Geoff was born in Kent and grew up in south east London with reminders of the Second World War all around — bomb damage, air raid shelters, prefabs and former civil defence buildings were an everyday sight. His father’s reluctance to discuss his Royal Artillery service only fuelled a growing curiosity about the war’s impact on ordinary people.
For more than 40 years he has researched aspects of the Battle of Britain, notably the Allied airmen who took part. Beginning in the 1980s, Geoff focused his research on RAF history, and his first notable meeting was with Ron Forward, a Sergeant Pilot flying Hurricanes with No. 257 Squadron during the 1940 conflict. He has since connected with several hundred aircrew veterans and their relatives, building an unrivalled depth of personal knowledge about the Few.
Meeting the Few
Geoff was fortunate enough to meet and correspond with several hundred of the Allied airmen who took part in the Battle of Britain. These personal connections, built over decades, have informed all of his published work and his role as consulting editor for the Database of the Few, for which he has produced over 1,000 new and re-written entries.
He writes extensively, lectures and broadcasts on the RAF in the Second World War. His published works include books on the Battle of Britain Fighter Association, Bomber Command, Coastal Command, Guy Gibson and the Dam Busters, and the landmark biographical reference Men of the Battle of Britain.
Between 2000 and 2015 Geoff was a trustee of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, custodian of the National Memorial to the Few at Capel-le-Ferne, Kent. He served as the Trust’s Historical Consultant until 2017 and continues to support its work as consulting editor of the Database of the Few. He also led guided tours of “Hellfire Corner,” the area of Kent most closely associated with the aerial fighting of 1940.
In 2022 Geoff was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, mainly in recognition of his research into the Few. He is also a Member of the RAF Historical Society and a member of the Pen and Sword Club since 2012.
Aviation Experiences
Geoff’s interest in aviation has taken a hands-on form over the years: sitting in a Meteor at the Festival of Britain, flying a Tiger Moth over Cambridgeshire, flying a Hawk simulator at RAF Valley, taxiing in the mid-upper turret of the Lancaster “Just Jane” at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, and a charity parachute jump from an Islander with the Red Devils over Aldershot.
Geoff spent much of his earlier career in journalism and public relations. He worked for trade magazines and spent 15 years as head of public affairs at what is now the Co-operative Group before becoming a freelance journalist and historian. He has contributed to national and regional newspapers, consumer magazines, specialist publications and websites over more than 50 years, now focusing primarily on military history and travel.
Fellowships & Memberships
FRHistS
Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, elected 2022
RAF Historical Society
Member of the RAF Historical Society
Pen & Sword Club
Member since 2012