All manner of men took to the perilous skies in 1940, determined to defend the British Isles from Goering’s fearsome aircraft armada. Different nationalities; British, Polish, Czech, French, and even Irish pilots, like Michael O’Connor, banded together and lunged headfirst at the mass of Luftwaffe bombers and fighters — Axis pilots who were equally determined to crush the Allies under their boots.

But not every flyer fit neatly into the RAF — and outcasts like Michael were placed in a special kind of squadron. These men called themselves…

Story: Jim and David Turner

Art: Carlos Pino

Cover: Carlos Pino