tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80755789767825084922024-03-13T21:33:02.981+00:00Recollections of WWIIMemoirs & books which should be on your bookshelfMatthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.comBlogger266125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-63856291593604019362021-12-20T20:31:00.000+00:002021-12-20T20:31:05.026+00:00Tragedy & Betrayal in the Dutch Resistance<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnNuSAQ6StJX6LDlilXTjlyVL1GI4xWPqSs3HJAvZliAFhuwlBtkOREyPf2fHkJ7IF9h9LF4x7HOIlYZqNplH202_j2UwWYF8CoWR7jTk3ia95qlbFooxjP90eBRVNlDHLS0WUpJMQwJYGwvmKQvI96QTTX_pzbQtvCv8ViwHoYE30MYyTagTgIqeC=s602" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnNuSAQ6StJX6LDlilXTjlyVL1GI4xWPqSs3HJAvZliAFhuwlBtkOREyPf2fHkJ7IF9h9LF4x7HOIlYZqNplH202_j2UwWYF8CoWR7jTk3ia95qlbFooxjP90eBRVNlDHLS0WUpJMQwJYGwvmKQvI96QTTX_pzbQtvCv8ViwHoYE30MYyTagTgIqeC=s320" width="215" /></a></div>In the final days of the Second World War, as German troops were withdrawing and fighting rearguard actions across Europe, the Nazi security forces were still
enthusiastically implementing their cruel regime
on the civilians of the areas still under occupation. In Zwolle in The Netherlands, five men were executed by the <i>Sicherheitsdienst </i>on the 31st March 1945. <p></p><p>Samuel de Korte was the family member of one of those men, and his book is a personal journey to find out more about the men, what they had done and the reasons behind their execution. The author has used a range of resources, including interviews, archival material, and contemporary newspapers to create an important insight into the impact of this callous, brutal moment. Sadly, executions were being carried out across Holland even at this late stage of the war, murdering men and women of the resistance literally days before their liberation from the Nazis. While their stories may be remembered in The Netherlands, this is a little known chapter of Second World War history. De Kortes book helps to ensure their sacrifices can be learnt about by a wider international audience. <br /></p><p>Table of contents:</p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>A Horrid Execution</li><li>The Five Men and Their Families</li><li>In the <i>Huis van Bewaring</i></li><li>The Verdict and Westerbork</li><li>The Aftermath</li><li>Perpertrators and Collaborators</li><li>The Monument and Reflections<br />Endnotes<br /></li></ol><p>Thanks to Pen & Sword for the copy of this book.</p><p><b>Available from:</b><br /><a href="https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tragedy-Betrayal-in-the-Dutch-Resistance-Hardback/p/18587" target="_blank">Pen & Sword</a><br /><br /><br /></p>Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-59929122656149467922021-12-19T17:53:00.004+00:002021-12-19T17:53:57.459+00:0020th Century Defences in Britain - An Introductory Guide<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQdWm3NPfXnHQhwOcDYkHOR2FRjxhZPT3A5ukhapZYKsP337AiaySre29YSDJTZeiL6cz-SSeq97RnCpKi6kktt0HKTMIfjHrjkmXhBANpnY58sHD6JcdJzyZFa_PkyvuCrqaGwqM6dtWslTotFC3d64dt34yDdyqR3Fs4G5zeW81H4Oo37IOAxg1d=s280" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="200" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQdWm3NPfXnHQhwOcDYkHOR2FRjxhZPT3A5ukhapZYKsP337AiaySre29YSDJTZeiL6cz-SSeq97RnCpKi6kktt0HKTMIfjHrjkmXhBANpnY58sHD6JcdJzyZFa_PkyvuCrqaGwqM6dtWslTotFC3d64dt34yDdyqR3Fs4G5zeW81H4Oo37IOAxg1d" width="200" /></a></div>Anyone living in Britain will probably be familiar with seeing the remains of pillboxes, and other crumbling installations from the Second World War, or perhaps even older. However, I personally haven't really been able to identify what every construction was for, although I had made some educated guesses. So I was very pleased when I recently picked up a copy of this book in a secondhand bookshop. <p></p><p>20th Century Defences in Britain - An Introductory Guide, was produced by the Council for British Archaeology as part of the Defence of Britain project. It explains, with illustrations and photographs, the variety of defensive remains that can still be found across the country. Pillboxes, anti-tank obstacles, coastal batteries, bombing decoys, radar stations, Nissen huts, air raid shelters, airfields and many more are described in considerable detail. </p><p>Table of Contents</p><p>Part I - Military Archaeology: Sources and Methods<br />1. Sources of evidence<br />2. Approaches to survey<br />3. Materials and techniques</p><p>Part II - The Defence of Britain c.1900 - 1945<br />4. Early warning systems<br />5. Anti-aircraft defences<br />6. Civil defence<br />7. Anti-invasion defences<br />8. Coastal defences<br />9. Airfields<br /><br />Part III - The Archaeology of the Cold War 1945 - 1992<br />Early warning, active and civil defence<br /></p><p>This is a great handbook for anyone - like me - who wants to know what that old bit of concrete once was, and why it was placed there. </p><p><b>Available from:</b><br />I think this is out of print - you could try <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1872414745/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=1872414745&linkCode=as2&tag=psg0f-21" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></p><p><br /></p>Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-14331700210165660942021-12-19T17:22:00.000+00:002021-12-19T17:22:13.629+00:00The Beaulieu River Goes to War 1939-1945<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj23WCY_9t611HJGncL_aZ-ylbkxTyu8_TGCgmq5-H33w_ccEYD_LzDIXClK7Cit3VKd5YoGO6tcKCVc4x1ZFewyZ3gyTByutWZ8pJd-bwuNbL2myGqnwM87rufw1yFrLuDunL6qpFSSOSJPqfmwQFYuE3156MrynDgDf9HNGn2M_WUFXyw2nxoTJTT=s377" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="290" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj23WCY_9t611HJGncL_aZ-ylbkxTyu8_TGCgmq5-H33w_ccEYD_LzDIXClK7Cit3VKd5YoGO6tcKCVc4x1ZFewyZ3gyTByutWZ8pJd-bwuNbL2myGqnwM87rufw1yFrLuDunL6qpFSSOSJPqfmwQFYuE3156MrynDgDf9HNGn2M_WUFXyw2nxoTJTT=s320" width="246" /></a></div>Despite its rather uninspiring name, <i>The Beaulieu River Goes to War </i>is a very insightful book which explains in detail the role of Combined Operations, and Landing Craft which used the Beaulieu River during the Second World War. <p></p><p>Over 500 major and minor assault landing craft and barges used the river, and these participated in the landings of DDay and Walcheren. The latter is covered in significant detail in the book, and this is a key highlight. Parts of the Mulberry Harbour were constructed on the west bank, while a secret hydrographic unit, Naval scientists experimenting with new weaponry, the SOE 'Finishing School' for SOE Commandos and Free French commandos were all in the local vicinity. The history of HMS Mastodon is described in detail, and should be of interest to anyone researching Combined Operations prior to DDay. <br /></p><p>The book also includes information on the crash of a German bomber in the area, which lead to some speculation regarding its crew and mission (covered in detail in <i>The Exbury Junkers</i> - <a href="https://recollectionsofwwii.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-exbury-junkers-world-war-ii-mystery.html">https://recollectionsofwwii.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-exbury-junkers-world-war-ii-mystery.html</a>). </p><p>The author, Cyril Cunningham, served as a Midshipman on LCT 2401 during the Second World War, and participated in the Normandy campaign, being at HMS Mastodon during 1944. <br /></p><p>Table of contents:<br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The Ghosts on the Beaulieu River</li><li>Twilight War</li><li>Innovation and Experimentation</li><li>The Reformation on HMS Mastodon</li><li>Nevil Shute and the Mystery Bomber</li><li>Neptune's Trident</li><li>Westkapelle: The Jaws of Death</li><li>Fortunes of War</li><li>Bibliography</li><li>List of Major Landing Craft using the Beaulieu River 1939-45</li><li>Index</li></ul><p><b>Available from:<br /></b>Out of print, but you can try <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beaulieu-River-Goes-War-1939-45/dp/0952338602" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></p>Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-45662137825203800512021-12-19T16:59:00.003+00:002021-12-20T20:03:14.521+00:00The Terror Raids of 1942 - The Baedecker Blitz<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimW0d4sU8Uv7VN7P588-wW1NPuHp-Y5DsdOmpTh78NQ4oWxF9BLxlM2o9TTyJ49ExqAEeN2q5krR_03yo9TfJbtb8xaolttoRltxbCts2Xrn-RpDYDDH6yA9NW1_X2SP2qtUjJR9StJK9H-Q04JPWlsOrMi2IYo8J_wCrgEtxrfGd_kmNqYwR9vxqe=s602" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimW0d4sU8Uv7VN7P588-wW1NPuHp-Y5DsdOmpTh78NQ4oWxF9BLxlM2o9TTyJ49ExqAEeN2q5krR_03yo9TfJbtb8xaolttoRltxbCts2Xrn-RpDYDDH6yA9NW1_X2SP2qtUjJR9StJK9H-Q04JPWlsOrMi2IYo8J_wCrgEtxrfGd_kmNqYwR9vxqe=s320" width="215" /></a></div>Between April and June 1942, England was shaken by a series of raids on smaller, historic cities, which were not previously targetted in such a way. These raids were in direct retailiation for the bombing by the RAF of similar cities in Germany, and were known as the Baedecker Raids. The Baedecker Guide was a pre-war tourist book which rated locations for visitors - and the cities targeted were all rated 'three stars' in the terms of the Guide, and this was announced by the German Foreign Office, prior to the raids - ‘We shall go out and bomb every building in Britain marked with three
