The spotlight is on David E Huntley, who was originally a Londoner but is now a Texan, via South Africa. He is a semi-retired businessman and widower who was married to his late French-born wife Sophie for 62 years and lives in Dallas Texas. David has 4 children and 7 grandchildren. David E Huntley was born in London, England, and survived the London Blitz in World War II. His late wife Sophie lived under German occupation in France. As an engineer, he worked in the UK aircraft industry before moving to Africa in the fifties. David visited London a few years ago. I took him to see the house he grew up in, and the house he was born in.
After starting and building two companies, David sold his business interests in Africa, and in 1978 moved to the USA. He formed Huntley Associates(Dallas) Inc., in 1979, an international corporate consulting business including executive recruiting and contract engineering for the hi-tech industry. The B-17 Tomahawk Warrior explores a mysterious WWII plane crash. From the Amazon book description:
“The Tomahawk Warriors, a crew of nine who perished in a 1944 B-17 Flying Fortress crash in England. It would have lain in partial obscurity if it were not for the author’s initial involuntary involvement. As a child, he witnessed what would become a dogged determination in his lifetime later to tell this story. As the faint light of dawn was breaking the morning of August 12, 1944, a crippled American B-17 bomber flew perilously close over the roof of the author’s house in Southern England. Around 30 seconds later, it crashed and exploded. In 2016, the author, David E. Huntley, after almost a lifetime, came across the story of the crew known as the ‘Tomahawk Warriors’ and recognized it as the accident he had witnessed as a child.”
IN: As a Londoner now living in Texas, how has your international perspective influenced your portrayal of the American airmen and their experiences in The B-17 Tomahawk Warrior?
DEH: I have known and befriended many American servicemen in postwar Britain. It was easy for me to portray the Tomahawk Warriors, as if I would have known them as individuals. Of course, I portrayed them not from my perspective, but from the interviews with the families I had traced.
IN: Your book delves into the world of WWII aviation. What inspired you to write about this topic, and how much research went into capturing the historical and technical details of the B-17 and its crew?
DEH: I was inspired by a lifelong memory–this crew once saved my life, and many others, by diverting their damaged aircraft away from my house. The memory of the 30/40 seconds time-lapse from when the plane could have taken off my roof and seeing some minutes later, the dismembered body parts of the crew scattered across that blackened field a short distance away, is etched into my brain. Though I endured the London Blitz, here I was close to death in a matter of seconds. I would never have known my 62 years of marriage to my late wife, who herself had lived under Nazi occupation in France., or enjoyed having 4 children and 7 grandchildren.
IN: Writing about war and honor often involves exploring deep human emotions. How did you balance the historical accuracy of the events with the personal stories of the individuals involved?
DEH: My primary concern was to confirm this book wasn’t solely about wartime machinery, particularly as I was working through the historical enigmas tied to this event. There are several deep emotional chapters in this book that will grip readers’ hearts. In fact, for me, Chapter 10 was the most emotional part of the narrative for me to write. As far as historical accuracy, the United States Air Force Public Affairs HQ in Colorado officially endorsed my manuscript. They gave permission for Major-General Mitchell Hanson to write the 3-page Foreword. This alone is unprecedented for a serving general to endorse a commercial book. I am truly honored.
IN: What is your writing routine like? Did working on a historical subject require a different approach compared to other genres you may have explored?
DEH: My previous novel was historical fiction based on true events and personal observation. While I am very careful about historical accuracy, it was much easier to write than the non-fiction book of the Tomahawk Warrior. It was 7 years of intense research, 2 continents of travel, and hundreds of interviews. There are footnotes on each page and a 7-page Index of this 422 page work. It has been likened to the Speilberg/Hanks TV seres, Masters of the Air. Many reviewers have suggested my book should be a movie or at least a National Geographic
IN: As an international author in Texas, have you found your new surroundings shaping your writing style, themes, or audience engagement? If so, how?
DEH: In the past did a lot of books signing events, but now I’m engaged in a complete speaking tour. Using a powerful supporting PowerPoint presentation, I first summarize my two titles. A detailed account follows of why I dedicate my books to WWII veterans. This includes my experience as a schoolboy in London during the Blitz and of my late wife who lived under Nazi occupation in France. The presentation contains many images of the times.
My talks are very popular and I am booked through to May 2025. I am very honored that I received the 2021 Americanism Medal for my humanitarian work for veterans. In addition to the four book awards for the Tomahawk Warrior, I am extremely proud that it is now considered a WWII historic document in the official print collections of the JFK Library in Boston, and in the Imperial War Museum Research Library Room in London.
You can buy The B-17 Tomahawk Warrior here, find David on Instagram here, and on X here.
