William Collins
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This eBook first published in Great Britain by William Collins in 2018
Copyright © Gordon Corera 2018
Gordon Corera asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this book.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Cover image: © Getty Images/FPG/Staff
Map © Martin Brown
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Source ISBN: 9780008220341
Ebook Edition © February 2018 ISBN: 9780008220327
Version: 2018-12-20
In memory of Leopold Vindictive
and others who made their choice.
Contents
TWO: The Special Pigeon Service
ELEVEN: Battle of the Skies II
THIRTEEN: Interrogation and Infiltration
FIFTEEN: Trials and Tribulations
SEVENTEEN: The Americans are Coming
The Belgian farmer could see there was something odd in his field, something that did not belong there. It was early on a July morning in 1941, just over a year after Nazi tanks had swept through the country. As he stepped closer the farmer could make out that the unfamiliar object was a small container with a length of white material attached. Picking it up, he realized the material was a parachute – but one too small for a man. Inside the box he could see something moving and a pair of eyes that peeped out at him through a small opening. Next came the unmistakable sound of a pigeon cooing. Attached to the side of the container was a message – a request for help.