stars in the Baedeker Guide’. The ensuing raids on Exeter, Bath, Norwich, York and
Canterbury cost the lives of over a thousand people. <p></p><p>While the Blitz on major cities - particularly London and Coventry - is well known, the 1942 raids have received less attention. While there are certainly books published on each specific raid (such as The Bombing of Bath by Niall Rothnie, Norwich - A Shattered City, by Steve Snelling, and Target Exeter by Geoff Worrall), this is the first recent book to provide an overview of all the raids and the impact on each city. The author has used a wide range of sources including newspapers from the period, material from Exeter Cathedral Archives, the Mass Observation Archive, Bath Records Office, and personal correspondence and interviews. Combined, this provides a unique insight into the impact of the raids, and gives voice to the civilians who experienced the raids first hand. </p><p>Table of contents:</p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>The Baedecker raids: background and chronology </li><li>Bombs and radio navigation: countermeasures and the types of bombs used in the raids</li><li>Air raid shelters and civil defence</li><li>Exeter and the Baedecker raids, April - May 1942</li><li>The Bath Blitz, 25-27 April 1942</li><li>Norwich, April - June 1942</li><li>The York raid, 29 April 1942</li><li>Canterbury, June 1942: the final series of Baedecker raids</li><li>Conclusion </li></ol><div><p>The bibliography is helpfully broken down by city, to assist the interested in reader in finding additional sources for further research. As mentioned, there are more detailed books available on the individual raids (although some are now out of print), however this book gives a good broad overview of all the Baedecker Raids and provides attention to a lesser known period, which is certainly warranted. </p><p>Thanks to Pen & Sword for the copy of this book.<br /></p><p><b>Available from:</b><br /><a href="https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Terror-Raids-of-1942-Hardback/p/18546" target="_blank">Pen & Sword</a><br /></p></div>Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-82325875732754732032021-01-20T23:00:00.000+00:002021-01-20T23:00:17.762+00:00U-Boats at War in 100 Objects 1939-1945<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L0KYg6XYd4g/YAi1WDOHxcI/AAAAAAAACA0/oZijzD-4fB85toYoalAxjMrbqfHkkacFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s588/20154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L0KYg6XYd4g/YAi1WDOHxcI/AAAAAAAACA0/oZijzD-4fB85toYoalAxjMrbqfHkkacFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20154.jpg" /></a></div>I am quite a fan of the series of '100 Objects' books, as the authors provide an
authoritative
summary of a range of effects and items, relating to different aspects of the Second World War, and they are a good resource for collectors. <p></p><p>In this book Gordon Williamson, using a carefully selected range of surviving U-boat
memorabilia from private collections, describes 100 iconic elements of
the U-Boat service and its campaigns. The range of items under consideration include
the
uniforms and insignias the men wore, the weapons, equipment and
technology used, and Williamson also explores the conditions in which the U-boat
crews served, from cooking facilities and general hygiene down to the
crude toilet facilities. The key individuals of the U-boat arm, and the types of U-boats themselves are also examined. <span class="aCOpRe"><span></span></span><br /></p>
As this topic is relatively focussed, it is also helpful that the enemy they faced is also covered, examining the
ship-borne and airborne anti-submarine weaponry utilised against the
U-boats. This helps to provide a balanced view point of the U-boat campaign, although if your area of interest is specifically U-boats this may not add much to the book for you. <p></p><p>The images of items from collections are complemented with colour and
black and white photographs from the war. One small criticism is that
the picture quality is variable. The majority of images are clear and
crisp, but a few are less vibrant and the image of the extremely rare
and unique Soldbuch belonging to Karl D<span class="aCOpRe"><span>önitz is unfortunately low resolution. Overall I would recommend anyone with an interest in the U-boat campaign, and particularly with an interest in collecting militaria associated with U-boats, to consider purchasing this book. </span></span></p><p><span class="aCOpRe"><span>Thanks to Pen & Sword for the review copy. </span></span></p><p><span class="aCOpRe"><span><b>Available from:</b><br /><a href="https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/U-Boats-at-War-in-100-Objects-19391945-Hardback/p/18636" target="_blank">Pen & Sword</a></span></span><br /></p>Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-89215678471439042552021-01-12T22:56:00.003+00:002021-01-12T22:58:21.068+00:00Operation Demon - The Evacuation of British Commonwealth Troops from Greece 1941<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="size-26 lh-1" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OkhmonTaia4/X_4I8ejqTWI/AAAAAAAACAQ/EOHlHuVnIz09mjMDMZWmPPqVJRfRezA6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1993/20210112_203725.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1993" data-original-width="1544" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OkhmonTaia4/X_4I8ejqTWI/AAAAAAAACAQ/EOHlHuVnIz09mjMDMZWmPPqVJRfRezA6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20210112_203725.jpg" /></a></div>'Operation Demon' is the new book from author Brian Crabb, and it tells the little known story of theevacuation
of Allied troops from mainland Greece in April 1941. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="size-26 lh-1" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="size-26 lh-1" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In late April 1941, as the German Army overran the country, just over 51,000 Britsh, Australian and New Zeland troops were taken from the shores of Greece at night, to avoid the risk of Luftwaffe attacks. The evacuation did not run entirely to plan, and three ships - </span></span><span class="size-26 lh-1" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="size-26 lh-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">the Dutch troopship <i>Slamat</i>
and HM destroyers <i>Diamond</i>
and <i>Wryneck</i>
