On the way he was helped by many extraordinary people, including Andrée De Jongh and Micheline and Andrée Dumon, who were highly decorated after the war for their heroism in operating the escape line, which enabled hundreds of British and American airmen to escape from Nazi-occupied Europe.

Others who helped Joe were not so fortunate and were later captured and executed by Germans; their names and deeds, along with his eternal gratitude, are recorded in this book for posterity... 

On his return to the UK, Joe was reassigned to flying boats ~ first Sunderlands and then Catalinas ~ and while undergoing the extra training this required, his eye was caught by a certain Margaret Dillon, a WAAF Officer serving at RAF Oban. His amorous advances were rejected, however, and she was subsequently posted to RAF Davidstow Moor in Cornwall, whilst he was destined to join 265 Squadron on patrol in the Indian Ocean...

Romance seemed well-and-truly off the menu, but at some point ~ and it is not clear exactly when or why ~ they began corresponding. The many airmail letters they subsequently exchanged not only document their developing courtship but also reveal many fascinating details about the wartime years.