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Churchill’s Last Wartime Secret (Paperback)

The 1943 German Raid Airbrushed from History

Military WWII > Churchill WWII > German Forces & Weaponry

By Adrian Searle
Imprint: Pen & Sword Military
Pages: 192
Illustrations: 16 black and white illustrations
ISBN: 9781399077705
Published: 2nd November 2023
Expected Re-release Date: 30th November 2024

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As featured in; Mail on Sunday, Sunday Express, Star AND The Sun

Click here to listen to Adrian Searle discussing his latest book Churchill’s Last Wartime Secret on Dan Snows History podcast

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It’s been a State secret for more than 70 years: The official line in the UK has always been that it never happened – but this new work challenges the assertion that no German force set foot on British soil during World War Two (the Channel Islands excepted), on active military service.

Churchill’s Last Wartime Secret reveals the remarkable story of a mid-war seaborne enemy raid on an Isle of Wight radar station. It describes the purpose and scope of the attack, the composition of the raiding German force and how it was immediately, and understandably, ‘hushed-up’ by Winston Churchill’s wartime administration, in order to safeguard public morale.
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Circumventing the almost complete lack of official British archival documentation, the author relies on compelling and previously undisclosed first-hand evidence from Germany to underpin the book’s narrative and claims; thus distinguishing it from other tales of rumoured seaborne enemy assaults on British soil during the 1939-45 conflict.

After examining the outcome and repercussions of this astonishing incident, what emerges is an event of major symbolic significance in the annals of wartime history.

The premise of the book, a raid by the Germans on the South coast of England in WW2, is quite fascinating but weirdly still seems mired in secrecy. The author has undertaken a significant amount of research and cross-checking of various eyewitness accounts and official reporting... I found the book to be well-written, enlightening, and enjoyable to dip in and out of.

NetGalley, Peter Coxall

This is a proper work of historical research, attempting to find out if there was any truth behind the many rumours of a German raid on the Isle of Wight in the mid-war period. While I don’t agree with the author’s conclusion, his research, and the presentation of his material is good, allowing the reader to make their own mind up.

Read the full review here

History of War

As featured on

Pillbox

Reveals the remarkable story of a mid-war seaborne enemy raid on an Isle of Wight radar station.

The Armourer, February 2017

Churchill's Last Wartime Secret reveals the remarkable story of a mid-war seaborne enemy raid on an Isle of Wight radar station. It describes the purpose and scope of the attack, the composition of the raiding German force and how it was immediately, and understandably, 'hushed-up' by Winston Churchill's wartime administration, in order to safeguard public morale.

Read the full review here.

Recollections of WWII

The assumption that modern history is meticulously recorded and all records are open is false. This new book reviews a German special forces raid on the British Isles that was concealed for 70 years and even today depends primarily on German archived materials. A provoking review that exposes one of WWII's long held secrets. Great Reading.

Read the full review here.

Firetrench

As featured in.

The Star 18/12/16

As featured in.

Sunday Express 19/12/16

As featured in.

The Sun 20/12/16

As featured in.

The Mail on Sunday 18/12/16

Ever since I read the book and saw the film of "The Eagle has Landed" I have always wondered if the Germans did manage to land troops on mainland England during the Second World War, a claim that has always been refuted in official circles.

Now this book has examined all the rumours forensically from first hand memories and the perusal of official archives and tried to get to the truth that has perhaps been covered up for so many decades. Their research also extended to Germany and they now claim is that the Germans launched an attack on a radar station situated on the Isle of Wight in 1943.

There is much evidence both first and second hand to back up their assertion and the book makes for fascinating reading and it is up to the reader to decide if they have made their case.

NetGalley, reviewed by Greville Waterman

As featured in

Isle of Wight County Press

As featured in

Military History Monthly, December 2016

About Adrian Searle

Adrian Searle is a journalist and author who has written extensively on a range of historical topics. Born and raised on the Isle of Wight, he returned to the island in 1984 to edit a local newspaper and has worked in a freelance capacity since 1989. A keen student of railway history and operation, he has written widely on several related aspects

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