Discovering My Father's War

Discovering My Father's War relates the remarkable story of Graeme "Twink" Inglis, a young Royal Air Force airman, whose wartime career carried him across some of the most remote and dangerous theatres of World War II. In June 1942, at just 19 years of age, Twink undertook a hazardous Special Operations' mission to northern Russia and the Arctic Circle in search of the German battleship Tirpitz. From that early operation onward, his service with RAF 240 Squadron and its Catalina flying boats would take him across a vast geographical arc-from the cold waters of the North Atlantic and Arctic to the Middle East, India and the Far East.

Drawing on an extensive range of primary and secondary sources, the author reconstructs his father's wartime experiences in vivid detail. Central to the narrative are Twink Inglis's meticulously kept RAF logbooks and photograph albums, along with the squadron's Operations Record Books and other archival materials. These records allow the author to trace not only the movements of 240 Squadron but also the demanding operational routine of Catalina crews: long maritime patrols, reconnaissance flights, search missions and the constant vigilance required to protect Allied shipping and track enemy forces across immense stretches of ocean. The Catalina flying boat-one of the RAF's most reliable maritime aircraft-serves as the workhorse of the story, from the Arctic to the Far East.

At the same time, the work is deeply personal. The author combines historical research with memories from his own childhood and conversations with families of other airmen who served alongside his father. These reflections bring a human dimension to the operational record, revealing the camaraderie, endurance and quiet bravery that characterized the lives of many aircrews. The book conveys the author's sense of pride in his father's service, along with a poignant awareness that many veterans left their stories only partially told.

Historians and reviewers have praised the book for its meticulous research and emotional depth. Preserving the experiences of a generation whose voices are rapidly disappearing, it is both a detailed account of Catalina operations during World War II and a moving tribute to the men who flew them. As such, it preserves the airmen's legacy and ensures their contributions are remembered by future generations.