27 March 2019

War in the Islands: Undercover Operations in the Aegean, 1942-44

War in the Islands is a revealing anthology of true stories about a little-known episode of naval operations in the Mediterranean during the Second World War. As a young officer in the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR), the author (Adrian Seligman 1909-2003) formed and commanded a flotilla of caiques on undercover operations in the Greek islands between 1942-1944.

Mixed bags of volunteers drawn from all three services crewed there motorised caiques, which were commanded by young RNR officers. Their task was to carry Allied raiding parties and their supplies in and out of enemy held territory, in total secrecy and under cover of darkness - risky undertakings that required high levels of navigational and seamanship skills from the skippers.

This clandestine war is recounted by the author, 12 skippers of caiques, one of a motor launch and an RAF officer, who were actually involved in these operations. These men all served with the Levant Schooner Flotilla, the Greek Sacred Company and the Aegean Raiding Forces (SAS / SBS).

This book was published by Sutton Publishing (1997).

Available from:
Amazon.co.uk

No comments: