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The web of connections that spread through the war, connecting Ian Fleming to von Braun. The 'Surrender' in Bavaria was a staged event which has been cited as fact for 76 years!
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by David C.Nutting
In the event of any possibility of retreat, the Axis powers intended enemy secrets in codes and equipment (especially radar, counter-measures, V-bombs, hydrogen peroxide fuel for submarines, and so on) to be destroyed or moved to safety so that such secrets would not fall into Allied hands. The British Admiralty took a leading role in setting up a Royal Marine Commando Unit whose sole task was to out-manoeuvre the enemy at any opportunity and, by sheer surprise, capture codes, cyphers, equipment and instruction manuals before the enemy could recover or destroy them. Based on personal accounts, this book presents a picture of bravery, hardship and humour in attaining the objectives of the unit ahead of the Allied armies.
by David O'Keefe
the groundbreaking, thrilling, ultra-secret story behind one of WWII's most enduring mysteries, which fundamentally changes our understanding of this sorrowful event in Canada's past.
The Dieppe Raid--the darkest day in Canadian military history--has been one of the most perplexing mysteries of WWII, when almost 4,000 Canadian amphibious troops stormed the small French port town, only to be ambushed by the waiting Germans, slaughtered, wounded or captured. This catastrophe, coupled with the 7 decades-long mystery surrounding the reason for the operation, left a legacy of bitterness and recriminations and controversial charges ranging from incompetence to conspiracy. O'Keefe's detective-like research over 15 years in the Intelligence archives of 5 countries now reveals that it was a vitally secret "pinch raid," organized by British Naval Intelligence and the Joint Intelligence Committee. The mission: under cover of a raid to secretly steal the German code books that would unlock the Enigma cipher machine that held the key to the German High Command's plans. One of the key figures behind the mission, along with Mountbatten and Churchill, was Commander Ian Fleming, waiting in a ship off-shore for the code books that might have saved countless lives and shortened the war by some years.
The Hazard Mesh
by J.A. Hugill
This book follows the exploits of Naval Officer Hugill whilst attached to 30AU on special operations, during the liberation of France, in some considerable detail. As it was published at a time when all information on 30AU was still subject to OSA, all names and references are either changed or withheld. No longer in print but very interesting to anyone involved in the history of the liberation, if you can find a copy.
Arctic Snow to Dust of Normandy
by Patrick Dalzel-Job
The book follows the life of Patrick Dalzel-Job, paying brief attention to his early life with great detail of his Naval adventures. These include the complete evacuation of a town in war-torn Norway, against direct orders, and the capture of a German warship by Dalzel-Job and 5 other men! After reading this book you can see why the author is known as the real James Bond, and his exploits seem far more exciting. The only thing different from a Bond story is the author being a one woman man and only enjoying drink in moderation.
by Cecil Hampshire
Bringing to light the Royal Naval use of coastal boats to bring agents in and out of occupied France and other countries during World War Two. The first time he speaks about 30 Commando (30AU) Ian Fleming (007 fame) during the war.
Official Documentation
The collection of documents and archive material, obviously omitting the still secret and redacted information...
AMAZON has restricted sale of this book due to the symbol on the front cover.
by Nicholas Rankin
In 1942, Lieutenant-Commander Ian Fleming was personal assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence - the dynamic figure behind James Bond's fictional chief, 'M'. Here, Fleming had a brilliant idea: why not set up a unit of authorised looters, men who would go in hard with the front-line troops and steal enemy intelligence?
Known as '30 Assault Unit', they took part in the major campaigns of the Second World War, landing on the Normandy beaches and helping to liberate Paris. 30AU's final amazing coup was to seize the entire archives of the German Navy - thirty tons of documents. Ian Fleming flew out in person to get the loot back to Britain, where it was combed for evidence to use in the Nuremburg trials.
In this gripping and highly enjoyable book, Nicholas Rankin, author of the best-selling Churchill's Wizards, puts 30 Assault Unit's fascinating story in a strategic and intelligence context. He also argues that Ian Fleming's Second World War service was one of the most significant periods of his life - without this, the most popular spy fiction of the twentieth century would not have been written.