on 27 April 1941, were tragically lost, leading to the loss of over 1,000 soldiers and sailors - a story little known today.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="size-26 lh-1" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="size-26 lh-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="size-26 lh-1" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="size-26 lh-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">'Operation Demon' provides an intricate narrative of this episode of the Second World War, and is available as a limited edition illustrated hard back with extensive appendixes - some of which can be read on <a href="https://www.briancrabbmaritimebooks.co.uk/a-recipe-for-disaster" target="_blank">Brian's website</a>. This is a unique book and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean and the campaign in Greece and Crete during the Second World War. <br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="size-26 lh-1" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="size-26 lh-1"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Available from:</b><br />Email the author: briancrabb @ talktalk.net <br /><a href="https://www.briancrabbmaritimebooks.co.uk/" target="_blank">Author's website</a></span></span><br /></div>Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-53441590426086129512020-11-25T23:24:00.000+00:002020-11-25T23:24:18.667+00:00The Reckoning: The Defeat of Army Group South 1944<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LSDXX-pf4w0/X77neEktaRI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/IME9lVzzguQZMmNb_xw19DhGQd4c-X_1QCLcBGAsYHQ/s410/9781472837882_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="268" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LSDXX-pf4w0/X77neEktaRI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/IME9lVzzguQZMmNb_xw19DhGQd4c-X_1QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/9781472837882_12.jpg" /></a></div>The retreat across the Ukraine and Romania in 1944 by the crumbling Wehrmacht is not a topic which has been covered extensively in English language books. There are certainly titles which cover specific battles, such as the Cherkassy-Korsun Pocket, but Pritt Buttar has taken on the challenge of telling the story of the final push by the Red Army to expel German forces from her soil. <p>The explaining the actions of opposing forces across the vast expanse of the Eastern Front is not an easy task, but The Reckoning strikes a good balance - utilising first hand accounts from both sides to illustrate the detailed descriptions of the defensive and offensive actions across the Ukraine and Romania. While the first hand accounts add a great deal, and are often translations from German or Russian sources, it is also clear that memoirs of the Eastern Front are not as prolific as those of the Western Allies, and as such there are sections which rely more on descriptions of unit movements interspersed without a personal touch. But this is a minor issue, as Buttar has created another great book which fills a gap in the history of the Eastern Front. </p><p>The book is a hefty 496 pages and has limited illustrations, but each chapter features numerous maps which help to tell the story. The chapter notes are extensive and the bibliogrpahy stretches to five pages, which tells you everything you need to know about the depth of research that has gone into this book. </p><p>Table of contents:</p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>The Protagonists</li><li>The Kirovograd Encirclement<i> </i></li><li><i>Watutin </i>and the Cherkassy-Korsun Encirclement</li><li>Another Stalingrad</li><li>Mud, Snow and Hill 239</li><li>Kamanets-Podolski: The Encirclement of First Panzer Army</li><li>Malinovsky's Offensive</li><li>The Wandering Pocket</li><li>The Crimean Peninsula</li><li>The End of the Leash</li><li>Preparing for Summer</li><li>The Lviv-Sandomierz Operation</li><li>The Disintegrating Axis</li><li>The Approaching Endgame<br /></li></ol><p>Many thanks to Osprey for the review copy. <br /><br /><b>Available from:</b><br /><a href="https://ospreypublishing.com/the-reckoning">Osprey Publishing</a><br /></p>Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-20167090198505107982020-10-22T22:37:00.000+01:002020-10-22T22:37:10.379+01:00I Somehow Survived - Eyewitness Accounts from WWII<p class="qrShPb kno-ecr-pt PZPZlf mfMhoc" data-attrid="title" data-local-attribute="d3bn" data-ved="2ahUKEwi37KfMjsnsAhXBolwKHZb5ASIQ3B0oATAUegQIDxAL" style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EJaR2jRzjs0/X5H7ISo7SKI/AAAAAAAAB9U/Wt4B99ZIy1kijjWbzkTQ9QQvszFW4J01ACLcBGAsYHQ/s609/20012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EJaR2jRzjs0/X5H7ISo7SKI/AAAAAAAAB9U/Wt4B99ZIy1kijjWbzkTQ9QQvszFW4J01ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20012.jpg" /></a></div><i>I Somehow Survived</i> is apparently going to be the first of a series of books by Klaus G. F<span>örg, a German author who has been collecting oral histories of men and women who lived through the war and who now reside in Bavaria. This is notable as there are a very limited number of books which cover oral histories of German veterans in English, as most books are memoirs of German veterans dedicated to one individual and their experiences alone. </span><p></p><p class="qrShPb kno-ecr-pt PZPZlf mfMhoc" data-attrid="title" data-local-attribute="d3bn" data-ved="2ahUKEwi37KfMjsnsAhXBolwKHZb5ASIQ3B0oATAUegQIDxAL" style="text-align: left;"><span><i>I Somehow Survived</i> contains the stories of four men and one women who experienced the war in various ways. The majority of the book recounts the story of Georg Weiss who provides a detailed account of his experiences on the Eastern Front, including anti-partisan operations and the chaotic retreat in 1944. Sepp Heinrichsberger's story includes a shockingly honest admission to participating in the Vercors massacre in France in 1944. There are two other stories which recount experiences in Italy - one with the Herman Goring Division. And lastly, there is the story of Morlid Nirschl, a Norwegian lady who married a member of the </span><span>German
Kriegsmarine while her mother was in a Norwegian concentration camp for
political activity and her father was in hiding from the Gestapo. </span><span>"I
have no objection to your marrying him,” her father told her, “I just
want them to give us our country back."</span></p><p>Some of these stories are relatively short, and the narratives in some cases are unpolished, lack comprehensive detail and may be inaccurate in specifics, however that is inevitable as the interviewees are all now well into their 90s. These imperfections reflect the oral history nature of the content which by its very nature reflects the personal experiences of individuals. Everyone's experiences differ - and that is why a book like this is important - to provide another perspective. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to find out more about the German experience of the war, and I look forward to the rest of the series. </p><p>Thanks to Pen & Sword for the review copy. </p><p><b>Available from:</b><br /><a href="https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/I-Somehow-Survived-Hardback/p/18500" target="_blank">Pen & Sword</a><br /></p>Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-26585077386360546082020-09-21T22:30:00.000+01:002020-09-21T22:30:31.640+01:00Allied Prisoners of War in China<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PLoDLd8n8oQ/X2kbNho2w4I/AAAAAAAAB7g/dZ6JhKF3OxAvKDYoUOVvc4gmbFt-ReOuwCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/allied.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PLoDLd8n8oQ/X2kbNho2w4I/AAAAAAAAB7g/dZ6JhKF3OxAvKDYoUOVvc4gmbFt-ReOuwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/allied.jpg" /></a></div><i>Allied Prisoners of War in China</i> tells the story of the men who were incarcerated at the Mukden POW camp in northeast China, which was designated for prisoners with special technical skills and high-ranking officers. <p></p><p>They included troops from British and Dutch territories and Australia, but the majority were Americans who had been captured in the Philippines and taken part in the infamous Bataan Death March. <br /><br />Based on extensive field research and interviews with former POWs, Yang Jing’s harrowing account of life in the Mukden camp provides detailed evidence of the crimes perpetrated by the Japanese during the Second World War, as well as a Chinese perspective on a fascinating period of history. </p><p>Compared to the volume of work considering the imprisonment of POWs in Thailand and Burma during WW2, the camp at Mukden is little known. However, Yang Jing comprehensively details the experiences of the men held captive in the extreme coniditions of northeast China until 1945. Drawing on research from personal interviews and material in English and Chinese, this is a fascinating insight into the experiences of Allied POWs in China. </p><p><b>Table of contents:</b></p><p>To Live or Die<br />The Death March<br />Hell Ships<br />The Bell Tolls at Mukden<br />Free Labour<br />A Deadly Prison Break<br />Secret Friendships<br />Resistance<br />The Angry Bull<br />A Secret Contest<br />The Wind Changes<br />Bloody Mukden<br />A Gathering of Generals<br />Liberation<br />The Final Stop<br />The Search for Sergeant Lynch<br />The Post-War Trials<br /></p><p><b>About the Author:</b><br />In 1993, Yang Jing received an enquiry from a survivor of the Mukden POW camp. He felt compelled to tell the story of the camp and began his research, which has continued for more than 20 years and become internationally recognised. In 2003, Yang’s Mukden Nirvana was the first book about the Mukden POW camp to be published in China. He is currently director of the Mukden Allied POW Camp Research Institute at Shenyang University.</p><p>Thanks to Alain Charles Asia Publishing for the review copy</p><p><b>Available from:</b><br /><a href="http://www.alaincharlesasia.com" target="_blank">ACA Publishing</a><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Allied-Prisoners-China-Yang-Jing/dp/1910760293" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /></p>Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-47926875348994190692020-08-25T22:36:00.000+01:002020-08-25T22:36:32.533+01:00Night of the Bayonets - The Texel Uprising and Hitler's Revenge, April–May 1945<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FBZKkeSUn6I/XzrMVkoh5gI/AAAAAAAAB5k/k-VmhACxTMQUYWLJtmTZEbiBBoLYwKwrQCLcBGAsYHQ/s614/night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="404" height="393" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FBZKkeSUn6I/XzrMVkoh5gI/AAAAAAAAB5k/k-VmhACxTMQUYWLJtmTZEbiBBoLYwKwrQCLcBGAsYHQ/w258-h393/night.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><p>In the final days of World War II in Europe, Georgians serving in the
