B for Buster by Iain Lawrence

For 16 year old Kak, joining the air force was a good way to escape his abusive father. He had dreams of flying and being a hero in the war. Stationed in England in 1943, Kak soon found himself flying ops over enemy territory. But it was not as exciting as he had believed. It was down right terrifying. He didn't know how he could go on flying. Surely no one else was as frightened as he was. But then he met an unusual man. Bert was the keeper of the homing pigeons that were used to send messages back to base from the airplanes that went on the missions. Bert seemed to understand what Kak was feeling and was a source of strength for him. Join Kak as he learns that war is not all he had imagined it to be.