Author of The Real Enigma Heroes to sign copies of his book in Tamworth town centre

The Real Enigma Heroes was originally published by The History Press, the UK’s largest history publisher, as a hardback in 2008. Available in many countries, the book has been featured in the national and international press as well as on TV and radio.

The updated new print version marks 75 years since Tamworth man Colin Grazier gave his life in a secret mission which helped shorten the Second World War. Colin (22), from Two Gates, and First Lieutenant Tony Fasson (29), from Scotland, drowned on October 30, 1942 seizing vital Enigma codebooks from a German U-boat.

The men served on HMS Petard, a Royal Navy destroyer which had attacked the U-559. They boarded the stricken submarine after its desperate crew surrendered. Both men perished when the U-boat went down, but not before passing the codebooks to NAAFI canteen assistant Tommy Brown (16) who had also boarded the vessel. He survived, but died two years later in a house fire.

The captured material enabled Bletchley Park codebreakers to crack the German naval Enigma cipher, allowing essential supply ships to avoid U-boat attacks. Historians say the action shortened WW2 by at least a year.
Phil first became involved in the Enigma story in 1998 when he launched the Herald’s award-winning campaign to bring the men to public attention. His book captures one of the most extraordinary stories ever to come out of WW2 and is packed with eyewitness accounts. It also charts the fight to honour the heroes, which saw Phil crossing swords with a Hollywood film director, meeting members of the Royal family, opening Alan Turing’s codebreaking hut to the public and being awarded the Freedom of Bletchley Park.