Ralph Barker
Encyclopedia
Ralph Hammond Cecil Barker (born October 21 1917 in Feltham
, Middlesex
; died May 16, 2011) was an English
non-fiction
author with over twenty-five books to his credit. He wrote mainly about the Royal Flying Corps
(RFC) and Royal Air Force
(RAF) operations in the First
and Second
World Wars, and about cricket
.
He was educated at Hounslow College, and on leaving school joined the Sporting Life
in 1934. Subsequently he went into banking. He had started writing, and several of his sketches were used in West End
revue
s.
Following the outbreak of World War II, in 1940 he joined the RAF as a wireless operator and air gunner
. He flew with Nos. 47 and 39 squadrons on torpedo missions against Axis
ships bringing supplies to Rommel
's forces in the Western Desert
in North Africa. These missions, from bases in Malta and North Africa, led to heavy losses amongst the Bristol Beaufort
aircraft carrying them out. Barker's time in this theatre of war was ended by a crash in which his pilot and navigator died. He returned to Britain, and switched to flying transport aircraft. He completed two thousand flying hours before he was demobilized in 1946.
He briefly went back to banking, before going into civil aviation
as a radio operator. At the end of 1948, he rejoined the RAF and went to Germany as a public relations
officer in connection with the Berlin Airlift. He spent two years in service broadcasting at BFN Hamburg
. He was then posted to the Air Ministry
to work on official war narratives.
His first book, Down in the Drink, was published in 1955. He has since written many more on a military aviation
theme. Barker left the RAF in 1961 in order to write full time. He was a frequent contributor of feature articles to the Sunday Express.
He turned to cricket writing in 1964, with Ten Great Innings. John Arlott
, reviewing Ten Great Bowlers, its follow-up, described Barker as "a master of the reconstruction of past cricket matches". His most substantial book on cricket is a history of Tests
between England and Australia, published in 1969
, which included a report of every match and a summary of each series. The statistics were provided by Irving Rosenwater
.
Barker played regularly for the RAF's cricket club, the Adastrians, and subsequently for several clubs in Surrey
, including West Surrey, whom he captained for a number of years.
Feltham
Feltham is a town in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It is located about west south west of central London at Charing Cross and from Heathrow Airport Central...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
; died May 16, 2011) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
author with over twenty-five books to his credit. He wrote mainly about the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
(RFC) and Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) operations in the First
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and Second
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
World Wars, and about cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
.
He was educated at Hounslow College, and on leaving school joined the Sporting Life
Sporting Life (newspaper)
The Sporting Life was a British newspaper published between 1859 and 1998 that was best known for its coverage of horse racing. Latterly it has continued as a multi-sports website....
in 1934. Subsequently he went into banking. He had started writing, and several of his sketches were used in West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
s.
Following the outbreak of World War II, in 1940 he joined the RAF as a wireless operator and air gunner
Air gunner
An air gunner a.k.a. aerial gunner is a member of an air force aircrew who operates flexible-mount or turret-mounted machine guns or autocannons in an aircraft...
. He flew with Nos. 47 and 39 squadrons on torpedo missions against Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
ships bringing supplies to Rommel
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
's forces in the Western Desert
Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
in North Africa. These missions, from bases in Malta and North Africa, led to heavy losses amongst the Bristol Beaufort
Bristol Beaufort
The Bristol Beaufort was a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber....
aircraft carrying them out. Barker's time in this theatre of war was ended by a crash in which his pilot and navigator died. He returned to Britain, and switched to flying transport aircraft. He completed two thousand flying hours before he was demobilized in 1946.
He briefly went back to banking, before going into civil aviation
Civil aviation
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work together to establish common standards and recommended practices...
as a radio operator. At the end of 1948, he rejoined the RAF and went to Germany as a public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
officer in connection with the Berlin Airlift. He spent two years in service broadcasting at BFN Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. He was then posted to the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
to work on official war narratives.
His first book, Down in the Drink, was published in 1955. He has since written many more on a military aviation
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
theme. Barker left the RAF in 1961 in order to write full time. He was a frequent contributor of feature articles to the Sunday Express.
