Author: John Forfar
Publisher: John Donald
ISBN: 9781862322677
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
John Forfar, medical officer, was continuously in the thick of the action as 47 Royal Marine Commando played their distinguished part in World War II in Europe. 47's battle engagements included the D-Day capture of Port-en-Bessin, vital to the British Army's petrol supply; participation in the defence of the Orme bridgehead, and the ultimate break-out, harassing the retreating enemy as it swept northwards in a series of headlong battles along 300 miles of the French and Belgian coasts. battle with its intense fears and physical dangers, the stresses it imposes on body and mind, its killing and wounding, its triumphs and its tribulations, its aftermath. John Forfar saw the deeds of courage and the determination of the commandos at every level. He tells also of the historical significance of the Commando's actions, which the passage of time has revealed, and something of the experiences of the oppressed populations they liberated, as well as the dramas of inhumanity and false witness which are the common currency of war.
From Omaha to the Scheldt
Author: John Forfar
Publisher: John Donald
ISBN: 9781862322677
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
John Forfar, medical officer, was continuously in the thick of the action as 47 Royal Marine Commando played their distinguished part in World War II in Europe. 47's battle engagements included the D-Day capture of Port-en-Bessin, vital to the British Army's petrol supply; participation in the defence of the Orme bridgehead, and the ultimate break-out, harassing the retreating enemy as it swept northwards in a series of headlong battles along 300 miles of the French and Belgian coasts. battle with its intense fears and physical dangers, the stresses it imposes on body and mind, its killing and wounding, its triumphs and its tribulations, its aftermath. John Forfar saw the deeds of courage and the determination of the commandos at every level. He tells also of the historical significance of the Commando's actions, which the passage of time has revealed, and something of the experiences of the oppressed populations they liberated, as well as the dramas of inhumanity and false witness which are the common currency of war.
Publisher: John Donald
ISBN: 9781862322677
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
John Forfar, medical officer, was continuously in the thick of the action as 47 Royal Marine Commando played their distinguished part in World War II in Europe. 47's battle engagements included the D-Day capture of Port-en-Bessin, vital to the British Army's petrol supply; participation in the defence of the Orme bridgehead, and the ultimate break-out, harassing the retreating enemy as it swept northwards in a series of headlong battles along 300 miles of the French and Belgian coasts. battle with its intense fears and physical dangers, the stresses it imposes on body and mind, its killing and wounding, its triumphs and its tribulations, its aftermath. John Forfar saw the deeds of courage and the determination of the commandos at every level. He tells also of the historical significance of the Commando's actions, which the passage of time has revealed, and something of the experiences of the oppressed populations they liberated, as well as the dramas of inhumanity and false witness which are the common currency of war.
47 Royal Marine Commando
Author: Marc de Bolster
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781781552971
Category : World War, 1939-1945
Languages : en
Pages : 232
Book Description
47 Royal Marine Commando: An Inside Story 1943-1946 tells the story of 47 Royal Marine Commando during the Second World War based on personal accounts written by veterans who served in this formidable unit. It is a story of young men who were to play a key role in freeing Europe from Nazi tyranny. From the D-Day landings in Normandy to fierce battles in Holland, some were taken prisoner by the enemy and sent to camps until freed at the end of the war in 1945. Included are eyewitness accounts of the Normandy landings, involvement of the RAF, Royal Navy and American forces, 10 Inter Allied Commando and the effect on local populations who got word of the actions in which this Commando took a major part. Formed from 10th Battalion Royal Marines and reinforced by volunteers from several parts of the British armed forces, they distinguished themselves by sheer determination and professionalism. Over 900 men served in or were attached to this Commando, keeping their overall strength up to 420. Many gave their lives never to return home so others might live to tell their story.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781781552971
Category : World War, 1939-1945
Languages : en
Pages : 232
Book Description
47 Royal Marine Commando: An Inside Story 1943-1946 tells the story of 47 Royal Marine Commando during the Second World War based on personal accounts written by veterans who served in this formidable unit. It is a story of young men who were to play a key role in freeing Europe from Nazi tyranny. From the D-Day landings in Normandy to fierce battles in Holland, some were taken prisoner by the enemy and sent to camps until freed at the end of the war in 1945. Included are eyewitness accounts of the Normandy landings, involvement of the RAF, Royal Navy and American forces, 10 Inter Allied Commando and the effect on local populations who got word of the actions in which this Commando took a major part. Formed from 10th Battalion Royal Marines and reinforced by volunteers from several parts of the British armed forces, they distinguished themselves by sheer determination and professionalism. Over 900 men served in or were attached to this Commando, keeping their overall strength up to 420. Many gave their lives never to return home so others might live to tell their story.
