The Lost Airfields of Angus

Reviewed by Sheena Macleod

by Margaret G. Bowman

The small Scottish county of Angus, situated between the North Sea coastline and the Grampian Mountains, played a significant military role in both World Wars—primarily providing training bases for novice pilots, night flying, deck landing as well as coastal defence.

Entries cover the military airfields providing their brief history construction and function; aircraft types; location details; period and contemporary photography of surviving buildings designed to capture the interest of the enthusiast and historian, local history groups and visitors to the region.

Review

This non-fiction book about the lost Angus Airfields is jam-packed full of information, not just about the airfields themselves but the people who utilised them during the First and Second World Wars.

As someone who lives in the geographical area covered, I have to say that I was unaware of the vast majority of the history attached to these airfields. Margaret does a fantastic job of bringing them back to life for the reader. And she is right, without such a record, these airfields could slide further into decay and then oblivion, with little available evidence remaining of their existence.

I’m a sucker for lesser-known historical details, and am impressed by the sheer volume and detail contained within the content of The Lost Airfields of Angus. It is one of those books that you can either read straight through or just dip in and out of as you please. An extensive reference list and bibliography of sources is included which will aid further reading and there is a clear index provided of the content.

Whether you are a historian, a student looking for reference material, or are just someone with a general interest in the local area or in airfields, then this book would be a worthy addition to your bookshelf.