Overview

In 1920, Richard Jones, a former British army major, begins a new life running a vineyard with his family in southern France. However, as the years pass, the clouds of conflict gather and the idyll is shattered by the outbreak of World War Two. Following the German occupation of France, Richard receives an intriguing letter, which sets in motion a chain of events involving the secret Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the fight for freedom. After undergoing training in England, Richard returns to France and establishes an SOE circuit to work with the local resistance in planning and carrying out acts of sabotage and subversion. For the people he recruits and those who join the fight to free France from Nazi control, the dangers are constant and the risks are high. Being behind the enemy line means these SOE men and women are frequently mixing with the enemy. In turn it means the German forces are constantly on the lookout for the SOE agents in their midst. These young people show acts of bravery and courage usually expected in people twice their age. Many will pay the ultimate price. Yet amid the turmoil and suffering of war, the brave actions of these men and women provide hope and help pave the way to victory. Theirs is a story characterised by courage, camaraderie and the resilience of the human spirit. This lively novel gives a fascinating insight into the SOE and highlights the heroism of its agents and all who worked with them.

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9781789632231

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Ian Aitken was a consulting actuary with an international firm. He was based in Edinburgh, Reigate and Johannesburg, South Africa. Now, in retirement, he has returned to the picturesque coastal town of North Berwick on the east coast of Scotland. In retirement he researched his family tree and wrote the book 70 years - life changes. During his research he discovered that his father's young brother Alan H Aitken was a pilot flying Halifax Bombers who was killed on 23 March 1945. Naturally his first reaction was to assume that Alan had been involved in standard flying duties. However, further research revealed that Alan had been seconded to special Duties 138 and 161 Squadrons which were assigned to the Special Operations Executive (SOE) flying the agents behind the enemy lines in France and other countries and this discovery inspired Brave Beyond Their Years.

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