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In this episode of Never Mind the Dambusters, Jane Gulliford Lowes is joined by bestselling author and journalist Will Iredale to talk about his new book, Churchill’s Pirates.
The book tells the story of the Royal Naval Patrol Service – the men who served in what was effectively a navy within the Royal Navy. Many were fishermen, trawlermen and civilian sailors who found themselves recruited into dangerous wartime work, operating small vessels around the British coastline.
They cleared mines, hunted submarines, protected shipping and carried out a variety of vital tasks that were essential to Britain's war effort, yet their contribution has often received far less attention than that of the conventional Royal Navy.
Jane and Will discuss who these men were, the dangerous work they carried out and the individual stories Will uncovered during his research.
They also look back at Will's previous books, The Pathfinders, about Bomber Command's elite Pathfinder Force, and The Kamikaze Hunters, which tells the story of the Fleet Air Arm's fight against the Japanese kamikazes during the final months of the Second World War.
Across all three books, Will has explored the experiences of people undertaking highly specialised and dangerous wartime roles – often people whose individual stories have been overshadowed by the larger narratives of the conflict.
In this episode:
- Who were the men of the Royal Naval Patrol Service?
- Why was this unconventional force so important to Britain's wartime defence?
- What was life like for the fishermen and civilian sailors who found themselves serving in wartime?
- The dangers of mines, U-boats and coastal operations
- Some of the remarkable individual stories uncovered during Will's research.
- The writing of The Pathfinders and what it revealed about Bomber Command.
- Will's first book, The Kamikaze Hunters, and the Fleet Air Arm's war against the kamikazes.
- Jane and Will discuss research and the perils of veteran testimony. You can read Jane's article on the subject here: https://justcuriousjane.com/memory-minefield-veteran-testimony/
- You can find Jane's book on Bomber Command minelaying and mine warfare here: The Invisible Campaign - Bomber Command Minelaying Operations 1940-1945
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