The Silver Spitfire, Tom Neil
The Silver Spitfire, Tom Neil
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The Silver Spitfire
The Legendary WWII RAF Fighter Pilot in his Own Words

Author: Tom Neil

Narrator: Roger Davis

Unabridged: 11 hr 45 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/26/2019

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included

Synopsis

A brilliantly vivid Second World War memoir by one of 'the Few' Spitfire fighter pilots.

Following the D-Day landings, Battle of Britain hero Tom Neil was assigned as an RAF liaison to an American fighter squadron. As the Allies pushed east, Neil commandeered an abandoned Spitfire as his own personal aeroplane. Erasing any evidence of its provenance and stripping it down to bare metal, it became the RAF's only silver Spitfire.

Alongside his US comrades, he took the silver Spitfire into battle until, with the war's end, he was forced to make a difficult decision. Faced with too many questions about the mysterious rogue fighter, he contemplated increasingly desperate measures to offload it, including bailing out mid-Channel. He eventually left the Spitfire at Worthy Down, never to be seen again.

THE SILVER SPITFIRE is the first-hand, gripping story of Neil's heroic experience as an RAF fighter pilot and his reminiscences with his very own personal Spitfire.

About Tom Neil

Tom Neil joined No. 249 Squadron flying Hurricanes just before the start of the Battle of Britain. He flew 141 combat missions (few pilots reached 50), mostly from North Weald airfield in Essex, and is credited with the destruction of more than 17 enemy aircraft. He went on to see further combat in Malta before returning to lead a squadron flying Spitfires over the Channel and elsewhere during 1943. Attached to the American 9th Air Force in 1944, he took part in the invasion of Normandy and remained with the USAAF until the border of Germany was reached.After the war, he remained with the RAF until 1964, retiring with the rank of Wing Commander. He lectured at the prestigious School of Air Support, before spending four years as a Service Test pilot, where he flew over 100 aircraft types and participated in the development of pressurised flight suits. Having served for some years in the British Embassy in Washington at the height of the Cold War, he returned to the US as a businessman before relocating to Norfolk, where his career included running an art gallery. He is the author of many books, including his acclaimed memoir THE SILVER SPITFIRE. He and his wife Eileen, who was a Fighter Command plotter when they met during the war, were married for almost 70 years and had three sons, two of whom became pilots in the Services. Tom Neil died in July 2018 at the age of 97.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Spad53 on March 10, 2025

This was a rather unusual war story. It’s about how Tom Neil appropriated a Spitfire for himself, flew it for over a year, and then the equally interesting story of how he got rid of it without anyone noticing, this especially after “a prominent air commodore had been court martialled for misappropr......more

Goodreads review by KOMET on March 23, 2013

"THE SILVER SPITFIRE" is one of the most delightful and colorful Second World War memoirs I've ever read. It begins with the author, then a young RAF squadron leader leading a group of Spitfires on a training flight in November 1943. Shortly thereafter, he (Neil) is transferred to serve (temporarily......more

Goodreads review by Ip Hong Ching Ryan on August 31, 2019

The Silver Spitfire is a book about the experiences of the author, Tom Neil, during his days of being a pilot for the Royal Air Force during world war 2.This book started with him joining an American fighter squadron as a liaison officer from the RAF and continues to talk about his journey as a pilo......more

Goodreads review by Helena on October 01, 2024

A gentle memoir This book although told by an active RAF officer, who served in both the Battle of Britain and on Malta, is about a phase of his career when he was not in combat. Instead, it covers a period of his career when he served as a liaison officer with the USAF. As a result, this is not an a......more

Goodreads review by John on August 10, 2018

An interesting diary of England at the end of the war and some of the inner workings of the air force but not a lot of action. It was a little disappointing that the "Silver Spitfire" of the title doesn't appear until well in to the book and then not much happens other than Tom flying it around tryi......more

Quotes

An icon of battle as well as one of the most successful pilots, Neil is uniquely qualified to tell a story that is both the ultimate military epic and also distinctly personal. MILITARY TIMES

Tom Neil is one of the last of the Few BEST OF BRITISH, DAILY EXPRESS

The first-hand, gripping story of Neil's heroic experience as an RAF fighter pilot and his reminiscences with his very own personal Spitfire. ROYAL AIR FORCE NEWS

Amusing and enjoyable. GOOD BOOK GUIDE

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