Tail-End Charley: Stories from an American fighter pilot in World War II

We are so lucky that the author's mum gave him a journal and told him to write down his experiences - and that he complied !Brown's tale takes us through his journey from a small town in the USA, through flight school and eventually the European theater of WW2. It is not the usual tale of air to air combat, because at this stage of the war, the German air force was suffering. Brown's tale highlights the important role that was played by many pilots attacking the enemy's supply lines - trains and military vehicles, along with supporting allied troops as they fought their way to victory.Told in a simple and easy to read manner, this is a good read, giving us an insight into the trials of daily life at the battle front for the pilots during the closing stages of WW2.

I, too, was a 19-year-old Aviation Cadet during the Korean War. And, I too became an Air Force fighter pilot. While reading this book I related closer to it than any flying book that I've read in the past. As I read page after page, I could feel myself back in the cockpit and flying tight formation, or flying combat spread whenever James Brown did so as described in his book. I almost feel myself straining and grunting to ward off the effects of G-forces while reading some of his passages. And, after all these years, I finally discovered why the P-47 was known endearingly as the "Jug." A big thanks to J.E. Brown for his military service, and also another big thanks for writing this book.

Imagine being a nice, mild-mannered nineteen year old sent into enemy territory behind the controls of a two-thousand horsepower machine equipped with eight fifty-caliber machine guns. Think you’d be a prime target? Of course you would! I’ve read the chronicles of other P-47 pilots, probably because the uncle I never knew, Carl “Stub” Stenback, had also flown one in Europe during WWII. Although he survived the war, he perished on a training flight a few years later in the Pacific. The wreckage was never found. But I digress. This story is about James (J.E.) Brown, a baby-faced young man who left college and joined the United States Army Air Corps. (That’s pronounced CORE, in case English is your second language.) The thing I found remarkable was that James (Jim, Jimbo, or J.E.) had never even ridden in an airplane before making that bold decision. Come to think of it, my father hadn’t either, before enlisting and becoming paratrooper. But I digress again. Read this book and follow Jim through his training and throughout the war. I think you’ll agree that he was a hard-working fighter-bomber pilot who didn’t relish killing but did his job in the face of danger anyway. Bravo.

At first, the adherence to a strict chronological record of diary entries supplemented by additional memories is a little off-putting. But after a bit, the account becomes riveting as one follows this young man and his fellows through their training and deployment. I found the prolonged and thorough training program particularly interesting in comparison with the hurried and slapdash programs forced by the war upon the German and Japanese air forces. We and our airmen were fortunate to have had the time and the resources for the effort. As a former "ground pounder", I was delighted to read of the air-ground cooperation at the stage of the war reported in the book. It was a welcome change from the early years. This is an account well worth reading.

Highly detailed memoir. Well written and comprehensive, a mission by mission account of the author's time in the air (including training). I've read hundreds of memoirs, biographies and histories of WW2 air combat, and this one will take its place near the top of the list. I cant gush enough about how enjoyable this read is - if you like the subject matter, you'll love this book.

James E Brown has put his experiences as a WWII fighter pilot on paper, translating from his diary, in a very simple, modest, but entertaining fashion. He shows humility when discussing his successes, and genuine sorrow at having to kill another human being. He is typical of the average young village, or country town, youngster who either volunteered, or was forced, to fight for his country, his freedom, and his way of life. His role was not that of the dashing fighter ace who shot down a lot of enemy aircraft, but rather that of the fighter-bomber pilot who did his best to support the soldiers fighting in the mud and across the fields and paying dearly in lives for every half mile of ground gained.Altogether, a very interesting and entertaining book.

Jim Brown writes from his memoirs, his daily journal, on each and every mission, all 85 of them. During the course of his early interest in flying on to joining the service and watching his friendships grow. With his flying group, and his confidence increas it was a very interesting book for those are interested in flying and that right of passage that was complwted by so many. Well written, Jim has a gentle humor and a great appreciation for the people that he served with, a true love of flying, and that makes for some good stories and an entertaining book.

I enjoyed this book, written from the author's wartime notes as a P-47 pilot in Italy. It was a factual recitation of his experiences from before his enlistment through training and then mission-by-mission as a wingman on bombing and strafing runs near the end of the war. Interesting was his attitude that his job was to attack things, rather than people. Pilots rarely see men on the ground and he talked about attacking a "car" or a "locomotive" or a building without reference to the enemy soldiers who might be inside. He even went out of his way to avoid hitting horses pulling supply wagons.

This is an honest and accurate account of the experience of an American Army pilot who entered the final phase of the European theatre of WWII. The detail for any student of wartime aircraft history is incredibly detailed and ranks alongside Geoffrey Wellum’s memoir in terms of its ability to almost put you in the cockpit alongside Lt Brown. This is quite a long and detailed book but loose ends are tied up towards its conclusion even to the point of his marriage to Jean.

It was refreshing to read the story of a pilot, not an ace shooting down hordes of the enemy but one who filled his routine post as well as he was able. Not a leader of his squadron but someone whose backup role made the work of the squadron possible.Despite this, not a dull book but one which gave an insight not before encountered

An interesting account of a young American and his enlistment into the army airforce during WW2 in Europe. Survival through 100 combat missions well documented, is the name of this very dangerous game.

Enjoyed reading this, was very easy to visualize what the author was saying, you will not be disappointed so I recommend reading it.

Well written and extremely accurate account of life flying “the jug” P47 during ww2. Highs and lows and life as it was lived. Excellent!