What sort of men were the Pathfinders, the corps d'élite of Bomber
Command? What did they do? What risks did they face? And what
contribution did they make to the air war and the ultimate defeat of
Germany?
By drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews with surviving veterans -
many speaking for the first time - and combining these with official
records and exclusive access to contemporary documents and exhibits at
the Pathfinder Museum at RAF Wyton, Sean Feast looks to answer these
questions and more, seeking to put these men's achievements in the
context of the time.
The Pathfinder Companion, launched to coincide with the 70th anniversary
of the foundation of Pathfinder Force in 1942, highlights the raids and
the losses, the successes and failures, the terror and the turmoil these
men endured, as well as the inevitable humor in the face of tremendous
adversity. Profusely illustrated throughout with photos and memorabilia,
the book shows how a poorly equipped, disparate group was forged over
time into one of the most effective and devastatingly efficient fighting
forces ever created. It includes stories and reminiscences not just from
the Master Bombers and Long Stops - the elite of the elite controlling
huge numbers of bombers over the target - but also the journeymen
Pathfinder crews whose support was so essential to success and final
victory. A must for anyone interested in Bomber Command.
Sean Feast is a well respected aviation historian whose past titles for
Grub Street have been Heroic Endeavour, Master Bombers (now in
paperback), A Pathfinder's War (with Ted Stocker), and Churchill's
Navigator (with John Mitchell).