He turned to cricket writing in 1964, with Ten Great Innings. John Arlott
John Arlott
Leslie Thomas John Arlott OBE was an English journalist, author and cricket commentator for the BBC's Test Match Special. He was also a poet, wine connoisseur and former police officer in Hampshire...
, reviewing Ten Great Bowlers, its follow-up, described Barker as "a master of the reconstruction of past cricket matches". His most substantial book on cricket is a history of Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
between England and Australia, published in 1969
1969 in literature
The year 1969 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* The first Booker Prize is awarded.* "Penelope Ashe", author of the bestselling novel Naked Came the Stranger, is found to be several people who each took a turn writing a chapter of what they described as "junk" in...
, which included a report of every match and a summary of each series. The statistics were provided by Irving Rosenwater
Irving Rosenwater
Irving Rosenwater was an English cricket researcher and author whose best-known work was Sir Donald Bradman - A Biography ....
.
Barker played regularly for the RAF's cricket club, the Adastrians, and subsequently for several clubs in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, including West Surrey, whom he captained for a number of years.
Cricket
- Ten Great Innings (1964)
- Ten Great Bowlers (1967)
- England Versus Australia: Test Cricket 1877-1968 (with Irving Rosenwater) (1969)
- Cricketing Family EdrichEdrichEdrich may refer to six English cricketers of the same family:* Bill Edrich, , Middlesex and England batsman* Brian Edrich, , Kent and Glamorgan batsman* Eric Edrich, , Lancashire wicket-keeper...
(1976) - Innings of a Lifetime, 1954-77 (1982)
- Purple Patches (1987)
Aviation
- Down in the Drink (1955)
- The Ship-Busters: The Story of the R.A.F. Torpedo-Bombers (1957)
- Strike Hard, Strike Sure: Epics of the Bombers (1963)
- The Thousand Plan: The Story of the First Thousand Bomber Raid on Cologne (1965)
- Great Mysteries of the Air (1966)
- Verdict on a Lost Flyer: Story of Bill LancasterBill Lancaster (aviator)Captain William Newton "Bill" Lancaster was a pioneering British aviator.-Early life:Born in Birmingham, England, Lancaster emigrated to Australia as a child prior to World War I. In 1916, he joined first the Australian Army and later the Australian Flying Corps...
(1969) - The Schneider TrophySchneider TrophyThe Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider was a prize competition for seaplanes. Announced by Jacques Schneider, a financier, balloonist and aircraft enthusiast, in 1911, it offered a prize of roughly £1,000. The race was held eleven times between 1913 and 1931...
Races (1971) - Torpedo Bomber (1973)
- The Blockade Busters (1976)
- Survival in the Sky (1976)
- The Hurricats (1978)
- Royal Air Force at War (Epic of Flight Series) (1982)
- The Royal Flying Corps in France: From Mons to the Somme (History & Politics) (1994)
- The Royal Flying Corps in France: From Bloody April 1917 To Final Victory (1995)
- A Brief History of the Royal Flying Corps in World War One (Brief Histories) (2002)
- Men of the Bombers: Remarkable Incidents in World War II (2005)
Other subjects
- The Last Blue Mountain (1959)
- Against the Sea: True Stories of Survival and Disaster (1972)
- One Man's Jungle: A Biography of F. Spencer ChapmanFreddie Spencer ChapmanLieutenant Colonel Frederick Spencer Chapman, DSO & Bar, ED was a British Army officer and World War II veteran, most famous for his exploits behind enemy lines in Japanese occupied Malaya...
, D.S.O. (1975) - Goodnight, Sorry for Sinking You: Story of S. S. "City of CairoSS City of CairoThe SS City of Cairo was a British passenger steamer. She was sunk in the Second World War with heavy loss of life.She was built by Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd, Hull in 1915 for Ellerman Lines Ltd of London...
" (1984) - Children of the "BenaresSS City of BenaresSS City of Benares was a steam passenger ship built for Ellerman Lines by Barclay, Curle & Co of Glasgow in 1936. During the Second World War the City of Benares was used as an evacuee ship to evacuate 90 children from Britain to Canada. The ship was purposefully targeted and torpedoed by the ...
": A War Crime and Its Victims (1987)