Sea Flight and the Fleet Air Arm's global war

Hugh Popham's Sea Flight is a personal account of training and wartime service as a Hurricane pilot in the Fleet Air Arm. The memoir moves from North Atlantic convoy routes and the West Indies to Ceylon and Madagascar, showing the reach of British carrier aviation during the Second World War. The quoted passages cover routine patrols, aircraft returning with bullet damage, a missing Albacore crew and a low-level attack under fire. Later chapters follow service in HMS Illustrious, Campania and Striker, so the story reaches beyond one ship or campaign. The book offers a close view of daily danger and the Fleet Air Arm's worldwide commitments.