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That's patreon.com slash we have ways. The look on his face.

It was the face of a man already dead. I'd known it was a vital man,

alive and eager for anything. Now his eyes were dulled, his face grey, almost haggard, the sort of

vacant, lifeless face you read about, but never expect to see. He barely recognised me, although

his mouth twitched automatically into the semblance of a grin and an arm lifted in a vague wave.

It shocked me as nothing had done before nor has

done since. And that's Tom Gleave describing Eugene Esmond, the commanding officer of 825 Naval Air

Squadron on his way to his swordfish to take off at 1225 on February the 12th, 1942.

That doesn't sound very good, does it?

It doesn't sound good.

And we are in for, I'm afraid we're in for an episode of that sort of thing.

Welcome to We of Ways to Make You Talk with me, Al Murray and James Holland, as we come to part three of the Channel Dash, the Battle of the Narrow Seas.

And this is proving difficult for me. I'm not going to lie.

Tom Gleve, great man, actually, a battle of Britain veteran, but also was involved in writing the official histories.

This is no wilting violet of a fighter man. This is a man who knows aerial combat inside out. So for him to say that

about Esmond, I think is really quite telling. So here we are. This is Operation Cerberus versus

Operation Fuller, the big showdown. Preparation versus improvisation on the German side,

meticulous planning on the on the British side, not quite so meticulous.

Matticulous planning, but in the wrong way.

...