Description
Title: RAF Evaders – the comprehensive story of thousands of escapers and their escape lines, Western Europe, 1940-1945
Author: Clutton-Brock, Oliver
Condition: Mint
Edition: 1st Edition
Publication Date: 2009
ISBN: 0646265776
Cover: Hard Cover with Dust Jacket – 494 pages
Comments: During the five years from May 1940 to May 1945 several thousand Allied airmen (including many Australians) were 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Oliver Clutton-Brock has researched in depth this secret world of evasion, uncovering some treachery and many hitherto unpublished details, operations and photos.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.
Includes detailed information on Australian and British escapers.
