Pathfinder Aircrew

Book excerpt: Who were the RAF Pathfinders in the Second World War? Who led them? What gave them the courage to carry on despite flak, night-fighters, and the many other hazards of air warfare? The Path Finder Force was RAF Bomber Command's only official elite Force, and it played a vital part in the Command's campaigns against Nazi Germany. This detailed and sympathetic account, based on 25 years' research, vividly describes what sort of people the Pathfinders were, what sustained them during their highly dangerous operations, and how their comrades, friends and families dealt with the all-too frequent losses - at sea, in Occupied Europe, in Germany, or in terrible accidents on British soil. Most of the personal documents used in Pathfinder Aircrew have never been published before. Based almost entirely on wartime or immediate post-war records, including aircrew letters and diaries, this book tells a very human story of members of an elite which was a byword for perseverance, technical excellence, and the most magnificent bravery.