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AIR born
A TRUE STory
Two Spitfire pilots, born to fly.
Separated by a tragic death.
Reunited by astounding chance.
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AIR born
A TRUE STory
Two Spitfire pilots, born to fly.
Separated by a tragic death.
Reunited by astounding chance.
AIR born
A TRUE STory
Two Spitfire pilots, born to fly.
Separated by a tragic death.
Reunited by astounding chance.
AIR born
A TRUE STory
Two Spitfire pilots, born to fly.
Separated by a tragic death.
Reunited by astounding chance.

about AIr BORN

If you’re captivated by the heroism and gallantry of the Second World War; if you’re fascinated by stories of the RAF; if you’re mesmerised by Supermarine Spitfires and the men who flew them – you have an amazing and rewarding journey ahead of you.

My name’s John Wallace, and I hope you enjoy my story of two Royal Canadian Air Force Spitfire pilots, John Gillespie Magee and Dwayne Linton, and how they were reunited across time by extraordinary, unbelievable chance and coincidence.

Follow this extraordinary journey through words and pictures and if you have any stories and photos connected to what you read here, contact me for publication of your story on this website.

If you want to read this whole remarkable story in full, you can buy my accompanying book: ‘Air Born’ direct from this website – and check my blog for the latest news and research that this story has uncovered.

‘Air Born’ by John Wallace – the story of World War 2 Spitfire pilots John Gillespie Magee and Dwayne Linton. Magee wrote the celebrated poem, ‘High Flight’ shortly before being tragically killed in an air accident in late 1941. Dwayne Linton was a fellow pilot and close friend.
John Wallace, author of ‘Air Born’.
John Magee in his Spitfire. The photograph was taken in late 1941 at RAF Wellingore, Lincolnshire when Magee was a member of 412 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force. (Photograph courtesy of Roger Cole and High Flight Publishing)
Dwayne Linton in his Spitfire, ‘Miss Herrin’, named after his home town in southern Illinois, USA. This picture was also taken at RAF Wellingore, possibly at the same time as Magee’s photograph was taken – and maybe even by the same photographer.

THE JOURNEY

1
‍A POETIC DISCOVERY
2
‍A TRAGIC DEATH
3
‍INSPIRED TO FLY A SPITFIRE
4
‍AN UNBELIEVABLE COINCIDENCE
5
A FRIEND OF JOHN MAGEE
6
A FASCINATING ARCHIVE
7
SHOT DOWN, WOUNDED – AND CAPTURED
8
A P.O.W AT A FAMOUS PRISON CAMP
9
FORCED MARCHES, FREEDOM AND REPATRIATION

BUY YOUR COPY OF ‘AIR BORN’
RIGHT HERE!

If you’d like to buy your own copy of ‘Air Born’, you can easily do so through PayPal. I live in the UK, so here are the costs involved:

UK: £15 for the book + £4 post and packing

USA: $20 for the book + $20 post and packing

Canada: $25 for the book + $25 post and packing

Australia: $29 for the book + $30 post and packing

New Zealand: $30 for the book + $30 post and packing

Other countries - by arrangement.
‍Simply e-mail me, with your name and address, at: noffin@aol.com and I'll let you know how much the book, plus post and packaging is, for your country.

LATEST NEWS
ABOUT ‘AIR BORN’ AND THE STORY IT TELLS

June 22, 2020

The power of a poem

It’s amazing just how far through time and space the poem ;’High Flight’ travels, and this website caught the eye of Ed Neffinger of Oakland, California.
Read More
June 22, 2020

Sand-Shifting in Stalag Luft III

This website reaches out to the whole world, and it’s exceptionally rewarding when it generates a response that relates to the life of Dwayne Linton, so here’s a story gratefully received from Heather Panter-Jones of Cheshire, who told me about her father, Squadron Leader Eric Bathurst Panter.
Read More
March 10, 2020

John Magee talk at former Dambusters HQ in Lincolnshire

After 617 Squadron’s Dambusters raid in 1943, the Pettwood Hotel, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, became the squadron’s new Officers’ Mess when they moved to RAF Woodhall Spa in 1944.
Read More

contact me!
AND TELL ME YOUR STORY

If you’d like to contact me with a story that links to this one, please contact me on: noffin@aol.com and I’ll do my best to publish it on my Blog page so that more people can learn about it.