Operation Jericho: Freeing the French Resistance from Gestapo jail, Amiens 1944

This is the story of the daring prison break by British, Australian and New Zealand bomber pilots, who blew holes into Amiens jail to free French Resistance prisoners during World War II.
Early 1944 was a time of massive intelligence activity across northern France in advance of D-Day. Large numbers of résistants were being captured by the Germans and imprisoned in gaols across northern France. Among these was Amiens. The raid was mounted as a debt of honour by MI6 and the RAF to try to free prisoners who would otherwise be executed by the Germans for what was considered traitorous activity.
MI6 requested an exceptionally precise air raid, to blow holes in the prison walls, free as many men and women as possible, minimize casualties among the prisoners and hit the German guards’ quarters. The RAF decided that, with the fast and accurate Mosquito light bomber, the raid had a good chance of success. This resulted in the creation of a Mosquito wing that comprised British, Australian and New Zealand squadrons, and included RCAF Airmen, all commanded by RAF Group Captain Pickard.
With specially commissioned maps, illustrations and bird’s eye views, this fascinating book explores the planning and execution of one of the most spectacular and challenging RAF operations, which was undertaken merely as a statement of gratitude.