The riveting true story account of a young WW2 pilot's heroic journey, illustrated throughout with fascinating photographs, maps and excerpts from his log books.

'Bomb doors open!'

It was the call that haunted airmen's dreams.

This is the story of an ordinary young Australian whose ambition to fly took him halfway round the globe during World War II - and the fateful mission when his plane was hit three times.

'Battle Order 204 is about the quality of courage...Christobel Mattingley has written this book with compassion and insight, its presentation is gripping and moving.' Max Fatchen AM

'Brilliant...At once uplifting yet thought-provoking; enlightening yet, of necessity, sad. There is a commendable balance of hard fact and human emotion elements, and I found it almost impossible to put down.' Mike Garbett, author of The Lancaster at War