World War II Begins...
It's September of nineteen-thirty-nine, and King George of England has just announced to his people that he has declared war on Germany due to their invasion of the Allied country of Poland.
This ghastly news immediately falls on the ears of Simon Bentley while he sits enjoying himself at his younger brother George's wedding. Being a Squadron Leader in the Royal Air Force, he knows he must act immediately, so without any hesitation, Simon flees the church basement reception and heads straight for his air base.
It is now time for all the years of his pilot training to be put to the test as he leads his fellow pilots on dangerous missions throughout Europe. Their ultimate goal is to conquer the German tyrant who is feared by many, Fuhrer Adolph Hitler. Simon is also aware that each mission he takes could be his last, as he encounters the formidable Luftwaffe in the skies over Germany.
Will he be shot down over the English Channel, or worse yet, if he is taken down over enemy territory, could he become captured, making him a prisoner of war? Simon Bentley knows this is a reality he could face in the months, if not years, ahead. Yet, his passion has always been flying, and serving his country is paramount to who he is as a man. So, into the skies, he flies to protect his beloved England with the aid of the Allied countries of America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
"There are planes everywhere...Mustangs, Spitfires, and Messerschmitts fill the skies. It's chaos at its finest! I hear the ping-ping of rounds hitting my plane. As I'm firing my guns, I bank left to evade the Germans behind me, and as I'm banking, I have another 109 coming straight towards my nose. He fires, I fire, and I land a direct hit to one of his engines. Bloody hell! He shot me! Smoke is billowing out of my engine. I immediately get on my radio to report my situation, and then I hear Hurley saying, "I got you, Sir! I got you, Sir!"
As Simon battles in the skies over Germany, his family in England constantly worries about his survival throughout this major world war. Yet each of his siblings must also face their own devastating situations arising from these extreme times of global conflict.
Sarah, the oldest of the Bentley children, is now stranded in England and cannot return home to Italy. Her husband is forced into the Italian Army, and the question remains if she will ever see her beloved Lorenzo again.
While her younger sister Mary faces the fact that her husband must go off to perform as a military police officer in London, where heavy bombing will become part of his daily existence, will Mary's husband James survive the massive destruction that befalls London, England?
Follow the Bentley family from nineteen-thirty-nine through nineteen-forty-five, as they must face what is assuredly the most frightening times of their lives.