The Lost Boys: A quest for silver wings

Researcher's notes

I promised I’d never let go.

Introduction

Have you ever tried writing a book? If you have, you know it’s not always easy. If you haven’t, I’ve got pretty bad news for you: writing can be as enlightening as it can be painful. Writing is supposed to enrich the reader, but what about the author? Is it supposed to tear the writer apart with every word? Is it supposed to bring the memories back or should it bring nothing but joy?

Writing is a difficult business. I know that from experience. As soon as the idea comes into your head, you start fleshing it out, and at times it comes alive and goes in each and every direction except for the one you’ve envisaged. It comes alive, it grows on you, and there are surely times when you’re not sure you’re the one who’s actually writing. The words do have power, mind you - whereas the human mind…well, it’s fragile, it’s gullible, it’s naive and easily carried away and distracted. If the idea or the character is strong enough, he takes the lead - and boom! - you’re a passenger on a vehicle, running on its own. And you cannot do anything about it - you simply follow the route, praying it won’t crash.

That’s the raw power of writing. It’s meant to transport you. To make you better, to help you grow. At least, that’s what fiction is supposed to do. Whereas with non-fiction, you never know. To some, biographies and memoirs are the biggest influence, to others - a chance of knowing the lines of thought of somebody they would never know in person. But, reading it and writing it is not the same. Again, there are obstacles, there is too much responsibility, there is always a risk involved. That’s what I thought - and I promised myself I’d never write non-ficition. And, years later, look at me - here I am, trying to do precisely that. Am I risky? I don’t know. Am I naive? I don’t care. I care about my heroes, though.

Heroes.

Who are they, exactly? Brave, brave boys, who conquered the skies. Lancaster boys. bomber boys. Wonderful, strong-willed, boys - the lost ones.

There was a time, when the Great War was tearing up the land. And Great Britain had a super power to fight the evil - and this was the RAF - Royal Air Force. That’s where my heroes are. That’s where I’ll be taking you - although I’ve promised myself to never write non-ficition.

That is their story - that became mine. But you’ll see no boring stuff here - I’ll tell you their story through my eyes. And I hope, it helps you in a way - as it helps me each and every day. It’s a perilous journey to their last summer - August 1944, to be exact.

Buckle up, we’re taking off.

Target - Koenigsberg, Eastern Prussia.

Take-off date time: August, 13, 21:57,

Location: Kaliningrad, in what will hopefully be Koenigsberg again.