From St Vith to Victory: 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron and the Campaign Against Nazi Germany

Stephen C. Smith

Apr 2015 · Pen and Sword

About this ebook

Compiled from a variety of sources and first-hand accounts, this book is an authoritative record of the part played by No.218 (Gold Coast) Squadron during the bomber offensives of World War II. The squadron's activities are described in detail offering a unique insight into the lives of those involved and saluting the important role that No.3 Group and No.218 Squadron played in Bomber Command's ultimate victory.No.218 Squadron was formed a few months before the Armistice which brought to a conclusion the Great War. Disbandment soon followed, rendering the squadron number plate dormant until the rise of National Socialism in Germany. The squadron was reformed in 1936 and spent the remaining peace time years honing its skills, skills that would be tested from the very first day of the bomber offensive against Germany to the very last.

About the author

Stephen Smith is a passionate aviation enthusiast and researcher who has contributed to numerous publications (including 3 Group Bomber Command: An Operational Record by Chris Ward, Pen & Sword Aviation, 2008) and magazines (Flypast) in relation to No.218 (Gold Coast), No.623 squadron and No.3 Group Bomber Command. This publication represents the culmination of over twenty-five years researching the activities of 218 Squadron, as well as fifteen years service as the association's historian.