I have to admit that even thought I have lived in East Anglia for the past twenty years. I had heard of the odd possible landings by the Germans on the Norfolk-Suffolk coastline during WWII. But these have usually been based not on an invasion but more to do with maritime problems. The film 'The Eagle has Landed', was to be based on the North Norfolk coastline. A well researched book open for your own interpretation on what did or did not happen.

Loopholes Number 82

Heady stuff and undoubtedly a good read.

Aeroplane Jan 2021

For the wargamer looking for inspiration in a “what if” campaign or scenario, this is a useful book to own. It is an interesting story in its own right for the general reader, mixing anecdote and contemporary accounts to weave an entertaining tale. I enjoyed reviewing this book and hope that some of the questions raised find answers in future historical research.

Chris Kemp

As featured in

Fortress Study Group

A best selling aviation historian poses questions and provides some answers about the great mysteries of 1940. The Germans controlled the Western coastline from Norway’s North Cape to the Spanish border, so what happened to Operation Sealion? – Highly Recommended.

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Firetrench

Martin is an excellent author and historian; his book is well-researched and will give the reader much food for thought. Which is what a good book should do.

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Hellbound, Steve Earles

An interesting and enjoyable read giving an insight into some of the more secretive side of the Home Guard Auxiliary Units.

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Army Rumour Service (ARRSE)

This is a book that investigates if Hitler was able to land troops on English soil in East anglia.... It is an interesting book that gets you thinking of "what if..... As a different take on ww2 it is a work of genius and I would recommend it to anyone who thinks they have read it all about the war and then question what you knew.
Such an entertaining book.

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Amazon Customer, Richard Domoney-Saunders

I have to admit that even though I have lived in East Anglia for the past twenty-eight years, and have been coming here since the late 1960s, I had no prior knowledge of a German invasion, albeit a small one. Obviously, with Martin's fascinating book now behind me, I am convinced of it's authenticity. To describe it as "thrilling" is to underplay its importance, and I am utterly fascinated by Martin's claims of covers-up. This is a Boys' Own Paper story of the highest order.

Books Monthly

Martin Bowman's interesting, fact packed book poses the question did Germany carry out commando raids along the Britain's east coast?

In 1940 the British government ministers and military prepared for an invasion while, in some areas locals formed unofficial Home Guard units arming themselves with private weapons including bayonets welded on to pieces of pipe. The government responded with recruiting volunteers for Local Defence Volunteers [LDVs], Home Guard and little known Auxiliary Army. This was a secret army which would remain under cover until enemy forces over-ran the area, then emerge behind enemy lines and attack its line of communications. Military supplies and weapons were secretly stockpiled locally. Life expectance for members of this unit was two weeks!

While Britain prepared for the expected invasion the German military formed the Brandenburg Kompanie, a highly trained, well-equipped, parachute trained unit which would lead the initial assault, carryout sabotage, capture roads and bridges ahead of the main force. Although 'Operation Sealion', Hitler's plan to invade Britain, never materialised he still advocated 'one or two small invasions' [commando raids]! It was against this background that rumours and speculation spread that German forces had carried out an unsuccessful invasion in East Anglia. Rumour fed on rumour as reports, on both sides of the Channel, spoke of thousands of casualties and burnt bodies.

Something occurred in East Anglia in 1940 but official files on the landings are missing. Martin Bowman has carried a thorough investigation into the mystery and written a page turner of story.

Richard Gough, Military Author and Historian

Click here to listen to author interview

NOTE: set cursor to 41:48

BBC Radio Norfolk interview with presenter Matthew Gudgin, 26th November 2019