Walcheren 1944
Author: Richard Brooks
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 9781849082372
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Osprey's study of the Walcheren campaign of World War II (1939-1945). Walcheren is a saucer-shaped island in the estuary of the river Scheldt, commanding maritime access to Antwerp, the largest port in Western Europe. The Allies captured Antwerp intact on September 4, 1944, but their eyes were on the Rhine crossings at Arnhem, not the lower Scheldt. The failure of Operation Market-Garden later that month brought home the Allies' logistical weakness. As autumn gales drew near, every shell and petrol tin had still to be landed at Cherbourg or across the Normandy beaches. Complete US Army divisions were immobilized for lack of transport. It was vital to re-open Antwerp. The continued German presence on Walcheren, however, prevented Allied shipping from entering the Scheldt. In the fall of 1944, Walcheren had the most heavily fortified coastline in the world. Its seaward defences consisted of 30 coastal and field batteries, mounting 50-60 guns from 75mm to 220mm in caliber, manned by high quality naval personnel behind massive concrete emplacements. Supporting strongpoints had anti-aircraft guns, flame-throwers rocket-launchers and Goliath remote controlled demolition vehicles. The sand dunes protecting the low-lying island from the North Sea were laced with barbed wire, mines and dragon's teeth. Defending infantry came from Generalleutnant Wilhelm Daser's 70.Infanterie-Division, a 'white bread division' consisting of men with gastric problems. Allied intelligence estimated the total garrison at 4,000, but 8,000 eventually surrendered. On November 1, 1944, in a double-pronged attack, the men of 52nd (Lowland) Division plus No. 4 Army Commando seized Flushing (Infatuate I) while in the west 4th Special Service Brigade with three Royal Marine Commandos and No. 10 Inter-Allied Commando would take Westkapelle, and fight their way north and south along the dunes, taking the coastal batteries as they went (Infatuate II). All this was to be supported with HMS Warspite and two 15-inch gun monitors; the Support Squadron Eastern Flank (SSEF) with 25 specialized Landing Craft with guns and rockets; 350 Army guns south of the Scheldt, most of them heavier than 25-pounders; and the Typhoon and Spitfire fighter bombers of 84 Group RAF. In fighting described by one survivor as 'worse than Dieppe and D-Day put together' the Army and Royal Marines forced their way ashore, supported by specialized armour and tracked vehicles, and over the next eight days cleared the positions of their German defenders in bitter street fighting. The first Liberty ships unloaded at Antwerp on December 1, just over a fortnight before the Ardennes offensive began. If Walcheren had not fallen when it did, opening Antwerp just in time, the Allies would have been hard pressed to withstand the German attack, or replace the fuel stocks lost in its opening days, let alone cross the Rhine in the following spring, and meet the Russians on the Elbe. The Walcheren campaign was not merely a dramatic combined operation pulled off against the odds; it helped determine the course of the war and the shape of the post-war world.
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 9781849082372
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Osprey's study of the Walcheren campaign of World War II (1939-1945). Walcheren is a saucer-shaped island in the estuary of the river Scheldt, commanding maritime access to Antwerp, the largest port in Western Europe. The Allies captured Antwerp intact on September 4, 1944, but their eyes were on the Rhine crossings at Arnhem, not the lower Scheldt. The failure of Operation Market-Garden later that month brought home the Allies' logistical weakness. As autumn gales drew near, every shell and petrol tin had still to be landed at Cherbourg or across the Normandy beaches. Complete US Army divisions were immobilized for lack of transport. It was vital to re-open Antwerp. The continued German presence on Walcheren, however, prevented Allied shipping from entering the Scheldt. In the fall of 1944, Walcheren had the most heavily fortified coastline in the world. Its seaward defences consisted of 30 coastal and field batteries, mounting 50-60 guns from 75mm to 220mm in caliber, manned by high quality naval personnel behind massive concrete emplacements. Supporting strongpoints had anti-aircraft guns, flame-throwers rocket-launchers and Goliath remote controlled demolition vehicles. The sand dunes protecting the low-lying island from the North Sea were laced with barbed wire, mines and dragon's teeth. Defending infantry came from Generalleutnant Wilhelm Daser's 70.Infanterie-Division, a 'white bread division' consisting of men with gastric problems. Allied intelligence estimated the total garrison at 4,000, but 8,000 eventually surrendered. On November 1, 1944, in a double-pronged attack, the men of 52nd (Lowland) Division plus No. 4 Army Commando seized Flushing (Infatuate I) while in the west 4th Special Service Brigade with three Royal Marine Commandos and No. 10 Inter-Allied Commando would take Westkapelle, and fight their way north and south along the dunes, taking the coastal batteries as they went (Infatuate II). All this was to be supported with HMS Warspite and two 15-inch gun monitors; the Support Squadron Eastern Flank (SSEF) with 25 specialized Landing Craft with guns and rockets; 350 Army guns south of the Scheldt, most of them heavier than 25-pounders; and the Typhoon and Spitfire fighter bombers of 84 Group RAF. In fighting described by one survivor as 'worse than Dieppe and D-Day put together' the Army and Royal Marines forced their way ashore, supported by specialized armour and tracked vehicles, and over the next eight days cleared the positions of their German defenders in bitter street fighting. The first Liberty ships unloaded at Antwerp on December 1, just over a fortnight before the Ardennes offensive began. If Walcheren had not fallen when it did, opening Antwerp just in time, the Allies would have been hard pressed to withstand the German attack, or replace the fuel stocks lost in its opening days, let alone cross the Rhine in the following spring, and meet the Russians on the Elbe. The Walcheren campaign was not merely a dramatic combined operation pulled off against the odds; it helped determine the course of the war and the shape of the post-war world.
The Green Beret: The Story Of The Commandos, 1940-1945
Author: Lt. Hilary St. George Saunders
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
ISBN: 1786258099
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 593
Book Description
“I am not worried about the fighting. I know you’re fairly bloody-minded. But I want to speak of discipline during the battle.” “You must get ashore, if you have to swim, and I hope some of you will return as you’ll be very useful for the next show.” The words of a Commando officer to his men before they stormed the beaches of Sicily under heavy machine-gun fire sum up the swashbuckling, devil-may-care spirit of the toughest fighting men produced—the Commandos. For their raids and battles far behind enemy lines in France, North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Burma the men in the Green Beret have become a legend. This book shows how this legend was forged.
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
ISBN: 1786258099
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 593
Book Description
“I am not worried about the fighting. I know you’re fairly bloody-minded. But I want to speak of discipline during the battle.” “You must get ashore, if you have to swim, and I hope some of you will return as you’ll be very useful for the next show.” The words of a Commando officer to his men before they stormed the beaches of Sicily under heavy machine-gun fire sum up the swashbuckling, devil-may-care spirit of the toughest fighting men produced—the Commandos. For their raids and battles far behind enemy lines in France, North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Burma the men in the Green Beret have become a legend. This book shows how this legend was forged.
Walcheren
Author: Andrew Rawson
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 0850529611
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 193
Book Description
Describes the fierce campaign, codenamed INFATUATE, mounted in November 1944 to clear the way through to the port of Antwerp. The book describes the extraordinary courage of the Germans who fought to the bitter end.
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 0850529611
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 193
Book Description
Describes the fierce campaign, codenamed INFATUATE, mounted in November 1944 to clear the way through to the port of Antwerp. The book describes the extraordinary courage of the Germans who fought to the bitter end.
