RAF WINGS OVER FLORIDA:
Memories of World War II British Air Cadets

by Will Largent; Edited by Tod Roberts
Published October 2000 by Purdue University Press

Aug 1944 Article on Will Largent | Will Largent Obituary | Book Reviews | Presentation by Editor Tod Roberts

Ordering from Amazon.com | "Flying Days of Riddle Field" PBS documentary | Background of Tod Roberts

WINGS cover 4 x 5

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RAF WINGS OVER FLORIDA: MEMORIES OF WORLD WAR II BRITISH AIR CADETS was originally issued in August 1998 as a 170-page privately printed book. The work features background information, reminiscences, and photos related to the training of pilots and air crew at Carlstrom Field in Arcadia, Florida and Riddle Field in Clewiston, Florida from 1941 to 1945.

In October 2000, the book was published by Purdue University Press.

This book was authored by the late Will Largent (1919-1998), a former newspaper editor, aide to Ohio Governor George Voinovich, and a World War II gunner/radio operator (320th Bomb Group, USAAF) who was shot down in August 1944 over southern France while on his 59th bombing mission in a Martin Marauder (B-26). Technical Sgt. Largent was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French government for his role in receiving the surrender of a German admiral commanding the medical detachment where Largent was a prisoner of war.

The book was edited and prepared for print by Tod Roberts, Mr. Largent's son-in-law.

To commemorate Will's service to our country, I have posted the article from an August 1944 edition of the New York Herald-Tribune providing details about Will's wartime adventure in France -- it makes for fascinating reading! For an online obituary about Will Largent, please click HERE.

The book includes reminiscences from many men and women who recall their experiences in the tense but exciting days from 1941 to 1945, when England, the United States, and their allies were fighting to defend themselves against the Axis powers. Photos of people and scenes from those days so long ago are also included. Stories in the book capture the stark contrast observed by young British cadets temporarily leaving behind their cold, gray, and embattled homeland for Florida, where they found abundant food, sunshine, and generous American hospitality.

 

The (2009) 53rd annual Memorial Day ceremony honoring the RAF cadets who died during training in World War II will begin at 10:00 a.m. in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Arcadia, Florida, on May 25, 2009. This remembrance is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Arcadia and is often attended by friends and relatives of the fallen cadets. Coordinates for the cemetery are 27.2267 latitude and -81.8692 longitude. For a map to the cemetery, please click here. For information, contact Rotary Club member Judy Kirkpatrick (863-444-0664 or kirk2913@earthlink.net).

RAF WINGS OVER FLORIDA should be of interest to veterans and their families, history enthusiasts, aviation buffs, and anyone who wants to read fascinating and touching stories drawn from the real-life experiences of RAF and U.S. flying cadets in World War II.

One source of photos and information appearing in RAF WINGS OVER FLORIDA is the Clewiston Museum, 109 Central Avenue, Clewiston, FL 33440-3706. Clewiston was the site of Riddle Field, in south-central Florida, near the southwestern shore of Lake Okeechobee. Though small, this well-stocked museum contains a wealth of artifacts, photos, correspondence, publications, and information regarding the Riddle Field training of hundreds of RAF and U.S. pilots during World War II. For driving directions and information on hours of operation, please call 863-983-2870.

A review of the book, published in the Fall 2001 Florida Historical Quarterly, is available here.

The text of a talk about the book presented by Tod Roberts at the St. Pete Beach Library in St. Pete Beach, Florida on May 23, 2002 is available here: http://home.comcast.net/~thorsdag/wings_talk.html.

YOU CAN ORDER THE BOOK THROUGH YOUR LOCAL BOOKSELLER OR ONLINE (NO PHONE ORDERS) FROM WWW.AMAZON.COM. AS OF 6 MAY 2009, THE AMAZON PRICE WAS DISCOUNTED TO $23.52, but only two copies were immediately available. IT IS LISTED AT THIS LINK ON THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WEB SITE. (ISBN: 1557532036, LOC CALL NUMBER: D786 .L355 2000). TO ORDER FROM PURDUE UNIV. PRESS, SEE THIS LINK (price $19.95 as of 6 May 2009).

IF YOU PREFER TO ORDER BY PHONE, PLEASE CONTACT WPBT PUBLIC TELEVISION IN MIAMI, FLORIDA AT (800) 533-8321.

 

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In November 2001 the book appeared as a research source in the documentary "The Flying Days of Riddle Field," produced by Mark Baker of the Miami, Florida PBS affiliate WPBT. To order this video, please call toll-free (800) 533-8321. The price is $24.95 plus $4.95 shipping.

As of April 2008, excerpts of the book are available on the Google books website at this link.

Readers may also be interested to know that a romance novel -- The Savage Sky by English author Emma Drummond (pen name of Edna Dawes) -- uses the flight training programs at Arcadia and Clewiston as background for its characters and story. This book is available from Amazon.com at this link.

This page was last updated 6 May 2009. To reach the professional website of Tod Roberts, please click HERE. To contact Mr. Roberts by email, send a message to thorsdag (at) comcast.net [replace (at) with @].