Barney Greatrex : from bomber command to the French Resistance -- the stirring story of an Australian hero
Veitch, Michael2017
Books
A school and university cadet in Sydney, Barney Greatrex signed up for RAF Bomber Command in 1941, eager to get straight into the very centre of the Allied counterattack. Bombing Germany night after night, Barney's 61 Squadron faced continual enemy fighter attacks and anti-aircraft fire - death or capture by the Nazis loomed large. Very few survived more than 20 missions, and it was on his 20th mission, in 1944, that Barney's luck finally ran out: he was shot down over occupied France. But his war was far from over. Rescued by the French Resistance, Barney seized the opportunity to carry on fighting and joined the Maquis in the liberation of France from the occupying German forces, who rarely took prisoners.Later, Barney was awarded the French Legion of Honour, but for seventy years he said almost nothing of his incredible war service - surviving two of the most dangerous battlefronts. Now, aged 97, Barney Greatrex has revealed his truly great Australian war story to acclaimed bestselling author Michael Veitch.
Barney Greatrex : from bomber command to the French Resistance -- the stirring story of an Australian hero / Michael Veitch, based on research by Alex Lloyd & Angus Hordern.
Sydney : Hachette Australia, 2017.
xiii, 316 pages. 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some colour), portraits, facsimiles, photographs ; 24 cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
9780733637230
940.548194
English
Greatrex, BarneyAustralia. Royal Australian Air ForceAustralia. Royal Australian Air Force. Squadron 61 -- BiographyGreat Britain. Royal Air Force. Squadron, 61 -- BiographyWorld War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, AustralianWorld War, 1939-1945 -- Aerial operations, AustralianWorld War, 1939-1945 -- Underground movements -- FranceAirplane crash survival -- France
315939
Location | Collection | Call number | Status/Desc |
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Beaumaris Library | Adult Non Fiction - Biography | 940.548194 GRE | Available |