Publisher's Synopsis
As the RAF and USAAF increasingly took the fight to the enemy during World War II, ranging far and wide over occupied Europe, the need became ever more urgent for an effective air-sea rescue service to retrieve downed airmen from the waters around the United Kingdom.;From the summer of 1941 to the end of the war in 1945, four UK-based squadrons equiped with the Walrus seaplane rescued or helped to rescue over 1300 airmen. This is their compelling story. First-hand testimonies about many of the most daring and dangerous missions, including the picking up of downed airmen adrift in enemy minefields and rescues successfully accomplished while air battles between the RAF and the Luftwaffe raged overhead. Discusses the importance of the Walrus ASR operations in terms of saving over 1300 lives, and as a means of boosting morale during the darkest hours of World War II.