iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

My absolute highlight was meeting USAAF veteran Joe Peterburs, a P-51 Mustang fighter pilot who shot down Walter Schuck's Messerschmitt Me 262 in April 1945. What a star and a credit to his country ⭐️

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Great to see my timeline getting flooded with #OSH26 footage! Really enjoyed attending last year to speak on #EagleDays (yes, I got the t-shirt...) ✈️ @EAA

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Dan Ellin @danellin.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Happy 105th Birthday Frank Tolley! Frank flew operations as a bomb aimer with 625 Squadron. Aged 91, he raised money for charities through two zip-wire rides across the Manchester Ship Canal. You can hear an interview with him here: ibccdigitalarchive.omeka.net/collections/... "What a line-shoot".

Frank in 2017 at a fundraising book signing with IBCC Trust Administrator, Sue Taylor.

Head and shoulders B/W portrait of Frank Tolley wearing his airman's uniform and side cap.
IBCC Digital Archive item #2364

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Matt Eaton @matteatonmedia.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Here's my latest article covering great talks at Bentley Priory yesterday for Dowding System Day, including @danellin.bsky.social and @spitfirefilly.bsky.social! newsletter.mattheweaton.co.uk/p/bentley-pr...

newsletter.mattheweaton.co.uk

Bentley Priory Museum: Dowding System Day 2026

Per ardua ad astra

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Looking forward to talking about psychological health in the #Luftwaffe at Bentley Priory Museum on Saturday 11th July! The fabulous @danellin.bsky.social & #TimWillbond will be speaking on LMF in Bomber Command & the Big Wing Controversy respectively 👇 bentleypriorymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/dow...

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Mika Paananen @painmike1.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Special Bitter from Iisalmi, Finland🇫🇮 The Savonian town of my forefathers. If you do not know the Olvi brewery, get to know it. I swam in the lake it took its waters from. Happy Midsummer, AKA "Juhannus" AKA "Jussi" from Finland☀️ Oh, at least one shameless plug here btw @spitfirefilly.bsky.social

Cans of Iisalmi Special Bitter, Olvi Oyj

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Gary K. McCormick 🇺🇸🇺🇦🌻🌊🏌📝 🔩⚙️ @willotheglen.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

I just closed the cover on my first read of “Eagle Days” by Dr. Victoria Taylor, aka @spitfirefilly.bsky.social – and I have to say that this is a book which belongs in the collection of anyone who wants to have as complete as possible an understanding of the Battle of Britain.

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Gary K. McCormick 🇺🇸🇺🇦🌻🌊🏌📝 🔩⚙️ @willotheglen.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Currently rewatching the very enjoyable British television series “Foyle’s War”, and the time period – especially the first two seasons, which take place during the summer and fall of 1940 – fits well with my current reading, @spitfirefilly.bsky.social ’s quite excellent “Eagle Days”:

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

📢*Next 2026 EVENTS*📢 ➡️Sunday 14th June 2026 - IWM History Festival, IWM Duxford. Interview with an unusual guest for 'Eagle Days' ➡️Saturday 11th July 2026 - Dowding System Day, Bentley Priory Museum, 'Taken Off: Psychological Health in the Luftwaffe during the Second World War'

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Don't be ashamed at all Gary - life gets busy! Hope you enjoy it and thank you for reading it so closely 🥰

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Gary K. McCormick 🇺🇸🇺🇦🌻🌊🏌📝 🔩⚙️ @willotheglen.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

I am almost ashamed to admit that I have only now started reading the copy of “Eagle Days” by @spitfirefilly.bsky.social that I purchased around this time last year. Two pages into the introduction I dashed to my desk for a pad of my brightly-colored sticky notes to mark memorable passages.

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JMcN @jmcn.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

So I picked up @spitfirefilly.bsky.social wonderful debut book in backpack friendly paperback. Anyone pointing out I have read the hardcover gets blocked. Seriously it’s a terrific book. One day Victoria I’ll ask you to sign this for me. #histbookchat

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Head of Zeus @headofzeus.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

'Deeply researched, this page-turning history enriches without glorifying. Important and overdue' @claremulley.bsky.social #EagleDays by Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social Pre-order now: geni.us/EagleDaysPBorgsoc

Book cover for "Eagle Days: Life and Death for the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain" by Victoria Taylor. The cover features an aircraft in flight next to a downed Luftwaffe plane on a beach. The background shows a coastline with cliffs. At the bottom, there's a quote praising the book by Clare Mulley.

