By Gilbert Lawford Dalton
Published by DC Thomson
EBook Edition Reviewed by Luke Williams
The Book: Matt Braddock was his name, and he was one of Britain’s greatest pilots of the Second World War.
Braddock flew everything from the clumsy Hampdens and Whitleys to the sleek Mosquitos and powerful Lancaster bombers, and was a master of them all.
His war exploits thrilled Britain and won him the Victoria Cross and Bar, and many other medals and honours. But Sergeant Matt Braddock was not interested in honours, all he wanted to do was to get on with the war and finish off the enemy.
On the ground, he fell afoul of many Brass Hats, with their red tape and pompous discipline, but even they had to admit that, in the air, Braddock had no equal… This is the story of when I flew with Braddock…
The Review: Sergeant Matt Braddock VC is an extremely capable and highly regarded Second World War RAF bomber pilot, accompanied on missions by his ever-present navigator and friend George Bourne. Bourne is Watson to Braddock’s Holmes, narrating their adventures together for posterity and the trials and trails and tribulations of the aircrew in the height of the war.
Your writer remembers reading Braddock’s adventures in comic strip form in The Victor annuals of the 1970s and 1980s, but his publication history goes back far further than that. He first appeared in the The Rover in the 1950s, his adventures presented as text stories. Taking a lead from Rebellion and Hibernia, who are republishing old strips and material for a new audience, DC Thomson has now reprinted the first collection of Braddock stories, first published by John Leng & Co in 1959. This new electronic edition credits the stories original writer, Gilbert Lawford Dalton, rather than Braddock’s fictional friend.
Known for his indefatigability, his intelligence and his no nonsense attitude, Braddock is often used by Bomber Command top brass for special missions or as a trouble shooter. With this reputation comes an arrogance, a drive and an irreverent streak with little time for decorum, or what he sometimes sees as the meaningless and unnecessary regulation and protocols of rank. Braddock is a rebel with little patience for those who don’t taken their duty seriously, who, despite his frequent disregard of RAF hierarchy, nevertheless commands the respect of many of his senior officers, who often defer to his experience and knowledge and is given considerable leeway.
Braddock may come across as a humourless insufferable know it all. Always right and abrasive on the verge of belligerence, which might explain why he hadn’t got past the rank of Sergeant. Nevertheless, he gets the job done. He is diligent and driven, drilling his crew relentlessly, fully aware that one mistake on a mission could mean disaster for all. Making enemies and often butting heads with senior officers and in one sequence, someone who is as celebrated as he. That’s not to say that he doesn’t know how to relax: Braddock is an excellent darts player (obviously) and speeds from assignment to assignment on his motorcycle, with the ever-loyal Bourne, hanging on for dear life as pillion.
This volume contains a string of Braddock and Bourne’s adventures ranging from pathfinding and target marking, bombing of a V2 site, crossing the Alps to attack the Italian Navy, helping develop a new type of bomb, a navigational aid, and solving the mystery of an accident-inducing “ghost” plane – and resolves a squadron’s morale issues and their bounder of a CO as bonus.
Over the 193 pages there are natural breaks in the story, as Braddock and the ever faithful Bourne are assigned to another mission, but this doesn’t interrupt the flow.
Writer Gilbert Lawford Dalton had obviously done his research for the weapons and technology that is described and if you are a plane nerd (guilty) then the description of some lesser known types will give a small but palpable thrill.
I Flew With Braddock isn’t particularly sophisticated, but despite its age, it’s not overly jingoistic and there are hints to some of the horrors that aircrew experienced over Axis skies – although don’t expect any Charley’s War style social commentary. This is very much in the “Boys’ Own Adventure” vein, and it can’t be faulted for that.
Luke Williams
• I Flew With Braddock is available as an eBook from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
• Also available: Commando Presents: Braddock is available to buy from WHSmith, AmazonUK (Affiliate Link), Magdirect.co.uk and DCTHOMSONSHOP.co.uk
In 1952, The Rover story papers introduced a new hero — Matt Braddock, bomber pilot VC! For years he entertained readers with prose and comic stories alike. Then, in 2019, Braddock dive-bombed into the pages of Commando, the world’s longest-running war comic. That issue, as well as selected original stories and art from DC Thomson’s Rover, Red Dagger and The Victor, have been collected here in DC Thomson’s Heritage Comics and Commando Presents… Braddock Volume 1.
Delight at over 180 pages of classic Braddock comic artwork, part 1 of the incredible ‘I Flew With Braddock’ prose story, behind-the-scenes looks at the original stories, iconic covers and spreads that featured in some of DC Thomson’s most legendary titles!
Looking Back at Braddock
Matt Braddock first appeared in a long-running series of text stories, purportedly written by Braddock’s navigator, George Bourne, published in DC Thomson’s weekly tile The Rover, beginning in 1952 in issue 1414, cover dated 2nd August 1952 entitled “I Flew With Braddock”.
Very much a rough diamond, the maverick bomber pilot, who can count artist Dave Gibbons among his fans, was a natural flyer who became one of the most popular characters in the story paper, appearing in dozens of stories over a period of 14 years. He remained in the title until 1972, albeit some of his stories reprinted in later issues.
Braddock also had a long career in comics, appearing in Victor between 1960 and 1984. and Warlord (1974-75), with art largely supplied by the brilliant Keith Shone.
Braddock’s first text story from The Rover, and others, were reprinted in the 1959 DC Thomson/John Leng hardback book also titled I Flew With Braddock and the 1962 Red Lion paperback Braddock and the Flying Tigers, which were both credited to the fictional George Bourne. It was Bear Alley’s Steve Holland who suggested they were written by Gilbert Lawford Dalton, a prolific writer for the DC Thomson boys’ papers, who also penned many other popular series until his death in 1963. The release of I Flew with Braddock by DC Thomson confirms this.
As Jeremy Briggs noted in a feature on DC Thomson’s Red Dagger comic for downthetubes, Sergeant Pilot Matt Braddock also appeared in more Red Dagger issues than any other character – and one of the late great Ian Kennedy’s covers for that title has been used for the cover of the new collection.
The three stories, all set during World War Two, were “Braddock and the Flying Tigers” in issue 12, which was originally published in Victor in 1967, “Braddock of the Rocket Squadron” in issue 19, from Victor in 1968, and finally “Braddock of Bomber Command” in issue 29, which came from Victor in 1969.
COMMANDO COMICS LINKS
• Official Commando Comics Site: commandocomics.com
• Read our 2019 interview with Braddock writer Ferg Handley
• The Art of Ian Kennedy is available to order here on Amazon (Using this Affiliate Link helps support downthetubes, thank you)
FURTHER READING
• Vic Whittle’s guide to the early Matt Braddock adventures in Rover on his excellent web site British Comics
• The Victor Index lists the Braddock stories here
• Bear Alley: I Flew with Braddock
• The Victor-Hornet web site offers a terrific introduction to The Victor, The Hornet and The Hotspur comics, celebrating three great British Boys comics packed with adventure, war, humorous and sports stories
• The Ultimate Victor Comic Web Site is a fantastic resource for fans of the comic
• Braddock versus Biggles: Comparing the Pilots, by David Hodgkinson
• Commando Comics on AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
Commando Comics © DC Thomson Media
- About the Author
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Brought up on a diet of Commando, British Boys Annuals and Asterix, Lucas Williams’s day job limits his reading time. Luckily for everyone else this also restricts his writing time.
Categories: Books, British Comics, Comics, Features, Other Worlds, Reviews
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