Operation Pimento: My Great-Grandfather's Great Escape - a gripping story of heroism and sacrifice, perfect for all WW2 fans
Adam Hart
Jun 2025 · Hachette UK
Ebook
272
Pages
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About this ebook
A moving, thrilling account of one man's extraordinary escape from the Nazis - as told by his great-grandson. Perfect for fans of Ben Macintyre and Damien Lewis
'Frank Griffiths' incredible escape and evasion story will become a wartime classic. Truly inspiring.' - ANDY McNAB
'An affectionate and often audacious tale of an unsung WW2 hero. Adam Hart is a writer to watch out for.' - ANTHONY HOROWITZ
'A thrilling tale of courage, bravery and survival, brought to life by Hart's gripping narrative and fascinating personal connection. A superb debut.' - ALICE LOXTON
'This moving family history pays fitting tribute to the courage and resilience of the Special Duties Squadrons' crews, and the heroism of the French resisters serving alongside them.' - CLARE MULLEY
'A classic tale of Second World War derring-do, told with flair. A wonderful debut.' - ROBERT PENN
On 14 August 1943, Adam Hart's great-grandfather Frank Griffiths took off from RAF Tempsford, the SOE 'Special Duties' airbase in rural England. Frank and his crew were on a secret midnight mission codenamed Operation Pimento, but they were shot down near Annecy in southeast France.
Only Frank survived.
Though seriously injured, Frank felt it was his duty to get back to England to continue the fight against the Nazis. He embarked on a perilous, 1,200-mile, 108-day escape across Europe, via the attic of a brothel, a Frenchwoman's chimney and a Spanish prison cell. Seventy-nine years later, Frank's 22-year-old great-grandson Adam Hart retraced the epic escape through France, Switzerland and Spain. His emotional encounters with descendants of people who'd risked their lives to help his great-grandfather reveal the enduring legacy of Operation Pimento and how we should never forget their sacrifice.
Operation Pimento is not only a riveting true story, but also a vivid account of one young man's journey to discover more about a man he'd never met, but always knew to be a hero.
'Frank Griffiths' incredible escape and evasion story will become a wartime classic. Truly inspiring.' - ANDY McNAB
'An affectionate and often audacious tale of an unsung WW2 hero. Adam Hart is a writer to watch out for.' - ANTHONY HOROWITZ
'A thrilling tale of courage, bravery and survival, brought to life by Hart's gripping narrative and fascinating personal connection. A superb debut.' - ALICE LOXTON
'This moving family history pays fitting tribute to the courage and resilience of the Special Duties Squadrons' crews, and the heroism of the French resisters serving alongside them.' - CLARE MULLEY
'A classic tale of Second World War derring-do, told with flair. A wonderful debut.' - ROBERT PENN
On 14 August 1943, Adam Hart's great-grandfather Frank Griffiths took off from RAF Tempsford, the SOE 'Special Duties' airbase in rural England. Frank and his crew were on a secret midnight mission codenamed Operation Pimento, but they were shot down near Annecy in southeast France.
Only Frank survived.
Though seriously injured, Frank felt it was his duty to get back to England to continue the fight against the Nazis. He embarked on a perilous, 1,200-mile, 108-day escape across Europe, via the attic of a brothel, a Frenchwoman's chimney and a Spanish prison cell. Seventy-nine years later, Frank's 22-year-old great-grandson Adam Hart retraced the epic escape through France, Switzerland and Spain. His emotional encounters with descendants of people who'd risked their lives to help his great-grandfather reveal the enduring legacy of Operation Pimento and how we should never forget their sacrifice.
Operation Pimento is not only a riveting true story, but also a vivid account of one young man's journey to discover more about a man he'd never met, but always knew to be a hero.
About the author
Adam Hart is a writer and historian from Pembrokeshire in South West Wales. While training to be a journalist at Cardiff University, Adam won a travel bursary to retrace his great-grandfather's escape in World War 2, inspiring this book. He has also written for The Times and Telegraph, appeared on the Antiques Roadshow and ITV Evening News and has spoken on Radio 4 and Times Radio. Operation Pimento is his first book.
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