Britain's Secret Defences: Civilian Saboteurs, Spies and Assassins During the Second World War
Andrew Chatterton
Aug 2023 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Mike Cooper
headphones
Audiobook
6 hr 14 min
Unabridged
family_home
Eligible
info
reportRatings and reviews aren’t verified Learn More
Want a 37 min sample? Listen anytime, even offline.
Add
About this audiobook
The narrative surrounding Britain's anti-invasion forces has often centered on "Dad's Army"-like characters running around with pitchforks, on unpreparedness and sense of inevitability of invasion and defeat. The truth, however, is very different. Top-secret, highly trained civilian volunteers were being recruited as early as the summer of 1940. Had the Germans attempted an invasion they would have been countered by saboteurs and guerrilla fighters emerging from secret bunkers, and monitored by swathes of spies and observers who would have passed details on via runners, wireless operators, and ATS women in disguised bunkers. Alongside these secret forces, the Home Guard were also setting up their own "guerrilla groups," and SIS (MI6) were setting up post-occupation groups of civilians to act as sabotage cells, wireless operators, and assassins had the Nazis taken control of the country. The civilians involved in these groups understood the need for absolute secrecy and their commitment to keeping quiet meant that most went to their grave without ever telling anyone of their role. There has been no official and little public recognition of what these dedicated men and women were willing to do for their country in its hour of need, and after over eighty years of silence the time has come to highlight their remarkable role.
About the author
Andrew Chatterton is a Second World War historian and public relations professional. His role as press officer for the Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team (CART) led to his fascination with the secret layers of defense in place in case of an attempted German invasion during the Second World War.
Mike Cooper is a British voice talent who left big-city life in London for a log cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Mike is recognizable from his years with the BBC World Service, and as the narrator of countless television documentaries.
Rate this audiobook
Tell us what you think.
Listening information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
