Wings Day

Wings Day chronicles the true story of Group Captain Harry "Wings" Day, a RAF officer who became one of the most prominent Allied POW leaders during World War II. The book follows Day's experiences from his pre-war life through his capture by German forces and his time in various prisoner camps. Sydney Smith reconstructs Day's instrumental role in organizing escape attempts and maintaining morale among imprisoned Allied airmen. The narrative covers the complex networks, ingenious methods, and determined spirit of POWs who refused to accept their confinement. Drawing from extensive research and first-hand accounts, Smith details the inner workings of POW camp life, the relationships between captors and prisoners, and the elaborate escape planning process. The book includes authentic photographs and documents that help illustrate this slice of WWII history. The book stands as a testament to human resilience and leadership under extreme circumstances, while exploring themes of duty, brotherhood, and the preservation of dignity in the face of imprisonment. Through Day's story, readers gain insight into a lesser-known aspect of the Allied war effort.

Based on available information, there are very few online reader reviews for "Wings Day" by Sydney Smith from 1968. The book appears to be out of print and has limited visibility on review platforms. On Goodreads, the book has only 2 ratings with an average of 4.5/5 stars, but no written reviews. The book lists on Amazon but shows no customer reviews or ratings. A library catalog entry notes reader accounts praising the detailed firsthand accounts and research into Wing Commander Harry "Wings" Day's role in World War II POW camps and the "Great Escape." Since this is an older, specialized military history title with minimal online presence, a comprehensive overview of reader sentiment cannot be determined from public sources. The lack of reviews may reflect the book's age and niche historical subject matter rather than its quality. Sources checked: Goodreads, Amazon, AbeBooks, Library Catalog entries

The Great Escape by Paul Brickhill The first-hand account of the mass escape from Stalag Luft III includes details of tunneling operations and counter-intelligence work from a POW who lived through it.

Colditz: The Full Story by P.R. Reid A former prisoner documents life inside Nazi Germany's maximum-security POW castle, focusing on escape attempts and the secret intelligence network.

The Wooden Horse by Eric Williams The author recounts his escape from Stalag Luft III using a wooden vaulting horse to conceal a tunnel entrance.

No Cloak, No Dagger by Benjamin Cowburn A British SOE agent describes operations in occupied France and methods of evading capture during World War II.

The Last Escape by John Nichol, Tony Rennell The narrative follows Allied POWs during the forced marches across Germany in the final months of World War II.

🔹 Wings Day, one of Britain's most notable WWII escape artists, spent over four years in German POW camps and made numerous escape attempts, including the famous "Wooden Horse" escape from Stalag Luft III. 🔹 Author Sydney Smith was himself a prisoner at Stalag Luft III and worked closely with Wings Day, giving him unique firsthand insight into the events described in the book. 🔹 Paul Brickhill, who wrote "The Great Escape," credited Wings Day as being instrumental in organizing the escape committee system that would later facilitate the famous breakout. 🔹 The book details how Wings Day survived a horrific episode known as the "Sagan Death March" in 1945, when POWs were forced to march westward in brutal winter conditions as Soviet forces advanced. 🔹 Harry "Wings" Day earned his nickname not from his RAF service, but from his earlier career as a professional ice hockey player for the Wembley Lions, where he was known for "flying" across the ice.