Wehrmacht on Texel island off the Dutch coast rose up and slaughtered
their German masters. Hitler ordered the island to be retaken and
fighting continued for weeks, well after the war's end.<br />
<br />
The uprising had it origins in the bloody history of Georgia in the
twentieth century, a history that saw the country move from German
occupation, to three short years of independence, to Soviet rule after
it was conquered by the Red Army in 1921. A bloody rebellion against the
Soviets took place in 1924, but it remained under Russian Soviet rule.
Thousands of Georgians served in the Soviet forces during World War II
and among those who were captured, given the choice of “starve or
fight”, some took up the German offer to don Wehrmacht uniforms. <br />
<br />
The loyalty of the Georgians was always in doubt, as Hitler himself
suspected, and once deployed to the Netherlands, the Georgian soldiers
made contact with the local Communist resistance. When the opportunity
arose, the Georgians took the decision to rise up and slaughter the
Germans, seizing control of the island. In just a few hours, they
massacred some 400 German officers using knives and bayonets to avoid
raising the alarm. An enraged Hitler learned about the mutiny and
ordered the Germans to fight back, showing no mercy to either the
Georgians or the Dutch civilians who hid them. It was not until 20 May,
12 days after the war had ended, that Canadian forces landed on the
island and finally put an end to the slaughter.<br /></p><p>This is the first comprehensive look in English about this little known incident. The complex relationships between the Germans, Georgians and local Dutch inhabitants - including those associated with the Communist party, makes for fascinating reading. The section which relates to the post war commemoration, and how this has changed over time adds considerably to our understanding of the mutiny, and how it has been portreyed, in the Netherlands and notably in Georgia itself. </p><p>Thanks to Pen & Sword for the review copy. </p><p><b>Available from:</b><br /><a href="https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/night-of-the-bayonets-hardback/p/17693" target="_blank">Pen & Sword</a><br /></p>Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-32846793261019303462020-08-17T19:56:00.002+01:002020-08-17T19:56:13.720+01:00Lucky Me - A Memoir of HMS Bicester in the Second World War<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1433" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u9MEns2KjLI/XzrR66djj1I/AAAAAAAAB58/Yqjm4-xs8NoLMakebmrHUYzdgpZzjqECACPcBGAYYCw/w224-h320/20200817_194714.jpg" width="224" /></div>Lucky Me is the memoir of Leonard R. Barton, who served on <a href="http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DE-Bicester.htm" target="_blank">HMS Bicester</a> throughout the Second World War. HMS Bicester was a Hunt Class Escort Destroyer, which participated in a number of notable actions in the Mediterranean during the war, all of which are detailed in this very well written recollection. <p></p><p>I found that the details provided really helped to build a picture of the experiences of a Royal Navy sailor in the Med, including the constant attacks from the Luftwaffe and Italian airforce, losses of colleagues during attacks, visits to the ports in North Africa and Gibraltar, and later operations such as the landings in Sicilly and Italy. One extremely important chapter covers in great detail the explosion in Bari harbour in 1943, and the subsequent aftermath that crewmen suffered due to exposure from mustard gas. </p><p>The chapter titles give a good idea of the content, and I would highly recommend a copy of this book to anyone with an interest of firsthand accounts of the naval war in the Med. </p><p>Contents:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Lucky Me</li><li>HMS Pembroke, Chatham</li><li>After Pedestal</li><li>Operation Torch</li><li>Back in the Med</li><li>Back Home</li><li>Bari - The Second Pearl Harbour</li><li>The Unseen Enemy</li><li>After Bari</li><li>At Bombay</li></ul><p><b>Available from: <br /></b>Unfortunately I cannot find the publisher details online, so I assume the book is now out of print. Copies may be available on <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lucky-Me-Leonard-R-Barton/dp/B001L0SIDY" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. <br /></p>Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-14186496763237676522020-07-21T23:00:00.001+01:002020-07-26T22:53:22.261+01:00An American Uprising in Second World War England - Mutiny in the Dutchy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fm3c3KCwJ78/XxdlS4Tk29I/AAAAAAAAB4Q/TR-TF6LVHJMPOyye-Da5cYHcMAmQvVpzQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/19464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fm3c3KCwJ78/XxdlS4Tk29I/AAAAAAAAB4Q/TR-TF6LVHJMPOyye-Da5cYHcMAmQvVpzQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/19464.jpg" width="214" /></a>On the evening of Sunday 26th September 1943, the market town of Launceston in Cornwall, England was rocked by the sound of gunfire. The violence that flared was not due to enemy action, but was actually due to an incident between men serving with the US Army. The episode was considered mutinous and soon came to trial, arousing questions over the Anglo-American relations, and drawing attention to the strained relations amongst the men of segregated US Army of the time. For the two groups who came into conflict that night were members of a white US Military Police detachment and men of the black 581st Ordnance Ammunition Company.<br />
<br />
For a brief period, national newspapers in both the UK and USA featured headlines on the supposed 'mutiny', much to the displeasure of the US Army, who wanted to downplay the events, and particularly draw attention away from the focus on their segregated Army. Soon the story was inevitably replaced by the news of D Day and the invasion of France, and the incident was forgotten.<br />
<br />
Only a few local people in Launceston recalled the events, and the event slipped into obscurity. <br />
However, Kate Werran grew up with stories of the incident, and was spurred on to find out the truth. She has gone to great lengths to investigate what happened that night, using details from wartime cabinet documents, secret government surveys,
opinion polls, diaries, letters and newspapers as well as personal accounts from the few who recall what happened. The three day trial of the fourteen GIs accused of mutiny is described in great detail, including the discrepancies in statements and dubious questioning of witnesses, and this combined provides a fascinating book which sheds new light onto this little known aspect of the Second World War.<br />
<br />
While Kate Werran has done a highly commendable job of bringing this story to a wider audience, this was sadly not an isolated incident. Therefore the true extent of conflict within the US Army during the Second World War is a story that still needs to be told. <br />
<br />
Thanks to Pen and Sword for the review copy.<br />
<br />
<b>Available from:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/an-american-uprising-in-second-world-war-england-hardback/p/17682">Pen & Sword</a></div>
Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-64741573474313013482020-06-01T21:34:00.001+01:002020-06-01T21:34:46.876+01:00Dunkirk Evacuation Operation Dynamo - Nine Days That Saved An Army<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xD2iBbh5aRU/XtVl30-EY1I/AAAAAAAAB2g/OaRIwBND2WgZUE6VX77Y5X_2oSwrTYiqACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/18962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xD2iBbh5aRU/XtVl30-EY1I/AAAAAAAAB2g/OaRIwBND2WgZUE6VX77Y5X_2oSwrTYiqACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/18962.jpg" width="246" /></a>A timely new title from Frontline Books series 'Images of War', <i>Dunkirk Evacuation Operation Dynamo</i> is a detailed collection of photographs compiled by John Grehan and Alexander Nicoll.<br />
<br />
Understandably, the number of photos taken by British and French servicemen during the evacuation are limited - as they had other things to preoccupy themselves with. However, the triumphant German troops spent considerable time, and camera film, documenting the destruction and detritus of war left by the retreating troops. Many of the images in the book come from this source. The authors have done a good job of explaining the locations of the photos, names of the wrecked ships that failed to return to England, and the context of the period.<br />
<br />
In addition, there are photos from British sources, including a number of images taken by Sub-Lieutenant John Rutherford Crosby, a member
of the crew of the minesweeper, and converted Clyde paddle steamer, HMS
Oriole. Some of his photos are well known - such as those showing lines of men waiting for rescue from the beaches - others less so, but rarely are they credited to him, and all were taken with his own personal little camera.<br />
<br />
While some photos in this book will be familiar and often used, many will have been seldom seen, and this book provides a very good visual representation of the evacuation of Dunkirk and the surrounding area.<br />
<br />
Thanks to Pen & Sword for the review copy.<br />
<br />
<b>Available from:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Dunkirk-Evacuation-Operation-Dynamo-Paperback/p/17730">Pen & Sword</a></div>
Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-29128950312079357032020-05-31T10:51:00.003+01:002020-05-31T10:51:47.870+01:00Dunkirk - Old Men Remember<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00MXAHjrkcA/XtN990cTMSI/AAAAAAAAB2Q/BvJ0RS8e2aIkc7rgD-iEN6r5P1kCCjTJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200531_104746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1159" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-00MXAHjrkcA/XtN990cTMSI/AAAAAAAAB2Q/BvJ0RS8e2aIkc7rgD-iEN6r5P1kCCjTJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200531_104746.jpg" width="231" /></a>This book came about after conversations at the annual dinner of the Bath Branch of the Dunkirk Veterans Association in 1985, celebrating the 45th Anniversary of the evacuation. The Editor of<i> Dunkirk - Old Men Remember</i> spent considerable time persuading members to share their experiences, often requiring some effort, as many considered their personal experience nothing unusual and therefore not worth writing about.<br />
<br />However, he persevered and the result is a unique set of recollections, spanning stories from Privates to Generals. The Editor himself was a Beachmaster, and the range of recollections is both fascinating and broad. The contents includes:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>The Navy Got Them Away - including recollections from men serving on HMS Codrington, HMS Harvester, HMS Wolfhound and on shore operations</li>
<li>As Seen By A Beachmaster - personal account by Commander S.A. Nettle RNVR</li>
<li>Movement Control Did What They Could - personal account by Brigadier Collins, The Green Howards</li>
<li>Problems for the Medics - personal account by Major James, RAMC & a diary extract from an anonymous QARANC Sister</li>
<li>Headquarters Staff Make a Getaway - personal accounts by Private Barendt, RASC and Major Lawson, Royal Engineers</li>
<li>From the Gunner's Point of View - personal account by men of the Royal Artillery</li>
<li>Drivers had a Hard Time - accounts from drivers across numerous Regiments</li>
<li>The Sappers, Ordnance and RASC - accounts from members of the Royal Engineers, RAOC and RASC</li>
<li>The Infantry Look Back - accounts from men who served with the following Regiments - Lancashire Fusiliers, Royal Scots, Royal Warwickshire, Somerset Light Infantry, The Green Howards, East Surrey Regiment, Coldstream Guards, Royal Signals, East Lancashire Regiment, East Riding Yeomanry, REME</li>
<li>The Perimeter Defences - two IWM owned accounts</li>
<li>The Merchant Navy & Small Ships Armada - accounts from Merchant Navy and RN men</li>
<li>As Seen from Above - The Air Force View - accounts from the RAF</li>
<li>Some Found Other Ways Home - men who escaped via Cherbourg and Brest</li>
<li>Resistance Forces in Occupied Europe Were Born at Dunkirk - an evader who escaped through Spain and a member of the Belgian Army</li>
</ul>
This is a seldom seen book, but in my experience one of the best collections of Dunkirk accounts.<br />
<br />
<b>Available from:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dunkirk-remember-Cmdr-Comp-Nettle/dp/0951354604">Amazon</a> <br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-78524577346462264322020-05-26T20:14:00.002+01:002020-05-26T20:14:30.199+01:00The Epic of Dunkirk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qkOcMtIWp8A/Xs1qd8XLWcI/AAAAAAAAB18/qQj7z4vinuQkksx1se3LPtieafccRjxjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/epic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qkOcMtIWp8A/Xs1qd8XLWcI/AAAAAAAAB18/qQj7z4vinuQkksx1se3LPtieafccRjxjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/epic.jpg" /></a>Edward Keble Chatterton
(1878-1944) was a sailor and prolific writer who is best known for
non-fiction works. His voyages across the English Channel, to the
Netherlands, around the Mediterranean and through the French canals led
to many articles and books. Joining the R.N.V.R. at the outbreak of the
Great War he commanded a motor launch flotilla, leaving the service as a
Lieutenant Commander. In 1918 he was appointed to the Naval section of
the Official History Committee, where he worked until 1922.<br />
<br />
His account of Dunkirk was, at the time of
publication, the only book dealing with the naval and seafaring aspect of
the withdrawal from Dunkirk of the British Expeditionary Force. It
includes first hand information obtained from ship owners, and the
officers themselves who took part in the evacuation along with official
information.<br />
<br />
A valuable source for those interested with the naval
and seafaring aspect of the withdrawal from Dunkirk, originally
published in November 1940 it is an authentic account of the coasters
and cargo steamers, yachts and motor cruisers, sailing barges and
lifeboats, excursion paddle vessels, destroyers and sloops, even
dinghies, that took their part day after day, night after night, and
effected what experts at the time had considered impossible.<br />
<br />
<b>Available from:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.naval-military-press.com/product/epic-of-dunkirk/">Naval & Military Press </a></div>
</div>
Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-70084772546839243972020-05-26T20:08:00.000+01:002020-05-26T20:14:39.628+01:00Dunkirk 1940 - Operation Dynamo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2zoMiaxq0Kg/Xs1lAD7z2wI/AAAAAAAAB1Q/q-8JFF-chLsLotmR2hOdfWdBGOiuhkK5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/42068430._SX318_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2zoMiaxq0Kg/Xs1lAD7z2wI/AAAAAAAAB1Q/q-8JFF-chLsLotmR2hOdfWdBGOiuhkK5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/42068430._SX318_.jpg" width="246" /></a><span id="freeText11516909412402395468">77 years ago, on the
beaches of Dunkirk, the British, French and Belgian soldiers made an
unexpected re-embarkation enabling them to escape captivity. The British
Expeditionary Force (BEF), with its 10 motorized divisions, arrived in
France in September 1939, was able to evacuate most of its soldiers to
Great Britain, but had to abandon most of its vehicles and tons of
equipment. </span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText11516909412402395468">Johann Tytgat, an inhabitant of the region, has traveled
relentlessly for more than 30 years on the beaches and the surrounding
countryside in search of the relics of Operation Dynamo, which took
