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Operation Pimento
My Great-Grandfather's Great Escape
Brief Description
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...
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Operation Pimento
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See moreA thrilling, moving account of RAF Squadron Leader Frank Griffiths' remarkable escape from the Nazis after his plane was shot down over occupied France - as told by his great-grandson.
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Description
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.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781399740142
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 05 June 2025
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Hodder & Stoughton
Illustration: One integrated b&w image per chapter, and 1 x 8pp. colour plate section
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 153.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 272
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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Pre-orderOperation Pimento
August 1943: Adam Hart's great-grandfather Frank Griffiths is the only survivor of Operation Pimento, a secret World War 2 mission to disrupt supply lines from Italy into Nazi-occupied France. Though seriously injured, Frank embarks on a perilous, 1,200-mile, 108-day escape across France, Switzerland, and Spain. August 2022: Adam Hart retraces his great-grandfather's epic journey, meeting descendants of people who risked...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableOut 15 Sep 2026Pre-order -
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