Piece of Cake - Geoff Taylor

[kevmusic]

Anyone know of this book? I picked it up years ago as an ex-library discard. I've just re-read it, and it is a fantastic read: a perceptive and eye-opening account of an Aussie RAF Lanc pilot shot down & captured with most of his crew.

What concerns me is that someone appears to have written derogatory comments at points throughout the text, which have then been scribbled out or tipp-exed over. However, I can make out things like "I don't believe the bit where he tries to take the plane" or, "Aussie fantasy!". Does anyone know if Taylor has been dis-credited for any part of the book? I found it such an interesting and poignant read that I would hate to think of any part of the story being added or changed.

To mods: I wondered whether to put this on Av. H. & N. instead, but the apparently high incidence of RAF historians here made up my mind!. I've no objection to your moving it if you think it should be.

[SamCaine]

Is this the book that the BBC based a TV series on some time ago?

[Pontius Navigator]

I seem to remember the TV series was not well received and I certainly was unable to finish the book.

[BossEyed]

The TV series (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piece_of_Cake_(television)) was based on a novel by Derek Robinson. Whilst it had the same title, I don't believe that the book is the same one.

[soddim]

The TV series 'Piece of Cake' was about a Hurricane Sqn in France during the German offensive early in WWII. The Sqn Cdr was a complete tit - quite realistic, really. MOD didn't like the script and refused help via BBMF - portrayed RAF in a bad light.

Some wonderful flying shots - particularly the opening shot in the intro of Ray Hanna RIP flying under the masonry arch bridge.

[Pontius Navigator]

Ah, TY for that. I knew what I was refering to was 100% genuine, diehard cr*p.

[BossEyed]

Some wonderful flying shots - particularly the opening shot in the intro of Ray Hanna RIP flying under the masonry arch bridge.
http://www.ofmc.co.uk/images/PieceofCake.jpg
(Pic from the OFMC tribute page (http://www.ofmc.co.uk/news.htm) for Ray)

[Human Factor]

Have seen that photo a few times. The one man who could make it look easy.:ok:

[kevmusic]

Sorry guys - this book was written in 1956! Long before Derek Robinson's book.

[snapper41]

I thought Robinson's book was pretty good; there was a follow-up, based in the Western Desert called (I think) A Good, Clean Fight - also a good read. Many people had a problem with the ITV series (still available on DVD) as it seemed to portray the pilots in a bad light (shooting down allied aircraft, taking kit from dead comrades' rooms etc), but Robinson always said that his intent was to show that they were just ordinary people, not superhuman, and that the incidents were all based on true stories. I spoke to one BoB veteran who thought it was fairly true-to-life.

There was also criticism that the TV series had Spits, not Hurricanes; there were of course no Spits based in France in 1940. The producers quite rightly said that, at the time of filming (1989), there were far more Spits flying than Hurricanes; if it were to be made now, you could probably do it with Hurricanes and CGI. Unduly harsh criticism, I feel, from folks who wanted to knock the show in any way they could.

[ORAC]

Well, it is included as follows on the 207 Sqn website: (http://www.207squadron.rafinfo.org.uk/207books.html)

Piece of Cake - Geoff Taylor (Peter Davies, 1956)
Shot down on 18th October 1943, this is an account of Geoff's POW activities.

So I imagine he, and his story, are genuine.....

[keithl]

A bit off thread as we're all now talking about the Robinson book / TV series.
I was glad to read your comments, snapper, as I too thought the TV series was realistic in its portrayal of the sqn pilots. I hasten to add I'm not a BoB veteran, but I was on a squadron at the time and remember being able to identify TV 'types' with 'types' among my colleagues. Squadrons are not full of clean cut, agreeable heroes - sometimes there are some real pains.

And don't let anyone tell you that the "mad CO" is a fiction. I can think of at least 2 definites and a few borderlines.

[Tombstone]

http://www.ofmc.co.uk/images/PieceofCake.jpg
(Pic from the OFMC tribute page (http://www.ofmc.co.uk/news.htm) for Ray)

This Spitfire was being flown by the late Ray Hannah IIRC. Canopy open, must have been some ride!

[the dean]

[quote=kevmusic;2977068]Anyone know of this book? I picked it up years ago as an ex-library discard. I've just re-read it, and it is a fantastic read: a perceptive and eye-opening account of an Aussie RAF Lanc pilot shot down & captured with most of his crew.

my dad...says THE HOLLOW SQUARE.. a novel by the same author..same publisher ... was also a brilliant read...:D check that out if you like bomber stories...lancasters over germany...

he says you wo'nt want to put it down.

gear up.

the dean.

[BossEyed]

I sometimes think I'm talking to myself on this site. :rolleyes:

[ORAC]

Lost Bombers: (http://lostbombers.co.uk/bomber.php?id=11292) Lancaster LM326 EM-Z

This aircraft was one 350 Lancasters ordered from A.V.Roe (Yeadon) as Mk.111s except for the first ten as Mk.1 (LM301-LM310), delivered from Oct 42 to Oct 44. Mk.1s had Merlin 20 engines and Mk.111s Merlin 38 engines initially installed. LM326 was was delivered to No.207 Sqdn 31 May 43.