place in May-June 1940. We present these pieces saved from oblivion and
sometimes presenting a surprising state for objects having spent decades
buried in the sand on the beaches. </span><br />
<span id="freeText11516909412402395468"><br /></span>
<span id="freeText11516909412402395468">This is a highly illustrated book which showcases the collection of objects found on the beaches and environs by the authors. I picked up a copy in France from a tourist information centre, and while the text is far from exhaustive, it is the pictures of the relics which are the main focus and this makes it worthwhile. And yes, the cover image is taken from the 1950s film! </span><br />
<br />
<span id="freeText11516909412402395468">Some example pages below</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2gErvI43n3w/Xs1nQjV8XlI/AAAAAAAAB1k/2_SxLevpo_g1RmbmgCuCpXR2nmhh7W7tQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200526_195635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="738" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2gErvI43n3w/Xs1nQjV8XlI/AAAAAAAAB1k/2_SxLevpo_g1RmbmgCuCpXR2nmhh7W7tQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/20200526_195635.jpg" width="292" /></a></div>
<br />
<span id="freeText11516909412402395468"><br /></span>
<b><span id="freeText11516909412402395468">Available from:</span></b><br />
<span id="freeText11516909412402395468">I can't find this for sale online anywhere! So it might be a purchase if you visit Dunkirk or De Panne tourist offices.</span></div>
Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-65812129041106755902020-05-26T19:42:00.000+01:002020-05-26T20:14:44.271+01:00We Remember Dunkirk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g-l7iu44jUw/Xs1iz69LE8I/AAAAAAAAB1E/IESuGf0wenk3yGiMzpQfoUzdm_OgClsGQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/WerememberDunkirk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="441" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g-l7iu44jUw/Xs1iz69LE8I/AAAAAAAAB1E/IESuGf0wenk3yGiMzpQfoUzdm_OgClsGQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/WerememberDunkirk.jpg" width="202" /></a>‘Yes we were scared. It could be
seen on the faces of the men. No food didn’t help. We stopped to suck
pebbles during the day as our tongues began to swell through lack of
water … We had an order come through to us one day. Every man for
himself. And then the soldiers – Belgian, French and British – were side
by side in silent soddy ranks in columns, zig-zagged across the
beaches. I still believe this was done to minimise casualties. We had to
wade out up to our necks in water to get onto a boat, ducking under the
water when the Germans tried to mow us down. Eventually I managed to
grab a chain hanging off a Naval motorboat, and it was fully loaded but I
hung on …’<i> </i><br />
<i>Arthur Thomas Gunn, Walsall</i><br />
<br />
Between 27 May
and 4 June 1940 over 900 vessels rescued 338,226 people trapped at
Dunkirk. Cut off by the advancing German Army hundreds of thousands of
Allied troops gathered on the beaches – exhausted, hungry and scarred by
war. Operation Dynamo saw British destroyers and the hundreds of
‘little ships’ bring these men safely back to England, where they were
welcomed back by the locals with tea and sandwiches, and hailed as
heroes.<br />
<br />
In <i>We Remember Dunkirk</i> we hear stories from the
soldiers who made the perilous journey to Dunkirk and came under
constant attack from Nazi aircraft as they boarded British ships and
attempted to cross the Channel. But we also hear from the nurses who
tended the many returning wounded; the young women who, along with the
rest of their communities, rallied to make food and gather whatever they
could to give the soldiers; and what it was like witnessing all this
through a child’s eyes. Above all, we see how the solidarity of the
British people gave rise to the unfailing ‘Dunkirk Spirit’.<br />
<br />
<b>Available from:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/108/1089300/we-remember-dunkirk/9780091941543.html">Penguin Books </a><br />
Alternatively, you can buy the original 1990 version from <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/We-Remember-Dunkirk-Personal-Accounts/dp/187277900X">Amazon</a> (quite a bit cheaper)</div>
</div>
Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-331634673799857112020-05-26T19:34:00.000+01:002020-05-26T20:14:49.649+01:00Dunkirk - The Men They Left Behind<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y6KOaLWRtGY/Xs1gO9rdASI/AAAAAAAAB04/0cFpfkstPT0Mu3FblYQMaqSeZzgD1UqqQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/61lStjq9edL._SX328_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="330" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y6KOaLWRtGY/Xs1gO9rdASI/AAAAAAAAB04/0cFpfkstPT0Mu3FblYQMaqSeZzgD1UqqQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/61lStjq9edL._SX328_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="211" /></a>At 2am on the morning of the 3rd of June 1940, General Harold Alexander
searched along the quayside, holding onto his megaphone and called 'Is
anyone there? Is anyone there?' before turning his boat back towards
England.<br />
<br />
Tradition tells us that the dramatic events of the evacuation
of Dunkirk, in which 300,000 BEF servicemen escaped the Nazis, was a
victory gained from the jaws of defeat. For the first time, rather than
telling the tale of the 300,000 who escaped, Sean Longden reveals the
story of the 40,000 men sacrificed in the rearguard battles.<br />
<br />
On the
beaches and sand dunes, besides the roads and amidst the ruins lay the
corpses of hundreds who had not reached the boats. Elsewhere, hospitals
full of the sick and wounded who had been left behind to receive
treatment from the enemys doctors. And further afield still fighting
hard alongside their French allies - was the entire 51st Highland
Division, whose war had not finished as the last boats slipped away.<br />
<br />
Also scattered across the countryside were hundreds of lost and lonely
soldiers. These evaders had also missed the boats and were now
desperately trying to make their own way home, either by walking across
France or rowing across the channel. The majority, however, were now
prisoners of war who were forced to walk on the death marches all the
way to the camps in Germany and Poland, where they were forgotten until
1945.<br />
<br />
<b>Available from:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dunkirk-Men-They-Left-Behind/dp/1845299779">Amazon </a></div>
Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-33301333566922831172020-04-08T18:54:00.002+01:002020-04-08T18:54:41.681+01:00Fallschirmjäger! A Collection of Firsthand Accounts and Diaries by German Paratrooper Veterans from the Second World War<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m579G9wHLQU/Xo4Pr5lWVHI/AAAAAAAABzU/cIgNLQcGgaEHwuDr7Qm-KeADseE5LNvOQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/9781912866182_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="268" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m579G9wHLQU/Xo4Pr5lWVHI/AAAAAAAABzU/cIgNLQcGgaEHwuDr7Qm-KeADseE5LNvOQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/9781912866182_1.jpg" width="222" /></a>Paratroopers or Fallschirmjäger as they are known in German, were the
elite parachute troops (Fallschirmtruppe) of the Luftwaffe during the
Second World War. This book is the result of several years of written
correspondence, telephone interviews and meetings between the author, Greg Way, and veteran
Fallschirmjäger between 1999 and 2006 and contains the memoirs of
seventeen pre to mid-war volunteers and one late war conscript.<br />
<br />
The
stories and diaries feature vivid battlefield memories that
reflect the reality of war. On the other hand many of the stories convey
the lighter hearted moments or gallows humour that has remained etched
in their memories. The one common factor shared by almost all of these
men is captivity, whether captured during bitter fighting or
surrendering at the end of hostilities. These men and thousands like
them would be shipped off to POW camps in the USA, Britain and France
until their repatriation, in some cases from several months to several
years after the end of the war. Their words provide a fascinating
insight into their training, combat, capture and subsequent captivity,
creating an important historical record of their military service during
the Second World War. Sadly, many of these men have now passed away and
oral histories such as these now belong to an ever decreasing number of
