RAF / UXB

Most people have heard about the heroic bomb disposal crews of the Royal Engineers during WWII. But here's something you might not know: every service, including the RAF, had its own specialised Bomb Disposal teams. And it is the activities of these RAF BD squads that this book set out to celebrate.

During the war, these RAF BD crews were the unsung heroes who dealt with enemy unexploded bombs (UXBs) and other explosive devices. Their efforts to keep airfields operational during the Battle of Britain played a crucial role in Britain's eventual victory. Imagine that – doing the nitty-gritty work while everyone else was busy looking glamorous.

These squads weren't just disarming enemy bombs either. When damaged Allied aircraft accidentally dropped their own bombs over the UK or crashed with bombs aboard, the RAF teams used their armaments expertise to make sure those didn't go boom as well.

Post-D-Day invasion in Europe, the BD Squads' mission became even more dangerous, clearing mines and booby traps left by retreating Germans and dealing with unexploded Allied bombs on formerly occupied enemy ground. You could say they were cleaning up the world's biggest mess, one explosive at a time.

And it didn't end with the war. These brave folks went on to remove stockpiles of unsafe weaponry and ordnance from both allies and enemies. As you can imagine, this was ridiculously hazardous, and many BD personnel were injured or killed in the line of duty.

The wonderfully informative and hair-raising stories collected here are from members of the RAF Bomb Disposal Association, shedding light on the diverse activities of this group of volunteers who displayed exceptional courage under incredibly challenging circumstances. So next time you think of wartime heroes, don't forget the ones who quite literally put their lives on the line to keep everyone else safe.

Publisher - Woodfield Publishing Ltd

Language - English

Perfect Bound

Contributors

By author

Jim Jenkinson

Various Contributors

Published Date - 1999-09-01

ISBN - 9781873203361

Dimensions - 23.4 x 15.6 x 1 cm

Page Count - 184