Enemy Coast Ahead

Gibson joined the RAF prior to the war, and he recounts the early stages of combat and the daily struggle with first the Handley Page Hampden and then the Avro Manchester aeroplanes on long and arduous missions into enemy airspace. He also clearly recounts the issues facing the early pilots taking the war to Germany from within what seemed an almost amateurish Bomber Command. Subsequently, he flew the renowned Avro Lancaster. He quickly learned how to stay alive and rapidly grew in experience and maturity, rising from Pilot Officer to a highly decorated Wing Commander.

Using Gibson's original draft, the reprint restored elements originally omitted – such as Gibson's views on fellow pilots and staff, air tactics and the deployment of Bomber Command.

On the 75th anniversary of Gibson's death, September 19th 2019, Greenhill Books released a new illustrated edition of the book. The new edition retains the introduction by Sir Arthur Harris and adds new commentary from historian James Holland. In his introduction Holland writes, "He was certainly flawed, but his flaws make his achievements all the more remarkable... read it carefully, and particularly this original draft, and the fears, the stress and strain, and the tragedy of his short life are there, plain to see."

The Greenhill edition also includes extensive notes by Dr Robert Owen, official historian of 617 Squadron and more than 100 photographs, many of which had not been published elsewhere before.[1]

The 1954 film, The Dam Busters, was based on both Gibson's Enemy Coast Ahead and on Paul Brickhill's The Dam Busters. The movie starred Richard Todd as Gibson and Michael Redgrave as Wallis.

• Enemy Coast Ahead: Uncensored - The Real Guy Gibson - 2006 - ISBN 978-0-85979-118-2

• Enemy Coast Ahead: The Illustrated Memoir of Dambuster Guy Gibson - 2019 - ISBN 978-1784384906[1]