Description: A vivid account of the famous St Nazaire Raid that demonstrates the sheer bravery of the British Commandos and the Royal Navy. An must-listen for fans of James Holland, Ant Middleton, and Cornelius Ryan.
St Nazaire, 1.22 a.m. 28 March 1942. HMS Cambeltown, supported by seventeen wooden motor launches, approached the German-held port intending to smash into the lock gates of the largest dock in the world, the Normandie Dock--Operation Chariot was in full swing. Against vicious Nazi gunfire the commandos stormed the docks and within half an hour succeeded in their chief demolition objectives but in the heat of battle the Royal Navy had lost nearly all of its small vessels intended to carry them back to England. With their route home closed off the men were forced to fight through the town in a bid to escape German forces. C. E. Lucas Phillips' The Greatest Raid of All draws upon numerous British, French, and German eyewitness reports to uncover the astounding true story of one of the most daring attacks of World War Two in which no fewer than five Victoria Crosses were awarded.Brief description: Born St Vincent, West Indies in 1897, C. E. Lucas Phillips was educated at St Lawrence College and King's College London. During World War I he served with the Royal Artillery in France and Flanders. He was promoted to Major before he was twenty-one and was awarded MC and Croix De Guerre. During World War II he served with Montgomery in the Western Desert, and in Italy. He was promoted to Brigadier and awarded an OBE and bar. He wrote several war books including Cockleshell Heroes, Escape of the Amethyst, Alamein, The Greatest Raid of All and Springboard to Victory. He was a passionate gardener and has also written books on gardening including the much acclaimed The Small Garden and Roses for the Small Garden. He met his wife Barbara at a dance in 1921, they married in 1924 and subsequently had four daughters. He died in 1984.