Midget Submarine Commander: The Life of Rear Admiral Godfrey Place, 19 July 1921 - 27 December 1994

Paul Watkins

ISBN 10: 1848848005 / ISBN 13: 9781848848009

Published by Pen & Sword, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, 2012

About this Item

Mid-blue hardcover with silver lettering to spine, in pictorial dust-jacket. 164 x 242 x 26mm. (xii) + 244pp. Glossy b/w photos; maps and diagrams; notes & bibliography; index. Book and jacket as new. NB: An extra shipping charge may be requested for heavier or more valuable items. All our 'Seller Images' show the actual item you will receive.

Seller Inventory # 003578

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Midget Submarine Commander: The Life of Rear Admiral Godfrey Place, 19 July 1921 - 27 December 1994
• Publisher: Pen & Sword, Barnsley, South Yorkshire
• Publication Date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1848848005
• ISBN 13: 9781848848009
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First edition
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Fine

About this title

Synopsis

Of all the acts of gallantry in World War II few were as audacious as the attack by midget submarines on the pride of the German fleet, the battleship Tirpitz, lying in her fortified mooring in a Norwegian fjord. Lieutenant Godfrey Place was in command of submarine X7 in September 1943 and traveled over 1000 miles, negotiating minefields and antisubmarine nets to accurately place four tons of high explosive under the hull of the Tirpitz. He was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1944, at the age of 22. Taken prisoner he was repatriated to England at the end of the war, and continued to serve in the Royal Navy for 25 years, flying with 801st squadron in the Korean War, and served on aircraft carriers at Suez, Nigeria and the withdrawal from Aden. On his retirement in 1970, he had the distinction of being the last serving naval officer to hold the Victoria Cross.

Using many first-hand accounts, the book details his life, from a childhood spent partly in East Africa to being Chairman of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association for over 20 years. It draws on previously unpublished material, including his own recollections on the attack on the Tirpitz and his time as a prisoner of war.

About the Author

Paul Watkins is a veterinary surgeon with a lifelong interest in military history, especially naval history and the Victoria Cross. Having spent a career in research (including time spent working with the Royal Navy) during which he has written and/or contributed to numerous books and scientific publications, he has been fortunate to be able to research the life and career of Rear Admiral Godfrey Place VC. He lives in Sandford, Somerset.