Lew Duddridge

The Flying Duddridges of Hanley Lew Duddridge

Lew and Len Duddridge hadn't planned on entering an occupation that made death their partner. They had dreamed of working as farmers, teachers, bankers, or civil servants, but instead they became wartime pilots. In The Flying Duddridges of Hanley, author Lew Duddridge narrates the story of how he and his brother Len, two brothers from Hanley, Saskatchewan, served with the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. They were the only two of the thirteen young men from this small town who would live to tell their story. This memoir relays the Duddridges' many flight experiences, such as making their first solo flights in a Spitfire aircraft and crash landing a burning Spitfire after a German FW 190 damaged the engine and propeller. Interwoven with tales about their farm upbringing and their personal lives, The Flying Duddridges of Hanley, brings World War II to life from the perspective of two brothers who became men while experiencing the terrors and tragedy of WWII.