The Pathfinders: The Elite RAF Force that Turned the Tide of WWII
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Military History Matters Book of the Year Bronze Award Winner
‘Compelling… sensitive, colourful and moving’ — Saul David, Telegraph
‘Fascinating and utterly gripping’ — James Holland
‘Absorbing’ — Daily Mail Book of the Week
The incredible story of the crack team of men and women who transformed RAF Bomber Command and helped the Allies deliver decisive victory over Nazi Germany.
The Pathfinders were ordinary men and women from a range of nations who revolutionised the efficiency of the Allies’ air campaign over mainland Europe. They elevated Bomber Command – initially the only part of the Allied war effort capable of attacking the heart of Nazi Germany – from an impotent force on the cusp of disintegration in 1942 to one capable of razing whole German cities to the ground in a single night, striking with devastating accuracy, inspiring fear and loathing in Hitler’s senior command.
With exclusive interviews with remaining survivors, personal diaries, previously classified records and never-before seen photographs, The Pathfinders brings to life the characters of the airmen and women – many barely out of their teens – who took to the skies in legendary British aircraft such as the Lancaster and the Mosquito, facing almost unimaginable levels of violence from enemy fighter planes to strike at the heart of the Nazi war machine.
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Additional information
| Publisher | WH Allen (4 Aug. 2022) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 464 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0753557827 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0753557822 |
| Dimensions | 12.6 x 2.8 x 19.8 cm |
by Michael b.
Great story of an on going struggle within bomber command and it’s view on the war
by Sinbad
This is an interestingly written book, but on such a specialist subject, I was expecting a lot more of technical detail of how the many and varied systems that were used and countered by each side worked. But no, they were glossed over, many almost as a passing comment.
However, there was a considerable content of semi biographical detail of the many personalities that took part in the events, which personally I found a little irritating especially considering the lack of technical detail as I’ve said above.
But if mini biographies float your boat.
by J. McNeill
This is a compelling, riveting account of the exceptional men and women who made up the RAF’s Pathfinder force. In my review I cannot hope to do justice to the history recounted by Will Iredale.
The author begins by explaining that essentially RAF bomber command could not hit the broadside of a barn. Raid after raid was plagued by inaccurate bombing. The crews were courageous to a fault, but the tools provided were not up to the job.
One man, an Australian called Don Bennett, thought he had the answer to the problem; experienced crews, expert navigators who would accurately mark the target for the main effort. Typically, for wartime Britain, he faced resistance from those in command, principally Arthur Harris the commanding officer of Bomber Command, to his radical proposal.
Eventually official resistance was overcome, and the Pathfinder force was created, although that resistance never really relented and continued to push back throughout the entire war. By the end of the war the Pathfinders had become formidably effective, allowing Bomber Command to strike with extraordinary precision for the time. The effort was not without technical setbacks and significant losses.
The book is replete with the stories of remarkable courage in the air and on the ground. Iredale reminds the reader of the key role of men and women who worked tirelessly to provide the technology and support to the bomber crews on the front line. As with a great many stories of the Second World War it was very much a team effort encompassing the efforts of thousands of men and women. The cosmopolitan make up of Bomber Command is a feature of the story, airmen from all the globe served in the colours of the RAF.
The role of luck in warfare is a feature of the story of aerial combat. Iredale makes it clear that the most experienced crews could still be lost to sheer bad luck. Airmen in whom the reader is invested will not survive the war; it is pitiless.
As I have done elsewhere, I shall stipulate that the Germans are the villains of the piece and move on. The author does not shy away from detailing the carnage inflicted upon German cities and civilians and the consequences thereof. Readers should be under no illusions about the destructive abilities of the RAF and USAAF (sic). And as I said in my review of ‘Above Us, The Stars’ there is no revelling in the deaths of Germans. Iredale does address the oft asked question of the morality of area bombing.
Iredale also argues that the Strategic Bombing campaign made a valuable contribution to the defeat of NAZI Germany, pushing back against some modern narratives. I am conflicted on the subject. A debate that I suspect will remain unresolved.
I think it was the Battle of Britain veteran who said that the airmen did not need medals, to be thanked. They wanted to be remembered. This book is a very fitting memorial to the Pathfinders and deserves your attention.
by Gillers
A really excellent account of a subset of Bomber Command in WW2. The author has worked hard to give us an insight into the many people who flew, who planned and who lost and loved these brave young men. They were so, so young. They did their briefings, went to their aircraft and flew to enemy territory and thousands never came back. These men were first into battle, the first to be targeted and the first to get hit. And they did this several times a week for months on end. We also get a great sense of the political machinations going on especially with headstrong personalities like Don Bennett and Bomber Harris.
The bombing campaign overseen by Harris was devastating in the numbers of Allied and German lives it cost. Much of that came about due to Germany bombing England and especially London and Coventry in the earlier part of the war. “They reaped what they sowed” is a common phrase about the Germans for this time. And Harris was a major proponent for bombing cities. That was his decision and his judgement. Was it the correct one? That is for history to decide.
On a lighter note, I was amused by this small anecdote:
“One was requisitioned for an important humanitarian role – flying to Dublin to pick up barrels of Guinness, which slotted nicely in the bomb bay [Mosquito], for the officers’ mess at Wyton.” Got to keep the beer flowing somehow…great book. Go get it.