ENEMY COAST AHEAD

Introduction by Marshal of the R.A.F.

Sir Arthur Harris G.C.B., O.B.E., A.F.C.

INTRODUCTION

THIS is a magnificent story, well and simply told by as great a warrior as these Islands ever bred. It is also History.

Guy Gibson was not a professional airman ; he joined the service in peace time " because he wanted to learn to fly ". War supervened and he remained an airman until his death in action.

His natural aptitude for Leadership, his outstanding skill and his extraordinary valour marked him early for command ; for Great Attempts and Great Achievements. His personal contribution towards victory was beyond doubt unsurpassed.

In every facet of his character he was a thoroughbred. He was not only admired but loved by all who knew him. In this book he tells of the Bomber's work as he saw it from the necessarily somewhat circumscribed viewpoint of an individual cog in a vast machine, as Commander of a Flight and later of a Squadron. ( ... )

FOREWORD AND DEDICATION

IN writing this book on the past four years of war, I have had to work without notes, and without help from diaries. I have never kept a diary because I never even dreamt that the lot would fall to me, in 1944, to try to describe the work of aircrews in Bomber and Fighter Squadrons.

The fact that I have been extremely lucky to have survived must go without saying. only a few will disagree, and they don't know. But I hope that living people who have served with me will forgive me if I have left them out, or worse, put words into their mouths which they never said. A memory is a short thing, and " Flak " never does it much good. However, the aim of this book is to illustrate the growth of a small baby in 1939 to the awesome colossus that it has become today - the growth of Bomber Command ( ... )