Britain loses its most detailed aviation war chronicler at 87
Well-known aviation historian **Christopher Shores** documented WW2 air battles in over 30 books. His work “Aces High“ became the go-to source for British-Commonwealth fighter pilot records
Christopher Shores‚ a top-tier British aviation historian passed away on Oct-23-24 at eighty-seven. His ground-breaking book “Aces High“ (published back in mid-60s) changed how we see British-Commonwealth air force records; it lists pilot victories with cool bio-sketches and combat details
His work covers air-battles across different places - from Malta to Burma. The two-part “Bloody Shambles“ was super-important: it showed (for the first time ever) what happened in south-east Asiaʼs skies after Singapore fell. Working with a Japanese expert Yasuho Izawa they made this book really special
Born on Feb-18-37 in Edgware Shores couldnʼt become a pilot cause of color-blindness but served as an RAF corporal. He worked as a property expert for 40 years (in places like London County Council) before switching to full-time writing. His last big project was a seven-book series about Mediterranean air fights - he almost finished book six when he died
Shores wrote or helped write more than 30 books; the last 23 came out through Grub Street publishers. After moving to Sherborne he did lots of stuff:
* Helped at Fleet Air Arm Museum
* Ran local Poppy Day appeal
* Led Arts Society for 3 years
He married Marion Buchanan in 1960; sheʼs still here with their three kids - one son and two daughters
