Adam Hart in Conversation with Lieutenant General David Leakey

Operation Pimento

A secret mission, a sole survivor, an epic escape

Adam Hart is a 26‑year‑old author, journalist and historian from Pembrokeshire, Wales, now living in west London. He studied history at Exeter University and later trained as a journalist at Cardiff University. Adam has written for major outlets including The Telegraph, The Times, and The Express, plus various local papers and magazines. On screen, he has appeared on BBC Antiques Roadshow and the ITV Evening News. He has spoken on Radio 4, TimesRadio, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Devon, and others.

About Operation Pimento

On 14 August 1943, Adam Hart’s great-grandfather Frank Griffiths took off from RAF Tempsford, the SOE ‘Special Duties’ airbase in rural England. Frank and his crew were on a secret midnight mission codenamed Operation Pimento, but they were shot down near Annecy in southeast France.

Only Frank survived.

Though seriously injured, Frank felt it was his duty to get back to England to continue the fight against the Nazis. He embarked on a perilous, 1,200-mile, 108-day escape across Europe, via the attic of a brothel, a Frenchwoman’s chimney and a Spanish prison cell. Seventy-nine years later, Frank’s 22-year-old great-grandson Adam Hart retraced the epic escape through France, Switzerland and Spain. His emotional encounters with descendants of people who’d risked their lives to help his great-grandfather reveal the enduring legacy of Operation Pimento and how we should never forget their sacrifice.

Operation Pimento is not only a riveting true story, but also a vivid account of one young man’s journey to discover more about a man he’d never met, but always knew to be a hero.

About Lieutenant General David Leakey

Lieutenant General David Leakey, CMG, CVO, CBE is a former British Army officer. He retired after 39 years of operational commands punctuated by spells in the MoD and Brussels.

In 2010 he was appointed Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, a role he held until December 2017. He now works in the business world of Chemicals, IT and Apps.

Praise for Operation Pimento

There are touches of the BBC sitcom ‘Allo ‘Allo, such as the attic above the brothel, but for the most part it reflects the deadlier drama Secret Army… This is an inspiring story, warmly told as a travelogue.

Country Life

A wonderfully evocative tale of one man’s escape from occupied Europe and the countless people who helped along the way, their extraordinary courage and sacrifice brought movingly to life across the generations by the author retracing his great-grandfather’s footsteps to freedom.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Wigston KCB CBE, Chief of the Air Staff, 2019-2023

An affectionate and often audacious tale of an unsung WW2 hero, told by his great grandson. Adam Hart is a writer to watch out for.

Anthony Horowitz

Frank Griffiths’ incredible escape and evasion story will become a wartime classic. This is a unique book because Frank’s outstanding deeds are only part of the story. We also follow the writer’s own emotional journey through Europe as he follows in the footsteps of his great-grandfather and discovers the incredible bravery of those who risked their lives to help Frank escape. Truly inspiring.

Andy McNab