Tragedy & Betrayal in the Dutch Resistance

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 Sicherheitsdienst on the 31st March 1945. 

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.

Table of contents:

1. A Horrid Execution
2. The Five Men and Their Families
3. In the Huis van Bewaring
4. The Verdict and Westerbork
5. The Aftermath
6. Perpertrators and Collaborators
7. The Monument and Reflections
   Endnotes
   

Thanks to Pen & Sword for the copy of this book.

Available from:
Pen & Sword

20th Century Defences in Britain - An Introductory Guide

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. 

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. 

Table of Contents

Part I - Military Archaeology: Sources and Methods
1. Sources of evidence
2. Approaches to survey
3. Materials and techniques

Part II - The Defence of Britain c.1900 - 1945
4. Early warning systems
5. Anti-aircraft defences
6. Civil defence
7. Anti-invasion defences
8. Coastal defences
9. Airfields

Part III - The Archaeology of the Cold War 1945 - 1992
Early warning, active and civil defence

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.  

Available from:
I think this is out of print - you could try Amazon

The Beaulieu River Goes to War 1939-1945

Despite its rather uninspiring name, The Beaulieu River Goes to War 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. 

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.

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 The Exbury Junkers - https://recollectionsofwwii.blogspot.com/2017/09/the-exbury-junkers-world-war-ii-mystery.html). 

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. 

Table of contents:

• The Ghosts on the Beaulieu River
• Twilight War
• Innovation and Experimentation
• The Reformation on HMS Mastodon
• Nevil Shute and the Mystery Bomber
• Neptune's Trident
• Westkapelle: The Jaws of Death
• Fortunes of War
• Bibliography
• List of Major Landing Craft using the Beaulieu River 1939-45
• Index

Available from:
Out of print, but you can try Amazon

The Terror Raids of 1942 - The Baedecker Blitz

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.  

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. 

Table of contents:

1. The Baedecker raids: background and chronology
2. Bombs and radio navigation: countermeasures and the types of bombs used in the raids
3. Air raid shelters and civil defence
4. Exeter and the Baedecker raids, April - May 1942
5. The Bath Blitz, 25-27 April 1942
6. Norwich, April - June 1942
7. The York raid, 29 April 1942
8. Canterbury, June 1942: the final series of Baedecker raids
9. Conclusion

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. 

Thanks to Pen & Sword for the copy of this book.

Available from:
Pen & Sword