Book Title: Operation Tulip

Series: Secret Agent Series

Author: Deborah Swift

Publication Date: 12^th September 2024

Publisher: HQ Digital

Pages: 410

Genre: Historical Fiction

Any Triggers: mild violence associated with the era.

Twitter Handle: @swiftstory @cathiedunn @MaryLSchmidt

Instagram Handle: @deborahswiftauthor @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #WW2 #HistoricalFiction #Holland #Romance #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/07/blog-tour-operation-tulip-by-deborah-swift.html

Book Title and Author Name:

Operation Tulip

By Deborah Swift

Blurb

Holland, 1944: Undercover British agent Nancy Callaghan has been given her toughest case yet. A key member of the Dutch resistance has been captured, and Nancy must play the role of a wealthy Nazi to win over a notorious SS officer, Detlef Keller, and gain crucial information.

England: Coding expert Tom Lockwood is devastated that the Allies have failed to push back the Nazis, leaving Northern Holland completely cut off from the rest of Europe, and him from his beloved Nancy. Desperate to rescue the love of his life, Tom devises Operation Tulip, a plan to bring Nancy home.

But as Nancy infiltrates the Dutch SS, she finds herself catching the eye of an even more senior member of the Party. Is Nancy in too deep, or can Tom reach her before she gets caught?

Inspired by the true events of occupied Holland during WW2, don’t miss this utterly gripping story of love, bravery and sacrifice.

Praise for Deborah Swift:

‘A well crafted tale… this book did not disappoint’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘There is action, mystery and romantic entanglements stirred into the story for a fantastically entertaining read’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Deborah Swift never disappoints’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A joy to read’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Operation Tulip by Deborah Swift

Saving Lives in WW2 – Operation Manna

Snippet

The Desperate Dutch

‘Today we went on a mercy mission to Holland dropping supplies to the civilians there. It is something I will never forget. We went in at about 400 feet and the people were gathered in crowds, on roof tops and everywhere waving at us with handkerchiefs, etc. It made us all feel good to drop the food, if only those damn Germans didn’t get half of it.’ Norman Coats aircrew

By the winter of 1944-1945, the Netherlands was in the grip of a severe famine, known as the Hongerwinter (Hunger Winter). The famine was because German occupation forces had cut off food and fuel supplies to the western part of the country, a region that included major cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague. The Allies had liberated the southern parts of the Netherlands, but after the failure of Operation Market Garden, the North West of Holland remained under German occupation.

The Germans too were struggling, knowing the war had been lost, and that their time would soon be over, and yet they had not been instructed to surrender. The famine was made even worse by a harsh winter and the bombed and ruined transport infrastructure, which made it nearly impossible to distribute whatever food was available.

By April 1945, millions of Dutch civilians were facing starvation. An estimated 20,000 people had already died from hunger, and many more were at risk. The situation was dire, and the Dutch government in exile, along with the Dutch resistance, appealed to the Allies for help.

Operation Manna to the rescue

Operation Manna (Manna as in the Bible, food from heaven that fed the Israelites in the desert) was a strategy invented by the Royal Air Force (RAF) to drop food supplies over German-occupied territory.

Negotiations for a cease-fire were hastily arranged between the Allies and the German forces in the Netherlands. A truce was agreed  – one that would allow unarmed bombers to fly low over Dutch territory and drop food supplies without being fired upon.

The first mission of Operation Manna took place on April 29, 1945. RAF Lancasters, normally used for bombing raids, were loaded with food parcels instead of bombs. The aircraft flew at low altitudes, around 400 feet, over drop zones in the western Netherlands, including areas around Rotterdam and The Hague.

Food from Heaven

The food parcels contained basic but essential supplies: flour, dried eggs, margarine, sugar, and tinned food. These items were packed in sacks and boxes that were designed to minimize the risk of damage when dropped from the planes. Over the course of ten days, more than 3,000 sorties were flown by the RAF, dropping nearly 7,000 tons of food. The operation was a logistical triumph and a morale booster for both the Allied forces and the starving Dutch population. For many, these food drops were the difference between life and death.

Operation Chowhound: American Aid to the Dutch

While Operation Manna was underway, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) launched a parallel mission, known as Operation Chowhound and involved the use of B-17 Flying Fortress bombers to deliver food to the Netherlands.

Hope for the Future

The impact of Operations Manna and Chowhound on the Dutch people was immediate and profound. The whole winter, they had been surviving on whatever they could find: tulip bulbs, sugar beets, and anything edible they could scavenge. The sudden raining down of food, delivered from the skies by the very bombers that had once meant only death and destruction, was a powerful symbol of hope and renewal.

Operation Manna and Operation Chowhound are remembered in the Netherlands as moments of extraordinary generosity and solidarity. Yearly memorials commemorate the food drops, and the history of the days food came from the sky are taught in Dutch schools as an example of international cooperation and humanitarianism.

Operation Manna and Operation Chowhound continued until May 8, 1945, the day the Germans in the Netherlands officially surrendered to the Allies. This marked the end of the occupation and the beginning of the recovery for the Dutch people. The food drops, however, continued to be a crucial lifeline until normal supply routes could be restored.

 “Instead of being met by flak and searchlight beams, we had all these people waving up at us. What a wonderful greeting.” Frank Tolley 93, air crew

For the airmen who participated, the missions were often among the most rewarding experiences of their military careers. Many veterans of Manna and Chowhound spoke about the pride they felt in being able to help save lives in such a direct and tangible way. Read more about the crews in this article from The Independent Newspaper. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bread-from-heaven-dutch-survivors-thank-raf-for-world-war-ii-drop-that-saved-millions-10220181.html

Buy Links:

Universal Buy Link: http://mybook.to/Tulip

Buy Link for bookstores:

Operation Tulip (WW2 Secret Agent Series)

Author Bio:

Deborah Swift is a USA TODAY bestselling author of twenty books who is passionate about the past. Deborah used to be a costume designer for the BBC, before becoming a writer. Now she lives in an old English school house in a village full of 17th Century houses, near the glorious Lake District. After taking a Masters Degree in Creative Writing, she enjoys mentoring aspiring novelists and has an award-winning historical fiction blog at her website www.deborahswift.com.

Deborah loves to write about how extraordinary events in history have transformed the lives of ordinary people, and how the events of the past can live on in her books and still resonate today.

Recent books include The Poison Keeper, about the Renaissance poisoner Giulia Tofana, which was a winner of the Wishing Shelf Book of the Decade Award, and a Coffee Pot Book Club Gold Medal. Her most recent books are The Silk Code and The Shadow Network both set in the Second World War.

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