Acting Pilot Officer John Freeborn reported to RAF Hornchurch on 29 October, 1938. John was posted from Flying Training School to join the already acclaimed 74 Tiger Squadron at eighteen years of age. One of the first people John met when he arrived at the station was Bob Stanford Tuck of 65 squadron. At that time the Squadron was equipped with the Gloster Gauntlet. A Flights Commander was a well built, handsome South African man called Adolf Sailor Malan. On first meeting Malan, John thought he seemed nice enough and soon learnt that he was a determined leader, a fine flyer and an aggressive fighter pilot. He was definitely the best shot there was John recalls. Without question Malan was a brilliant marksman, but I could out fly him and I bloody told him so too. John flew many operations with 74 Squadron in Spitfires during the early years of the war and The Battle of Britain; he was awarded the DFC for his efforts. During a brief respite for 74, John Freeborn was promoted to Flight Lieutenant and on 29 August he was given command of A Flight. In 1941, the first couple of months saw 74 Squadron, now based at Biggin Hill flying across the Channel with 92 and 66 Squadron conducting fighter Sweeps and Circus sorties over the French coast. On 17 February 1941, John Freeborn learnt that he had been awarded a bar to his DFC. At that time he had destroyed twelve enemy aircraft and damaged many more. In December 1941, John Freeborns time with 57 OTU came to an end and shortly after, he was posted to the United States of America as a Liaison Officer. Throughout the following years John would serve in 602 Squadron as a Squadron Leader supernumerary, then onto 118 Squadron as Commanding Officer and then finally he became the RAFs youngest Wing Commander, responsible for the 286 Italian Wing stationed at Grottaglie. In 1946 John Connell Freeborn DFC and Bar left the Royal Air Force with honor and distinction.
Rise Against Eagles documents the lives of fighter pilots who fought against the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1940 when everything depended on the RAF to prevent Hitler's invasion of Britain. This exceptional group of pilots are remembered for their gripping combat experiences and celebrates the legacy of these airmen who risked and gave their lives against all odds.
Growing up, I had always had a strange fascination of the idea that a spiritual realm could exist. Every time ghost programs came on television, I'd be watching. Although I couldn't believe in God, Satan or anything else that wasn't tangible. I needed physical proof to comprehend the existence of everything. In high school I began going on paranormal investigations weekly. In my eleventh grade English class I received an Opposing Viewpoints project. The subject I chose was Paranormal Phenomenon. Instead of using the encyclopedias to research my subject like the rest of my class did, I went straight to the real source. The following week I found a Ouija Board, video camera, and other tools to carry out my own paranormal investigation. When I got more info from spirits than I had intended to, I began feeling the presence of something staring at me. The last night of the investigation, I got home late at night. When I stepped into the doorway something occurred that took everyone in the house complete surprise.
It has been said that zarzuela means to Spain what operetta means to Vienna, Offenbach to Paris, Gilbert and Sullivan to London, and the musical to Broadway. Zarzuela is Spain's unique contribution to lyric theatre, a mixture of spoken and sung drama with a complex history extending over four centuries. The Zarzuela Companion is a comprehensive guide to zarzuela's most popular and romantic works written after 1850, with chapters devoted to the major Spanish zarzuela composers, writers and singers. Complete synopses of all sixty works selected are delivered at the level of detail necessary for non-Spanish speakers to follow along with ease. The book also features special sections on the history of the genre, and on the parallel Catalan and Cuban zarzuela traditions. A foreword by Plácido Domingo, a selected discography with current catalog reference numbers, a brief bilingual bibliography and glossary of Spanish terms make this book indispensable for the newcomer and aficionado alike.
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