Enemy Coast Ahead

This is the memoir of Wing Commander Guy Gibson, who led the Dambusters raid in May 1943, written in 1944, but published only after the war ended. It covers the period from the eve of war as he is peacefully relaxing on a beach in late August 1939 and contemplating the likelihood of war breaking out, up to the Dambusters raid itself on the 16/17 May 1943, though the events of that raid, which is likely to be the main reason why most readers pick up this book, occupy only a small proportion of the narrative. Prior to this, I must admit it does sometimes get a little repetitive with numerous accounts of other raids over occupied Europe and a fair amount of technical detail, though this is understandable, given the rapid development of show more aeronautic and ballistic technology at this time. Probably one of the greatest features of the narrative is its complete lack of any hindsight on the events of the war. Gibson and his comrades were living through, and very often dying in, the events as they happened - some 40% (53/133) of all the airmen who were on the Dambuster raid perished during it, and many more died during subsequent military actions, with Gibson himself killed in a bombing raid in September 1944 over Holland, his plane crashing into the side of a hill in slightly mysterious circumstances. They worked in what to us is a bizarre environment, facing, at very young ages, often in their early 20s, death every time they flew into the air, with a mixture of bravery, fear, recklessness and fatalism. Some of Gibson's comments about the deaths of others may strike many modern readers as trivial, even callous, but they were fighting in an existential struggle for the survival of any kind of freedom in a world threatened by the Nazi machine, without the luxury of knowing as we do how the titanic struggle would finally be resolved.

This edition has copious notes, often correcting errors made by Gibson, who was largely writing from his own memory, or providing further background on other airmen; and many photographs. show less

A few things: my copy comes in at 436 pages. Goodreads entry is wrong. Next: I've read the Brickhill, Holland and Hastings books and seen the movie a gazillon times (not a million but feels like it). the book is good. Let emphasize that: GOOD NOT GREAT. Richard Todd in the movie makes him a lot nicer than what he is. Also ECA fills in GIbson's war before the Dambusters which is fascinating. BTW does anyone know if they got the person who knocked down Gibson's dog? IT seems to be a mystery of WW2

Enemy Coast Ahead is an autobiographical book recounting the World War II flying career of Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC, DSO, DFC. It covers his time in RAF Bomber Command from the very earliest days of war in 1939 through to 1943. Gibson wrote the book aged 25 in 1944 whilst off operations....details of Gibson's career, but also reveals his true view of the course of the war, of the wartime population, of his pilots and crews and of Bomber Command tactics.

Written in 1944, shortly before Gibson was lost in action, and first published in 1946, this is a first-hand account of 170 bombing raids on Germany, including the Dambusters Raid which Gibson led. (Unread)

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