a fascinating flowing narrative.