The Jail Busters: The Secret Story of MI6, the French Resistance and Operation Jericho

In February 1944, the French Resistance in the Amiens area was in turmoil. Its strength had been decimated by German aggression and the work of a number of traitors in their midst, and hundreds of its members languished in the city's formidable jail, awaiting an almost certain death at the hands of their captors. When two Allied intelligence officers were incarcerated alongside them it became clear that immediate action was imperative. What followed was a precision air attack on the prison, of hitherto unrivalled daring, carried out by the RAF's elite 2nd Tactical Air Force. These pilots' bravery and skill created a breach in the prison's walls that allowed the Nazi's captives to break free. Whilst many were recaptured, and controversy over the true reasons for the raid's authorisation rages to this day, Operation Jericho remains one of the most audacious and innovative missions ever flown.