Mediterranean Maelstrom: H. M. S. Jervis and the 14th Flotilla by G. G. Connell

Mediterranean Maelstrom: H. M. S. Jervis and the 14th Flotilla by G. G. Connell lands on the shelves of my shop.

London: William Kimber & Co., Ltd, 1987, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Maps; Tables;

From the cover: From the outbreak of World War II until the conclusion of conflict in Europe HMS Jervis was involved in almost continuous action, first in home waters and then for three years in the Mediterranean. She returned to the United Kingdom for the Normandy landings before returning to the Mediterranean to continue her active career.

The destroyer flotilla leader, commanded by a succession of outstanding Captain Ds, led the 14th Flotilla on numerous day and night actions classic gun and torpedo attacks on the Italian battle fleet, ship to shore bombardments, submarine hunts, and as escorts of siege supply and invasion convoys. In spite of inadequate and rudimentary anti-aircraft armament, she defended both herself and units under her protection from very many air assaults.

HMS Jervis was awarded thirteen battle honours, a position shared by just two other ships of the fleet, the cruiser Orion and Tribal class destroyer Nubian. This is the story of the ship as leader of the 7th then the 14th Flotilla.

G. G. Connell, having interviewed many of her officers and men, records the achievements of the Jervis, where possible through first-person accounts. Her fighting career though second to none is surprisingly little known considering the fact that she delivered so many powerful blows to the Axis naval forces in the Mediterranean. This book concentrates on her years at the head of the 14th Flotilla and gives a vivid picture both of vital episodes in the war at sea and what it was like to live aboard a destroyer in wartime.

Very Good in Good Dust Wrapper. Dust wrapper sunned at the spine otherwise a very well presented copy.

Blue boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 272 pages. Index. 9½” x 6″.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!

Boarding Party by James Leasor

Boarding Party by James Leasor lands on the shelves of my shop.

London: William Heinemann, 1978, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Maps;

From the cover: In late 1942, when Allied fortunes stood at their lowest, German U-boats began to decimate shipping in the Indian Ocean. In one month alone they sank 46 ships, a total of 250,000 tons.

These U-boats were guided to their targets by a secret transmitter aboard a German ship which had sought shelter in the neutral harbour in the Portuguese colony of Goa, 400 miles south of Bombay. No action involving regular British forces could be taken against this ship for fear of infringing Portuguese neutrality yet it was imperative to silence this transmitter. The result seemed stalemate until someone remembered that in Calcutta, 1,400 miles away, some civilian merchants, bankers, solicitors and accountants belonged to a part-time territorial unit, The Calcutta Light Horse. They had joined because they liked riding and racing. Military activities were limited to an evening parade once a week and often drinks at the bar constituted this parade. These civilians were asked to volunteer for a task no-one else could undertake at their own risk and expense. If they failed, then the whole episode could be written off as a regrettable drunken prank that misfired.

The date for this strange and desperate assault was March 9th 1943. What happened when 18 middle-aged civilians formed their own boarding party and the astonishing results makes this one of the strangest, funniest and most exciting stories of war in the East,

Introduction by: Earl Mountbatten of Burma

Good+ in Good+ Dust Wrapper. A little rubbing to the edges of the dust wrapper which has a little tanning overall. Leans slightly. Gently bruised at the head, tail and corners of the binding. Previous owners’ inscription to the first blank. Text complete, clean and tight.

Blue boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. [XVI] 204 pages. Index. 8¾” x 5¾”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!

Barefoot Soldier: A Story of Extreme Valour by Johnson Beharry with Nick Cook

Barefoot Soldier: A Story of Extreme Valour by Johnson Beharry with Nick Cook lands on the shelves of my shop.

Sphere, 2006, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Colour Photographs;

From the cover: On 18 March 2005, Johnson Beharry, a private with the 1st Battalion Princess of Waless Royal Regiment, received Britains highest award for gallantry. He became the first living recipient of the Victoria Cross for nearly forty years.

