The CROP DUSTERS

This novel is about an air - battle which bring together ex - Second World War pilots ( " Brits ", " Diggers " and " Jerries " ) to spray fields against a nearer swarm of locusts in Australia.

When Inge Steiger brought her Chipmunk in to land at her home in Red Bend, New South Wales, she also brought grim news. About ninety miles to the north - east she had seen a swarm of locusts - fifty square miles of them - just starting to fly : and heading straight for Red Bend. With disaster so imminently threatening the wide area of crops, something had to be done with utmost speed. The S.O.S. goes out to Ginger Joe Davies, a retired Wing Commander who now operates with a bunch of crop duster boys who make their living by spraying fields with varying forms of insecticide. From Ginger Joe the call goes to different parts of Australia and soon a motley band of ex - R.A.F., - R.A.A.F. and - Luftwaffe pilots arrive in a weird assortment of aeroplanes and the air - battle against the locusts is joined.