Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Charles Portal: One of the Greatest Allied Leaders of Ww2 (Milburn Richard Michael)(Pevná vazba)

Charles Frederick Algernon Portal was born in Hungerford, England, in 1893\. One of seven brothers, Portal developed a fierce competitive streak and a steely determination from an early age. Known by all who knew him as Peter', Portal enlisted in the Army at the outbreak of the First World War as a despatch rider, being mentioned in General French's very first despatch. Portal's abilities were quickly recognised, and he gained a commission in short order. It was in the air that Portal saw his future, and he subsequently transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, initially as an observer, before training as a pilot. In this latter role, Portal proved a courageous and instinctive leader, garnering the rare accolade of a DSO and Bar for his wartime service. His meteoric rise continued in the inter-war period, and when Hitler's forces invaded Poland, Portal had already ascended to the Air Force Board. He then took the RAF's top command post at Bomber Command during the battles of France and Britain, before replacing Cyril Newall as Chief of Air Staff, aged just 47, in October 1940. Charles Portal was, in General Eisenhower's words, Britain's greatest wartime leader, including Churchill'. Portal was a strategist, a diplomat and an outstanding leader of the RAF in the Second World War. He built productive and enduring relationships with the most powerful Allied leaders - some of which, including Churchill, Bomber Harris, and Hap Arnold, are explored here. Portal helped direct t
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