Born a world away, in an isolated village on the Caribbean island of Grenada, Johnson forged his instincts for survival against a backdrop of grinding poverty. One of eight children, with a volatile, alcoholic father, he grew up in a tiny wooden shack, never knowing what challenges the next day would bring.

With encouragement from his beloved gran, he dreamed of a better life, of a place where he could make something of himself. But arriving in England at the age of nineteen, he discovered that his new home offered just as many dangers. To escape a life that was sliding out of control, he decided to enlist with the British Army.

The driver of a Warrior armoured fighting vehicle, Johnson Beharry carried out two acts of outstanding heroism during a series of explosive operations in southern Iraq and, in doing so, saved the lives of thirty of his companions. He was just twenty-four years old. In the second action, a rocket-propelled grenade exploded six inches from his head, and yet he managed to reverse his vehicle out of the ambush zone before collapsing. Nobody thought he would survive.

Against all odds, he emerged from his coma, was evacuated to the UK and endured a series of complex operations to remove shrapnel and bone shards from his brain. Then he began his most painful and remarkable journey of all the journey to recovery.

Frank, heartbreaking, but laced with Johnsons irrepressible humour, BAREFOOT SOLDIER is an utterly compelling story of extraordinary courage that will inspire this and future generations.

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Bruised at the head of the spine and the top corners of the boards with commensurate wear to the dust wrapper. Text complete, clean and tight.

Red boards with Black titling to the Spine. 370 pages. 9½” x 6¼”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!

Battle-axe Blenheims: No.105 Squadron RAF At War, 1940-41 by Stuart R. Scott

Battle-axe Blenheims: No.105 Squadron RAF At War, 1940-41 by Stuart R. Scott lands on the shelves of my shop.

Sutton Publishing, 1997, Paperback.

Signed by the author on the title page unverified and reflected as such in the lack of premium. Illustrated by way of: Black & White Photographs; Facsimiles; Tables;

From the cover: Of the thousands of aircrew who served in RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War, those who flew Bristol Blenheim medium bombers with No 2 Group on daylight raids would say they had the toughest job of all. Battle-axe Blenheims is the true story of the men of one such Blenheim squadron. No 105, who fought bravely in the first years of the war despite overwhelming odds. They flew against a determined and well-equipped enemy and won, although suffering appalling losses.

Drawing on official records and the first-hand recollections of survivors, the daring exploits of the Blenheim Mk IV crews of No 105 Squadron are graphically recounted from August 1940 to September 1941. It tells of the many near-suicidal bombing operations flown from Swanton Morley at extreme low level against heavily defended targets in Germany and Occupied Europe: and against shipping convoys in the merciless North Sea and in enemy coastal waters. Included is a vivid account of the squadrons epic low-level attack on Bremen in early July 1941, for which the commanding officer, Wing Commander Hughie Edwards, was awarded the Victoria Cross. From July until September 1941 the squadron was based on the Mediterranean island of Malta from where it ranged far and wide to attack enemy targets in Italy, North Africa and off the Greek coast.

Battle-axe Blenheims is an inspiring true story which will appeal to all with an interest in the exploits of the Royal Air Force in particular, and to those with an interest in the Second World War in general.

Introduction by: Sir Ivor Broom

Near Fine.

235 pages. Index. Bibliography. 9¾” x 6¾”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!

battle axe blenheims no 105 squadron raf at war 1940 41 stuart r scott sutton publishing 0750914432

no 105 squadron raf at war 1940 41 stuart r scott sutton publishing 0750914432 b

The Royal Army Medical Corps by Redmond McLaughlin

The Royal Army Medical Corps by Redmond McLaughlin lands on the shelves of my shop.

