The memory of brave Tamworth war hero who played a key role in helping experts crack a key World War II code is being kept alive by a local author.
Phil Shanahan, aged 52, from Abbots Bromley, wrote The Real Enigma Heroes to highlight the role Grazier played in cracking Hitler’s “unbreakable” enigma code in 1942.
Along with two comrades, the 22-year-old Tamworth man obtained codebooks which proved vital in unlocking German codes bringing about the end of World War II.
For decades the story of Able Seaman Grazier and Lt Tony Fasson, from Scotland, who both died in the mission to retrieve the invaluable books, remained classified.
A third man, Tommy Brown, survived the raid but died in a house fire in 1944.
Mr Shanahan was instrumental in the setting up of a memorial to the men in Tamworth in 2002 and said the story of the trio’s heroics was still of interest.
He said: “It’s one of the most important war stories there’s ever been – what the men did shortened the war.
“For decades they got no recognition for it. Even Colin Grazier’s father died thinking his son lost his life in an unsuccessful mission.”
Following the declassification of files at Bletchley Park Mr Shanahan, then a journalist, led the campaign to see the men honoured.
That effort resulted in The Three Anchors Memorial in Tamworth’s St Editha’s Square and two memorial days a year to remember the three men.
Mr Shanahan said his book, published in 2008, was part of the effort to keep the memory of Glazier and his colleagues alive.
He said: “Without these three men there might never have been a D-Day. There’s a lot of work that’s gone to keep it in people’s minds and hopefully the book continues to do that.”
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