LM326 took part in the following key Operations:
Dusseldorf 11/12 Jun 43;
Bochum 12/13 Jun 43-aborted;
Peenemunde 17/18 Aug 43;
Berlin 3/4 Sep 43;
Hannover 18/19 Oct 43-Lost When lost this aircraft had a total of 267 hours.

LM326 was one of two No.207 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation. See: W4276

Airborne 1716 18 Oct 43 from Spilsby. Cause of loss not established. Crash landed 2030 onto the Reim-Reinerbaech Arzen Road, SW of Hamelin.

F/S G.Taylor RAAF PoW
Sgt D.J.Duff PoW
Sgt A.G.McLeod PoW
Sgt C.R.Smith RCAF PoW
Sgt A.R.Burton PoW
Sgt W.Worthington PoW
F/S W.J.McCarthy RAAF PoW

Sgt A.R.Burton was interned in Camps 4B/L3. PoW No.261241 with Sgt W.Worthington, PoW No.259927.

Sgt D.J.Duff in Camps 4B, PoW No.263669 with F/S W.J.McCarthy, PoW No.259887, F/S G.Taylor, PoW No.259915 and Sgt C.R.Smith, PoW No.261188.

Sgt A.G.McLeod in Camp L1. No PoW No.

[kevmusic]

Dean - thanks to your Dad for the info. I've looked it up on Amazon & there are a couple of copies.........:ok:

Orac, that's a great bit of work! In the book Taylor is unsure whether Duff survived the bale-out. From this info it appears he did.

[Tombstone]

I sometimes think I'm talking to myself on this site. :rolleyes:

Erm yeah,

my bad! My skim reading never was that good!:ugh:

[Ali Barber]

From a fellow POW at the same camp:

http://www.nymcam.co.uk/key29e.htm

[Mr-AEO]

OK,

I haven't read this, but does the story go along the lines of:

He gets shot down with his crew and survives behind enemy lines until the end of the war on a single piece of cake?:confused:

Sounds like a great movie in the making:}

[kevmusic]

Mr-AEO, your post is more ironically aposite than its inanity suggests, as starvation conditions loomed large in the lives of these 'kriegies'. The title actually comes from the briefing officer's summing up before the raid on which the author was shot down.

[Mr-AEO]

Of course, I had not meant any dis-service to those poor buggers kept in the Stalag Luft.

Mission = 'Piece of cake' = well understood.:)

I hadn't heard the term Kriegies now but a short and interesting dive into Google (while I still can before the IT police ban that as well!) showed them to be "kriegsgefangenen" or, in short, - Kriegies. Some awe inspiring stories, a world apart from the glamourous WW2 films on prison camps I have seen.

[pontifex]

I was very much involved in the preliminaries for the BBMF involvement in the Piece of Cake production and, of necessity, read the book. I have to say I remember being unimpressed with both the book and the people I had dealings with, but at this distance in time the details elude me. I was quite relieved, therefore, when the MOD put the Kybosh on it.

[karengray1902]

Dean - thanks to your Dad for the info. I've looked it up on Amazon & there are a couple of copies.........:ok:

Orac, that's a great bit of work! In the book Taylor is unsure whether Duff survived the bale-out. From this info it appears he did.

Just to let you know that Don did survive. He married Cis who was my Dad’s elder sister. They did have 1 son who sadly died when he was about 3. He was a very much loved uncle to 7 nieces and nephews. He passed away around 1983 and Cis died about 6 years ago.

[dduxbury310]

Am I correct in thinking that the original "Piece of Cake" film was supposedly based loosely on the antics on No. 1 Squadron RAF, and that the accident which took out the commanding officer actually did occur? (Fell out of his overturned Hurricane in real life, by releasing his harness in a rather dramatic way - and landed on his head, thereby breaking his own neck!
David D

[chevvron]

This Spitfire was being flown by the late Ray Hannah IIRC. Canopy open, must have been some ride!
The late Gp Capt Reg Hallam, at that time CO Experimental Flying (COEF) at Farnborough, flew one of the Spitfires in the TV series due to his friendship with the late Charles Church.

[POBJOY]

Am I correct in thinking that the original "Piece of Cake" film was supposedly based loosely on the antics on No. 1 Squadron RAF, and that the accident which took out the commanding officer actually did occur? (Fell out of his overturned Hurricane in real life, by releasing his harness in a rather dramatic way - and landed on his head, thereby breaking his own neck!
David D

Many decades ago I read P o C by DR, and immediately thought (hang on ive' been here before) which of course I had because I actually had an original copy of Fighter Pilot by Paul Richie. Only good thing to come out of it were the 'real' flying scenes down on the south coast airfield 'reactivated for the purpose'. At the time there was a lot of (Key) forum activity around this because of the obvious copyright issues.

[Martin the Martian]

Derek Robinson's quartet of RFC/early RAF novels are stonking reading as well.

[nobby clark]

Hi. I was involved in digging up LM326 from a field in AERZEN in Germany whilst I was stationed in Hameln. The dig took place in 1975.
I think this Aircraft was piloted by Geoff Taylor when it was shot down in 1943. I have photo of the German pilot who shot it down and the Canadian Gunner. Both were present at the the dig.
Nobby Clark.

[nobby clark]

I was involved in digging up this Lancaster which I believe was piloted by Geoff Taylor when it was shot down Oct 1943 over Aerzen near Hameln in Germany.
I have a few photos of the dig, the Canadian gunner and German Pilot who shot it down was present at the dig.