elderly veterans. <br />
<br />
The range of experiences - including accounts of Crete, Eben Emael, North Africa, Cassino, Normandy and the Eastern Front - give a great insight into the experiences of Fallschirmjäger in the Second World War. Each chapter details the experiences of a veteran, accompanied with unique photographs. Many thanks to Greg Way for sharing these memories, and ensuring the stories of these veterans have not been lost. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in personal accounts of the Second World War.<br />
<br />
<b>Available from:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/fallschirmjaeger-a-collection-of-firsthand-accounts-and-diaries-by-german-paratrooper-veterans-from-the-second-world-war.php">Helion</a><br />
<a href="https://www.casematepublishing.co.uk/fallschirmj-ger.html">Casemate</a><br />
<br />
</div>
Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-17694728756314916312020-02-26T22:54:00.003+00:002020-02-26T22:54:40.615+00:00The Home Front 1939-1945 in 100 Objects<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4ghivAOB4s/Xlb3BvU1JaI/AAAAAAAAByM/ZjX4Q2AgOB0uc-WT0qrUUkBpa2W_bSJMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/18603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4ghivAOB4s/Xlb3BvU1JaI/AAAAAAAAByM/ZjX4Q2AgOB0uc-WT0qrUUkBpa2W_bSJMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/18603.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
A lifesaving gas mask. A ration book, essential for the supply of food. A
shelter stove that kept a family warm whilst they huddled in their
Anderson shelter. A leaflet dropped by the Luftwaffe that was designed
to intimidate Britain’s populace during the threat of invasion. A
civilian identity card over-stamped with the swastika eagle from the
occupied Channel Islands. A rare, previously unpublished, snapshot of
legendary American bandleader Glenn Miller playing at a UK air base. A
twisted remnant of German V2 rocket that went to space and back before
exploding over London, the result of equally twisted military science.
Colourful flag bunting that saw the VE celebrations in 1945: All
disparate objects that together tell the moving and important story of
Britain’s Home Front during the Second World War.<br />
<br />
The ordinary objects featured in this book, whether those produced in
their millions to the far from ordinary or unique, all portray and exude
the highs and lows of the British people during six years of war. From
the deprivations of rationing and the bombing of the Blitz, to the
cheery songs, elegant fashions and ‘Dig For Victory’ spirit, are all
captured in colour.<br />
<br />
The phrase ‘If only this could talk …’ is often heard: in this book, the
objects almost can. All the objects have a general contextual
background history and any specific known associated story is also
included, all in a clear form, with cross-references to related
subjects.<br />
<br />This is an essential visual reference book for anyone with an interest in collecting Home Front items, and also for anyone who wants to find out more about the sort of items that have been handed down within families or have been tucked away in drawers for years. The contextual information explaining the significance of these objects is fantastically detailed, making this a very impressive publication. The author, Austin J. Ruddy, is clearly passionate and knowledgeable about his subject, and this comes across in his writing. Recommended.<br />
<br />
<b>Available from:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Home-Front-19391945-in-100-Objects-Hardback/p/16852">Pen & Sword Books</a><br />
<br />
</div>
Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-35020346356469285262019-12-24T09:41:00.000+00:002019-12-24T09:41:01.187+00:00Christmas Under Fire, 1944<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:107%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">How was Christmas celebrated and
experienced during 1944, the last year of World War II? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Bastogne in Belgium, Christmas 1944.
Plagued by biting cold and the nerve-wracking sound of exploding mortar bombs,
American soldiers sang Christmas carols. They ate their meagre rations,
yearning for well-laid Christmas dinner tables and roasted turkey. On the
Eastern front, German military assembled to listen to Christmas music on the
radio, if they had a little respite from the bloody battle against the
advancing Red Army. After reading the latest mail from Germany, they wiped away
their tears, thinking of their families back home. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">In liberated Paris as well as in other
European cities, Christmas was celebrated no matter how limited the
circumstances may have been. In the major cities in the western part of the
Netherlands, occupied by the Germans, civilians scraped the very last bits of
food together for a Christmas dinner that could not appease their hunger. POWs
in camps all over the world looked forward to Christmas parcels from home. Even
in Nazi concentration camps, inmates found hope in Christmas, although their
suffering continued inexorably. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Christmas Under Fire, 1944</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> describes the circumstances in which the last
Christmas of World War II was celebrated by military, civilians and camp
inmates alike. Even in the midst of war’s violence, Christmas remained a
hopeful beacon of western civilization.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
</span><i><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Christmas Under Fire, 1944</span></i><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> has been written by Kevin Prenger, owner of the
highly recommended website<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://www.tracesofwar.com/">Tracesofwar.com</a>. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">You can read the first chapter <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-under-Fire-1944-World/dp/1087410614" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Available from:</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-under-Fire-1944-World/dp/1087410614"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Amazon</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">(Paperback and Kindle) </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></div>
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Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-26166989838932442372019-11-19T23:03:00.001+00:002019-11-19T23:03:52.594+00:00Killing Hitler's Reich: The Battle for Austria 1945<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fSc3gFAIhzE/XdR0W4fUxCI/AAAAAAAABvk/sE5Znj9bLvcxWzmS_gLIuKWq95EuRejFACEwYBhgL/s1600/51owc%252BdyOOL._SX345_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="347" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fSc3gFAIhzE/XdR0W4fUxCI/AAAAAAAABvk/sE5Znj9bLvcxWzmS_gLIuKWq95EuRejFACEwYBhgL/s320/51owc%252BdyOOL._SX345_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="222" /></a>In the dying days of World War Two, when the fate of nations was being
decided by the triumvirate of Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt
and Josef Stalin, Hitler’s Austrian homeland provided a scenic backdrop
for the last stand of Army Group South. Killing Hitler’s Reich, The
Battle For Austria 1945, is the history of the bloody Battle for Austria
in 1945. Austria’s fate held major ramifications for postwar Europe and
the entire free world, yet there is no complete account of the campaign
written in English.<br />
<br />
Given the scale of the fighting and the scope of
the consequences, this book fills a major gap in the literature of World
War Two. On VE Day Army Group South listed 450,000 men still under arms
in four armies. It was this massive force that made General Dwight
Eisenhower change the entire focus of American ground operations to cut
off Germans from retreating into the National Redoubt.<br />
<br />
Moreover, it was
Austria not Berlin, that proved to be the graveyard of the Waffen SS. No
less than 15 of Himmler’s divisions ended the war there. And as the
German war effort disintegrated into chaos, high ranking Nazis fled the
dying Reich through Austria and into Italy. Some made it, many didn’t. Killing Hitler’s Reich follows the chase and capture of some of the most
notorious, such as Himmler’s Second in Command, Ernst Kaltenbrunner.
