Path Finders At War: Inside Bomber Command’s Elite Target Marking Force in the Second World War (The At War Aviation Series Book 4)

The untold story of No. 8 Group of the Royal Air Force Path Finder Force — the elite target markers of the Second World War.

Essential reading for fans of Will Iredale, Martyn Chorlton, and Sean Feast.

The Path Finder Force (PFF) of Bomber Command was created in August 1942 to fly deep into enemy territory, in the face of fierce opposition, and mark targets with flares ahead of the main bomber force. They were ordinary men, mostly volunteers from many nations, who revolutionised the efficiency and accuracy of the Allied air campaign over Europe.

In this book, acclaimed historian Chaz Bowyer focuses on the aircrews of No. 8 Group — among the most experienced within the PFF. Using interviews, firsthand accounts, and war records, he brings the daily experiences of these extraordinarily brave men vividly to life. Flying in now-iconic British aircraft such as the Lancaster, Mosquito, and Halifax, and equipped with the latest navigational aids — GEE, H2S, and OBOE — they took to the skies night after night, fully aware that the odds were stacked against their ever achieving the stipulated 60 sorties.

Path Finders at War is a powerful record of No. 8 Group’s individual and collective sacrifice, which helped turn the tide of the war.