Latest news with #OperationPimento
Pembrokeshire Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Pembrokeshire author retraces daring WW2 escape in new book
Operation Pimento tells the story of a local man's heroic great-grandfather—and the civilians who risked everything to save him A YOUNG author from Pembrokeshire is set to publish his first book this week, telling the incredible true story of his great-grandfather's escape from Nazi-occupied Europe during the Second World War. Adam Hart, 25, who grew up just outside Narberth and attended Tavernspite Primary School, will release Operation Pimento: My Great-Grandfather's Great Escape on Thursday (June 5). The book is being published by Hodder & Stoughton in hardback, eBook and audio formats. The story follows Squadron Leader Frank Griffiths, a Special Duties pilot from north Wales, who was shot down in August 1943 while on a secret mission to drop supplies to the French Resistance. Frank's plane crashed near the village of Annecy, killing six crew members and five civilians. Frank was the only survivor. What followed was a breathtaking 1,400-mile escape over 108 days, as Frank—helped by French villagers, children, brothel workers and resistance fighters—made his way to safety via Spain and Gibraltar. His journey included hiding in an attic above a brothel, crawling through a chimney, and enduring a prison cell in Franco's Spain before finally reaching Allied forces. In 2022, Adam retraced his great-grandfather's entire escape route, meeting descendants of those who had risked their lives to save Frank. The book combines their two stories across time, paying tribute to wartime bravery and the lasting impact of shared history. 'Growing up, I always thought of my great-grandfather as a hero,' said Adam. 'But during my journey I realised the true heroes were the ordinary French civilians who risked imprisonment, torture and even death to help him.' The book has already received high praise from bestselling authors and historians. Andy McNab called it 'truly inspiring,' while Anthony Horowitz said it was 'an affectionate and often audacious tale of an unsung WW2 hero.' Adam has previously written for The Times and The Telegraph, and has appeared on Antiques Roadshow, ITV Evening News, and Radio 4. Operation Pimento is available from Thursday (June 5), priced at £22. Adam Hart, 25, will release Operation Pimento: My Great-Grandfather's Great Escape on Thursday (June 5).
North Wales Chronicle
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Historian retraces ancestor's dramatic wartime escape 79 years later
Frank Griffiths, who was from North Wales and spent most of his life in Ruthin, was an RAF pilot in the Second World War. Now, his great grandson, writer and historian Adam Hart, from Pembrokeshire, has written an account of his ancestor's daring exploits having won a travel bursary to retrace his steps. Frank spent much of the war test piloting around the North Wales coast But, in 1943, Frank was shot down in in France. He was the only survivor and spent the next three months escape back to Britain. Adam Hart at the crash site in Annecy, France, where there is a stone memorial. (Image: Supplied) His escape, as well as Adam's retracing of it, is told in the upcoming book Operation Pimento. The book's description said: "On 14 August 1943, Squadron Leader Frank Griffiths set off on a secret mission to deliver supplies to members of the French Resistance living in occupied France. A few hours later, his plane had crashed into a village near Annecy, killing all six of his crew and five civilians. Only Frank survived. "What happened next was extraordinary: Frank embarked on an epic 1,400-mile,108-day escape from the Nazis. Assisted by ordinary people - children, villagers, farmers, rebels and soldiers - he managed to make his way to safety in Gibraltar, via a Frenchwoman's chimney, the attic over a brothel, and a Spanish prison cell, not to mention an arduous trek over the Pyrenees." Operation Pimento by Adam Hart. (Image: Supplied) Adam's book breathes new life into Frank's heroic tale and keeps his great-grandfather's memory alive. in a riveting tale of danger, bravery and legacy. Adam said: "Having grown up hearing Frank's story, I always thought of my great grandfather as a hero. But during my journey across Europe, I realised the true heroes in this story were the people of France who risked, and in some cases later faced, imprisonment, torture and execution to save him. I'm so grateful to Hodder & Stoughton for keeping not only Frank's story alive, but also these incredible French civilians.' Of the book, Andy McNab said: "Frank Griffiths' incredible escape and evasion story will become a wartime classic. Truly inspiring." Operation Pimento, published by Hodder & Stoughton, is released on June 5.