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Willie Robertson @willie862.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

Instead of sitting outside watching paint dry (on the granddaughters toy box), I used my time wisely to see this outstanding book by @spitfirefilly.bsky.social off the tbr pile. Quite possibly, one of the best books written on the Battle of Britain era.

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Haha, I wish! Maybe if one of his books isn't too expensive...

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Get someone who looks at you the way I look at Barnes Wallis' marbles! (the ones owned by his daughter which he used to refine the 'bouncing bomb' for Op CHASTISE). Pop over to Denhams auction house (Horsham) on Wed 25th March to bid on the amazing Sir Barnes Wallis Collection!

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Exciting, hope you enjoy it! Happy belated birthday 🥰

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Stephen Graham @stephengraham.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Been looking forward to @spitfirefilly.bsky.social's book for a long time, glad to have it in the birthday haul.

'Eagle Days: Life and Death for the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain', by Dr Victoria Taylor

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Fabulous, Bill! I hope you enjoy it 😊

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Bill Allbritten, Ph.D. @billma.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

@spitfirefilly.bsky.social Just started Eagle Days. I appreciate your countering the Western myth (probably a US thing) of the clean Luftwaffe. Ditto your attention to the Norwegian invasion. With more snow slated for Western Mass. I should make good progress. 👍

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C. Prather @corsairf4u.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

Finally getting around to heeding Amazon's suggestion & watching The Bomber: Terror of WWII & right off the battle I'm "I know who that is! That's @spitfirefilly.bsky.social ! I gotta watch this now!"

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JMcN @jmcn.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Continuing on the Substack theme. From @spitfirefilly.bsky.social aviation themed substack. If you’re a fan of the film The Battle of Britain (if you’re a Brit av geek you are required by law😉) this is for you. A peek behind the curtain. open.substack.com/pub/spitfire...

open.substack.com

Planes, Pyrotechnics, and Pregnant Pigs: The Making of 'Battle of Britain' (1969) - Part 1

Dr Victoria Taylor examines how the 1969 film Battle of Britain turned living memory into cinematic history

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JMcN @jmcn.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Tip top book from @spitfirefilly.bsky.social at a discount in Waterstones Glasgow

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Thank you Matt! Great to see you there and very kind of you :)

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Matt Eaton @matteatonmedia.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Attended a lecture on the bombing of Dresden this evening. A difficult topic expertly handled by @spitfirefilly.bsky.social

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Amazing, Andrew! Thank you. Hope you enjoy it :)

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Andrew Robinson (no, not Garak) @andrewr.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

A late Christmaspresent has arrived for me! The book by @spitfirefilly.bsky.social

The cover of Victoria Taylor's book "Eagle Days", featuring a crashed Bf-109 on a beach.

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Today's #AllAndSundry offering is a 3-part Substack article on Combat Motivation, Experience & Morale in the Luftwaffe: -Part 1 (free): spitfirefilly.substack.com/p/what-is-ma... -Part 2 (free): spitfirefilly.substack.com/p/what-is-ma... -Part 3 (paid): spitfirefilly.substack.com/p/what-is-ma...

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

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History Rage Podcast @historyrage.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

🥈 Top 10 of 2025 – No.2 ✈️⚔️ Returning rager @spitfirefilly.bsky.social reminds us the Luftwaffe was never invincible — and the RAF knew it fast. The myth collapses almost immediately. 🔥 Still believing in an unbeatable enemy? Correct the fantasy. 🎧 pod.fo/e/315f0d #HistoryRage #BattleOfBritain

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

Very kind of you! So glad you are enjoying it 😊

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Roger Reynard @rogerday.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

Reading Eagle Days. Brilliant account of the Luftwaffe side of the Battle of Britain Could do with some German accounts of the same time

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

A pleasure to act as the guest expert for the latest episode of BBC Radio 4 #GreatLives! This episode is on the legendary Spitfire test pilot Jeffrey Quill, chosen by the equally inspirational Tim Peake 😊 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

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JMcN @jmcn.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Sat down to polish my shoes, pop on R4. Hang on, who is that? It’s @spitfirefilly.bsky.social talking about Jeffrey Quill and the Spitfire. Only mistake I thought was when Parris said “this aeroplane” rather than the greatest aeroplane in the history of people, EVER! 😉 Good show Victoria.