Long overlooked by historians, Killing Hitler’s Reich finally places
this critical campaign in its proper historical place.<br />
<br />
<b>Available from:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.casematepublishing.co.uk/killing-hitler-039-s-reich.html" target="_blank">Casemate Publishing </a></div>
Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-19889287257661810192019-11-16T22:21:00.000+00:002019-11-16T22:21:15.562+00:00Voices from the Arctic Convoys<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MQeR72g5KnE/XdB2NDNklkI/AAAAAAAABvA/P5gdKflrNB8wu6D7m5BHOk10XlmzMYa3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/51WKqfpz61L._SX330_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="332" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MQeR72g5KnE/XdB2NDNklkI/AAAAAAAABvA/P5gdKflrNB8wu6D7m5BHOk10XlmzMYa3wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/51WKqfpz61L._SX330_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="212" /></a><span>With the invasion of Russia by Germany in 1941, Britain gained a
new ally and a responsibility to provide material for the new front.
More than four million tonnes of supplies such as tanks, fighters,
bombers, ammunition, raw materials and food were transported to Russia
during a four-year period. The cost was high and by May 1945, the
campaign had seen the loss of 104 merchant ships and sixteen military
vessels, and the thousands of seamen they carried.</span><br /><br /><span>The Arctic route was the most arduous of all convoy routes. The ever-present threat of attack from </span>German U-boats<span> and </span>Luftwaffe bombers<span> such as the dreaded Focke-Wulf Fw 200 </span><em>Condor</em><span>
were not all the Arctic convoys had to contend with. They had to deal
with severe cold, storms, fog, ice floes and waves so huge they tore at
the ships’ armour plating.</span><br /><br /><span>It is to the memory of
these brave men that this book is dedicated and the stories of the
immeasurable contribution they made to the Allied efforts during the
Second World War have been collected for this book by their veteran
comrades.</span><br />
<br />
<span>Voices from the Arctic Convoys contains the personal stories of 28 veterans, who served on ships including: </span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span>HMS <i>Ledbury</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Nabob</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Sheffield</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Swift</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Javelin</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Bulldog</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Shera</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Belfast</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Bluebell</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Nigeria</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Keppel</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Malcolm</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Milne</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Wren</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Apollo</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Magpie</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Berwick</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Zephyr</i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Achates </i></span></li>
<li><span>HMS <i>Bermuda</i></span></li>
<li><span>SS <i>Induna</i></span></li>
<li><span>SS <i>Empire Baffin</i></span></li>
<li><span>SS <i>Empire Elgar</i></span></li>
<li><span>SS <i>Soborg</i></span></li>
<li><span>SS <i>Charlbury</i></span></li>
<li><span><i>Northern Wave </i></span></li>
</ul>
<span><b>Available from:</b></span><br />
<span><a href="https://www.fonthill.media/products/voices-from-the-arctic-convoys" target="_blank">Fonthill Media </a></span></div>
Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-14142909575270703132019-09-30T19:48:00.000+01:002019-09-30T19:48:09.342+01:00The Persecution of the Jews in Photographs - The Netherlands 1940-1945<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z7rcCJ0Z1tY/XZJNsirj70I/AAAAAAAABtg/i2_SbYRARdA8b06z-ZWnU29lu4OAXp9BgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/image-persecution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z7rcCJ0Z1tY/XZJNsirj70I/AAAAAAAABtg/i2_SbYRARdA8b06z-ZWnU29lu4OAXp9BgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/image-persecution.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<em>The Persecution of the Jews in Photographs, the Netherlands 1940-1945 </em>is
the first book of <br />
photographs about the persecution and deportation of
the Jews in the Netherlands. A remarkable number of photographs have
survived of the process from the initial isolation to the final
extermination of the Jews. Both the professional photographers
commissioned by the occupying forces, and amateurs, took moving
photographs. Ordinary Dutch citizens recorded razzias, in some cases
secretly. They also photographed the introduction of the Star of David,
the Jews who went into hiding, and the role of perpetrators and
bystanders.<br />
<br />
On 10 May 1940, the day of the German invasion, there were 140,000
Jewish inhabitants living in the Netherlands. In addition, there were
more than 20,000 German-Jewish refugees in the country. The German
occupying forces gradually introduced anti-Jewish measures, step by
step. The first train left for the Westerbork transit camp on 14 July
1942, followed up by the deportations to the Auschwitz extermination
camp. 107,000 Jews were deported from the Netherlands, The full extent
of their terrible fate only became known after the war: at least 102,000
were murdered, died of mistreatment or were worked to death in the Nazi
camps. This tragedy has had a profound effect on Dutch society.<br />
<br />
Photographic archives and private collections were consulted in the
Netherlands and abroad. Extensive background data was researched, which
means that the moving pictures have an even greater force of expression.
The result is an overwhelming collection of almost 400 photographs,
accompanied by detailed captions. This book reflects the memory of the
persecution of the Jews in photographs.<br />
<br />
The book supports an exhibition at the National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam. <a href="https://jck.nl/en/exhibition/persecution-jews-photographs-netherlands-1940-1945" target="_blank">Find out more about the exhibition. </a><br />
<br />
<b>Available from:</b><br />
<a href="https://wbooks.com/winkel/deutsch-english/english/the-persecution-of-the-jews-in-photographs-the-netherlands-1940-1945/" target="_blank">W Books</a><br />
</div>
</div>
Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8075578976782508492.post-21392329632992442722019-09-30T19:22:00.000+01:002019-09-30T19:22:35.359+01:00Arras Counter-Attack 1940<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kGfjlLS7KwU/XZJHnANNtFI/AAAAAAAABtU/lyr6qciEYuw5XaUKRDpiu4EYbs4vSyT-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/15515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kGfjlLS7KwU/XZJHnANNtFI/AAAAAAAABtU/lyr6qciEYuw5XaUKRDpiu4EYbs4vSyT-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/15515.jpg" width="213" /></a>On 21 May 1940 during the ill-fated Dunkirk Campaign the British
launched an operation spearheaded by two tank regiments to help secure
the city of Arras. This was the only significant armoured operation
mounted by the British during the campaign.<br />
<br />
Poorly coordinated and starting badly, the Matilda tanks ran into the
flanks of Rommel’s over extended 7th Panzer Division. With the German
anti-tank guns unable to penetrate the armour of the British tanks,
Rommel’s infantry fell into chaos as the Matildas plunged deep into
their flank. The Germans were machine gunned and started to surrender
in large numbers but with the British infantry lagging well behind,
fighting their own battles in the villages, there was no one to round
them up.<br />
<br />
Into this scene of chaos entered Rommel whose personal leadership and
example started to steady his troops and organise an effective response. This was
classic Rommel but in the aftermath, he claimed to have been attacked by
five divisions.<br />
<br />
The Arras counter-attack contributed to Hitler issuing the famous ‘halt
order’ to his panzers that arguably did much to allow the British Army
to withdraw to Dunkirk and escape total destruction.<br />
<br />
<b>Available from:</b><br />
<a href="https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Arras-Counter-Attack-1940-Paperback/p/14028" target="_blank">Pen & Sword </a></div>
Matthew Smaldonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16106291140278917128noreply@blogger.com0