During the five years from May 1940 to May 1945 several thousand Allied airmen, forced to abandon their aircraft behind enemy lines, evaded capture and reached freedom, by land, sea and air. The territory held by the Germans was immense – from Norway and Denmark in the north, through Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg to the south of France – and initially there was no organisation to help the men on the run. The first one to assist the evaders and escapers (‘E & E’ as the Americans called them) was the PAT line, along the Mediterranean coast to Perpignan and down the Spanish border; named after a naval officer Pat O’ Leary, from 1942 it became the PAO line.Next was the Comet line, from Brussels to the Pyrenees. Thousands of brave people were to be involved for whom, if caught, the penalty was death. Theirs is a stirring and awe-inspiring story. Respected historian Oliver Clutton-Brock has researched in depth this secret world of evasion, uncovering some treachery and many hitherto unpublished details, operations and photos. It is a tremendous reference work, written in his own colourful style with numerous anecdotes, which fills a gap of knowledge formerly unavailable to historians, professional or amateur. Packed with information, key figure biogs and listings – 2,094 evaders identified – this is a valuable testimony to the courage of all those involved.
RAF Evaders
The Complete Story of RAF Escapees and Their Escape Lines, Western Europe, 190-1945
Oliver Clutton-Brock
£35.00
Out of stock
You might also like
-
Poles in Defence of Britain
Robert Gretzyngier
Fifteen years since it was originally published, Grub Street is proud to present the re-issue of Poles in Defence of Britain. To the Polish volunteers who were to fly and fight so brilliantly and tenaciously throughout the Battle of Britain, the United Kingdom was known as ‘Last Hope Island’. Many lost their lives, such as Antoni Ostowicz, many achieved glory and became aces – such as Glowacki, Skalski and Witorzenc. The RAF came to depend on these men, with over 100 Polish pilots supporting almost thirty fighter squadrons, most especially 302, 303 and 307 (night fighter).
£15.00read more > -
-
-
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.