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Simon O'Neill @sjponeill.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

Have just finished @spitfirefilly.bsky.social's most excellent Eagle Days. It would be a great read at any time but doubly so at the moment in the perspective of rule of war dialogue re the US and "threats" from Central America... Review to follow... #Booksky www.bloomsbury.com/uk/eagle-day...

bloomsbury.com

Eagle Days

By the summer of 1940, Great Britain watched as France succumbed to the might of Adolf Hitler's forces. Her forces driven off the continent, many rescued from c…

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

Thank you Kelly! Lovely to hear from you, was amazing to meet you at Petworth 🥰♥️

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Kelly @admiralkel.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

What a surprise to see you on Sky @spitfirefilly.bsky.social …!! Was such a delight to hear you talk and finally get to say hello at Petworth last month and hopefully the opportunity will arise again! Wishing you a happy and restful Christmas and all good things for 2026! 🥰

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

Thank you, Ciarán! It was a pleasure to meet you in Dublin, thanks for your kind words then and now ☺️ wishing you a lovely Christmas!

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Ciarán Masterson @cpmasterson.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

@spitfirefilly.bsky.social I was delighted to meet you in Dublin last September and it was a lovely surprise to see you on Sky News just now. I wish you a merry Christmas a prosperous new year.

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

Come enjoy my research rabbit holes via a mix of free & paid #Substack articles on #AllAndSundry! -Part 1: spitfirefilly.substack.com/p/conquerors... -Part 2: open.substack.com/pub/spitfirefilly/p/conquerors-of-the-skies-part-2?r=5u3ggw&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

My next article is up on my #AllAndSundry Substack! it's entitled 'Right On The Chin: Operation MILLENNIUM', covering the RAF's first 'Thousand Bomber Raid' against Cologne: -Part 1 (free): spitfirefilly.substack.com/p/right-on-t... -Part 2 (paid): spitfirefilly.substack.com/p/right-on-t...

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

How did Nazi propaganda try to buck up fighting spirit in the Luftwaffe during the Blitz? By using poetry, of course! Check out my latest Substack article entitled "'It's Worth the Sweat!': Luftwaffe Poetry during the Blitz." It's free to read here 👇 spitfirefilly.substack.com/p/its-worth-...

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

My new Substack two-part article is out! Part 1 is free & part 2 can be unlocked by becoming a paid subscriber! Why did the Luftwaffe look down on the Hurricane - and what were the repercussions? Part 1: spitfirefilly.substack.com/p/a-nice-aer... Part 2: spitfirefilly.substack.com/p/a-nice-aer...

spitfirefilly.substack.com

'A Nice Aeroplane to Shoot Down?' The Hawker Hurricane Through German Eyes (Part 1)

Dr Victoria Taylor uncovers how the Luftwaffe initially sneered at one of its most significant future rivals

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

My newest Substack two-part article is now up! It's entitled 'A Challenge To Fate': The Trailblazing Life of Amy Johnson' - stretching from early accomplishments to her controversial death: -Part 1 (free): spitfirefilly.substack.com/p/a-challeng... -Part 2 (paid): open.substack.com/pub/spitfire...

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

To coincide with the recent cinema release of #Nuremberg, my newest two-part Substack article is entitled 'Ripe for the Gallows: The Luftwaffe at Nuremberg'. It can now be read here: -Part 1 (free): open.substack.com/pub/spitfire... -Part 2 (paid): open.substack.com/pub/spitfire...

open.substack.com

'Ripe for the Gallows': The Luftwaffe at Nuremberg (Part 1)

Dr Victoria Taylor examines how the Nuremberg Trials both revealed and obscured Luftwaffe culpability in the Third Reich's atrocities

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Dr Victoria Taylor @spitfirefilly.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

open.substack.com

'Ripe for the Gallows': The Luftwaffe at Nuremberg (Part 1)

Dr Victoria Taylor examines how the Nuremberg Trials both revealed and obscured Luftwaffe culpability in the Third Reich's atrocities

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The Mary Rose Museum @maryrosemuseum.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Looking for a fully-funded three year PhD, starting in April 2026? The University of Portsmouth and The Mary Rose Trust are looking for PHD students to undertake correlative multimodal materials analysis of the Mary Rose hull! #PHDOpportunities Interested? - maryrose.org/about-the-tr...

maryrose.org

Jobs and volunteering - Mary Rose

Jobs, academic placements and volunteering opportunities at the Mary Rose Trust.

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