Heroes of Coastal Command: The RAFs Maritime War 1939 - 1945

Heroes of Coastal Command by Andrew Bird examines the maritime war between 1939 and 1945,reassessing the RAF's Coastal Command's defensive and offensive capabilities through the eyes of ordinary individuals battling for survival above the oceans. The book includes personal stories of individuals such as Lloyd Trigg, Roger Moorwood, Jack Davenport, John Watson, Maurice Guedj, Sam McHardy, and Ken Gatward, who all exhibited daring and breath-taking courage.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 296 pages
\n Publication date: 10 September 2019
\n Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd
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In his book, "Heroes of Coastal Command," Andrew Bird delves into the maritime conflict that unfolded between 1939 and 1945, intertwining accounts of historical events with personal narratives of individuals caught up in the turmoil. Through a combination of interviews, letters, diaries, and reports, complemented by his extensive research, the author offers a fresh perspective on the maritime warfare, challenging long-held notions about the capabilities of the Cinderella Service, the RAF's maritime arm, during the war. As the stakes grew higher and the casualties mounted, ordinary individuals who battled for survival above the oceans against flak gunfire, enemy aircraft, and treacherous weather found themselves at the forefront of this epic conflict.

Heroes of Coastal Command forces the reader to reassess the RAF's maritime arm, Coastal Command, which was established in 1936. Throughout the war, these crews worked tirelessly alongside the Royal Navy to ensure the uninterrupted flow of vital sea lanes. Together, they fought and won the Battle of the Atlantic, with RAF aircraft destroying 212 German U-Boats and sinking a substantial tonnage of enemy warships and merchant vessels. Coastal Command's airmen, often operating alone and without support, undertook long patrols across vast expanses of open seas, developing a unique breed of airmen.

Among these remarkable individuals are Lloyd Trigg, who earned the Victoria Cross; Roger Moorwood, a Blenheim pilot who took part in the Battle of France; Jack Davenport, who flew his Hampden; John Watson, the sole survivor of a Short Sunderland that was lost during a rescue mission; Maurice Guedj, a Frenchman who escaped from Morocco to join the Free French Air Force; Sam McHardy, who briefly served as a Coastal Command ground coordinator aboard a Royal Navy destroyer for a raid on Norway; and Ken Gatward, who flew a unique daylight mission over Paris to drop a Tricolore on the Arc de Triomphe.

These stories, and many more, are woven together in "Heroes of Coastal Command," providing a vivid and poignant account of the bravery and resilience of those who served in the RAF's maritime arm during World War II. Bird's meticulous research and storytelling skills bring the reader closer to the experiences of these ordinary men and women, who played a crucial role in ensuring Britain's survival and victory in the darkest hours of the war.

\n Weight: 618g\n
Dimension: 237 x 163 x 27 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781526710697\n \n