James R. A. Bailey DFC

Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)

The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...

, known as Jim Bailey, (1919–2000), was World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 fighter pilot, poet - and influential newspaper owner.

The son of randlord

Randlord

Randlord is a term used to denote the entrepreneurs who controlled the diamond and gold mining industries in South Africa in its pioneer phase from the 1870s up to World War I....

, Sir Abe Bailey

Abe Bailey

Sir Abraham "Abe" Bailey, 1st Baronet, KCMG , was a South African diamond tycoon, politician, financier and cricketer.-Early years:...

 and pioneer aviator Mary Bailey, he was educated at Winchester and Oxford and joined the Royal Air Force as a pilot in September 1939. He served with 264

No. 264 Squadron RAF

No. 264 Squadron RAF also known as No 264 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force formed from two former Royal Naval Air Service flights, No. 439 and No. 440, on 27 September 1918 at Souda Bay, Crete to perform anti-submarine patrols. It operated the Short 184 floatplanes on patrols in the...

 and 85 Squadron

No. 85 Squadron RAF

No. 85 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It most recently served as No. 85 Squadron based at RAF Church Fenton.-In World War I:...

s, flying Defiant

Boulton Paul Defiant

The Boulton Paul Defiant was a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force early in the Second World War. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a "turret fighter", without any forward-firing guns. It was a contemporary of the Royal Navy's Blackburn Roc...

s, Hurricane

Hawker Hurricane

The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...

s and Beaufighter

Bristol Beaufighter

The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...

s.

"Drum" and "Golden City Post"

In 1951 he provide financial backing to Bob Crisp

Bob Crisp

Robert James Crisp DSO MC was a South African cricketer who played in nine Tests from 1935 to 1936 before living for a while in England. He appeared for Rhodesia, Western Province, Worcestershire and South Africa. Though his Test bowling average lay over 37.00, Crisp had a successful first-class...

 to start a magazine "African Drum" based in Cape Town, and aimed at a Black readership, but as readership dropped, he took full control. The magazine was renamed to simply "Drum", head office move to Johannesburg and Anthony Sampson

Anthony Sampson

Anthony Terrell Seward Sampson was a British writer and journalist. He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford and served with the Royal Navy from 1944-47. During the 1950s he edited the magazine Drum in Johannesburg, South Africa...

appointed editor.

Writing

• As In Flight (1961)
• National Ambitions (1958)
• Eskimo Nel (1964)
• The God-Kings and Titans (1973)
• The Sky Suspended (1990)
• The Poetry of a Fighter Pilot (1993)
• Sailing to Paradise (1993)