Leo Cooper, 1972, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black and White Photographs;

From the cover: This book, though short, is nevertheless the first comprehensive history of the Royal Army Medical Corps ever published. Formed in 1898 out of the old Army Hospital Corps (which had no officers) and the Medical Staff, it had the distinction of being granted the title Royal from its formation. It had owed much to the reforming zeal of Florence Nightingale, but such improvements as were made in hygiene and administration during the latter half of the nineteenth century had to wait upon the revolutions of the twentieth century in both transport and medical knowledge to reveal the amazing versatility, adaptability and courage of the new Corps. It was not, after all, very long before the First World War that Kipling wrote of The young British Soldier :

When youre wounded and left on Afghanistans plains
And the women come out to cut up what remains
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An go to your Gawd like a soldier

The author has not confined his story to broad outlines and threat campaigns. The moving record of medical work during Japanese captivity, the heroic surgery with the Maquis, and the superlative contribution of the medical reams at Arnhem, under conditions that remain unparalleled, are given their rightful place of honour. And, in contrast to these grim episodes, there is a brief, unexpected glance at a journey to the North Pole. This is not only the story of a Corps that has pioneered many major surgical advances, it is also the record of countless acts of heroism, epitomized in such men as Martin Leake and Noel Chavasse. It is a worthy memorial to them and a noble tribute to a wonderful and progressive body of men.

In the Famous Regiments series.

Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Small stickers cover a patch on the front pastedown, colophon on the title page and bibliographical data to the verso. Text complete, clean and tight otherwise.

Red boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 121 pages. 8¾” x 5¾”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!

The Flying Sailor by André Jubelin

The Flying Sailor by André Jubelin lands on the shelves of my shop.

Hurst & Blackett, 1953, Hardback in dust wrapper.

Illustrated by way of: Black and White Photographs;

From the cover: Rear-Admiral André Jubelin is now the youngest admiral in the French Navy, the French Naval Attaché in Washington, and French Delegate to the Supreme Allied Command Atlantic. His naval record during the war is remarkable enough, but what is unique is that he also served with great distinction in the thick of the battle in quite another arm the Royal Air Force. Commander Jubelin, as he then was, flew with British squadrons both as day and night fighter pilot.

In The Flying Sailor Admiral Jubelin tells the story of his personal war from the time of his dramatic escape from Indo-China, where he had been gunnery officer on the flagship, to the British in Malaya after the fall of France. His one thought was to fight Germans. In London his immediate assignment, the command of an old French battleship used as a depot ship in Portsmouth Harbour, did not seem to promise satisfaction. By arming the battleship to the teeth as an A. A. ship and turning her into a formidable combatant in the air battle for Portsmouth, the author transformed his depot into a fighting unit and earned the appreciation of the Admiralty. But soon he was training with the Fleet Air Arm, and before long was seconded to the R. A. F. as fighter pilot. His life, first with day fighter squadrons and then with a night-fighter intruder squadron operating from Tang-mere, makes stirring and exciting reading. Nothing more vivid has been written about night fighters. However, representations from the Admiralty about the employment of a high-ranking naval officer as a pilot finally caused the Free French Admiralty to appoint him to command of a sloop. Before long he was in the thick of the battle again as convoy escort working with the Royal Navy.

It is not surprising that The Flying Sailor has had a big success in France and won two literary prizes the only book to do so in 1952. The staggering fact is that this flying admiral is also an eloquent writer. He unfolds a philosophy of flight that has been compared in France with the best of Saint-Exupeiy. His book deserves equal recognition here, no less for the part played in our own fighting services than for the modesty, liveliness and humour with which it is written. As a mature man and seasoned naval officer, Admiral Jubelin gives us a fresh view of Britain and the British at war. It is evident that he liked what he saw, and the reader takes a reciprocal liking to him.

Good in Poor Dust Wrapper. Unlaminated dust wrapper a little edgeworn and faded with loss at the head of the spine, top of the upper panel and a tear to the lower panel. Edges of the text block lightly spotted. Leans.

Blue boards with Gilt titling to the Spine. 276 pages. Index. 8½” x 5½”.

Of course, if you don’t like this one there are plenty more available here!