Louisa Hormann from Te Whakairinga Mutu Air Force Museum of New Zealand reviews Grid: The life and times of First World War fighter ace Keith Caldwell by Adam Claasen:
'"Grid is more than a biography … using first-hand accounts of early aerial combat, letters home to loved ones and a vast array of photographs matched by vivid descriptions, demonstrates a meticulous attention to detail – a worthy tribute to one of our finest, if somewhat lesser known, war heroes." – Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb, Chief of Air Force
Grid is the first ever biography of Air Commodore Keith ‘Grid’ Caldwell CBE, MC & bar, Croix de guerre, arguably one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s greatest unsung heroes. Published by Massey University Press, it is the product of five years of detailed research by military historian and university senior lecturer, Dr Adam Claasen. The book charts the life and times of Keith Caldwell, from his early flying training in Auckland to his wartime exploits on the Western Front and beyond – including also his crucial roles in the interwar period and in World War Two at Wigram and overseas, as well as his family life and part in founding the New Zealand 1914-18 Airmen’s Association. Supplementary materials include a foreword by Chief of Air Force Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb, illustrations, a list of victories, map, and an index.
Much of the book focuses on Caldwell’s First World War service – and for good reason. His sheer survival throughout 27 months of service at a time when so many lives were counted in just days is incredible. As Claasen writes, Grid ‘was widely acknowledged to have survived more aerial battles than any other Empire airman’, including six crash-landings. Furthermore, as a pilot from 1916-1918, he ‘was one of the few airmen to witness first hand the rapid development of the war’s single-seat fighters and aerial fighting tactics’, while serving in No. 8 Squadron Royal Flying Corps (RFC), No. 60 Squadron RFC, and No. 74 Squadron Royal Air Force (RAF)."'
Read the rest of the review here.