X Troop
Author: Leah Garrett
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0358177421
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 373
Book Description
WALL STREET JOURNAL BOOK OF THE MONTH "This is the incredible World War II saga of the German-Jewish commandos who fought in Britain’s most secretive special-forces unit—but whose story has gone untold until now." —Wall Street Journal “Brilliantly researched, utterly gripping history: the first full account of a remarkable group of Jewish refugees—a top-secret band of brothers—who waged war on Hitler.”—Alex Kershaw, New York Times best-selling author of The Longest Winter and The Liberator The incredible World War II saga of the German-Jewish commandos who fought in Britain’s most secretive special-forces unit—but whose story has gone untold until now June 1942. The shadow of the Third Reich has fallen across the European continent. In desperation, Winston Churchill and his chief of staff form an unusual plan: a new commando unit made up of Jewish refugees who have escaped to Britain. The resulting volunteers are a motley group of intellectuals, artists, and athletes, most from Germany and Austria. Many have been interned as enemy aliens, and have lost their families, their homes—their whole worlds. They will stop at nothing to defeat the Nazis. Trained in counterintelligence and advanced combat, this top secret unit becomes known as X Troop. Some simply call them a suicide squad. Drawing on extensive original research, including interviews with the last surviving members, Leah Garrett follows this unique band of brothers from Germany to England and back again, with stops at British internment camps, the beaches of Normandy, the battlefields of Italy and Holland, and the hellscape of Terezin concentration camp—the scene of one of the most dramatic, untold rescues of the war. For the first time, X Troop tells the astonishing story of these secret shock troops and their devastating blows against the Nazis. “Garrett’s detective work is stunning, and her storytelling is masterful. This is an original account of Jewish rescue, resistance, and revenge.”—Wendy Lower, author of The Ravine and National Book Award finalist Hitler’s Furies
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0358177421
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 373
Book Description
WALL STREET JOURNAL BOOK OF THE MONTH "This is the incredible World War II saga of the German-Jewish commandos who fought in Britain’s most secretive special-forces unit—but whose story has gone untold until now." —Wall Street Journal “Brilliantly researched, utterly gripping history: the first full account of a remarkable group of Jewish refugees—a top-secret band of brothers—who waged war on Hitler.”—Alex Kershaw, New York Times best-selling author of The Longest Winter and The Liberator The incredible World War II saga of the German-Jewish commandos who fought in Britain’s most secretive special-forces unit—but whose story has gone untold until now June 1942. The shadow of the Third Reich has fallen across the European continent. In desperation, Winston Churchill and his chief of staff form an unusual plan: a new commando unit made up of Jewish refugees who have escaped to Britain. The resulting volunteers are a motley group of intellectuals, artists, and athletes, most from Germany and Austria. Many have been interned as enemy aliens, and have lost their families, their homes—their whole worlds. They will stop at nothing to defeat the Nazis. Trained in counterintelligence and advanced combat, this top secret unit becomes known as X Troop. Some simply call them a suicide squad. Drawing on extensive original research, including interviews with the last surviving members, Leah Garrett follows this unique band of brothers from Germany to England and back again, with stops at British internment camps, the beaches of Normandy, the battlefields of Italy and Holland, and the hellscape of Terezin concentration camp—the scene of one of the most dramatic, untold rescues of the war. For the first time, X Troop tells the astonishing story of these secret shock troops and their devastating blows against the Nazis. “Garrett’s detective work is stunning, and her storytelling is masterful. This is an original account of Jewish rescue, resistance, and revenge.”—Wendy Lower, author of The Ravine and National Book Award finalist Hitler’s Furies
Royal Marines Commandos
Author: John Parker
Publisher: Headline
ISBN: 1472202643
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
The Royal Marines were originally formed under the auspices of the Royal Navy to guard its sailing ships from harm. They are proud of their history and origins but the Navy heritage is fading. John Parker charts how the units have moved away from their nautical beginnings to develop, over time, into the most versatile force in the British military, containing one of their most elite brigades. The Royal Marines Commandos have, over the past few years, developed into the premier fighting organisation on land, sea and air. This history deals with events associated with the Royal Marines and subsequently in their commando role, starring in all major conflicts including Italy, Malaysia, the Borneo confrontation with Indonesia, and more recently Afghanistan.
Publisher: Headline
ISBN: 1472202643
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
The Royal Marines were originally formed under the auspices of the Royal Navy to guard its sailing ships from harm. They are proud of their history and origins but the Navy heritage is fading. John Parker charts how the units have moved away from their nautical beginnings to develop, over time, into the most versatile force in the British military, containing one of their most elite brigades. The Royal Marines Commandos have, over the past few years, developed into the premier fighting organisation on land, sea and air. This history deals with events associated with the Royal Marines and subsequently in their commando role, starring in all major conflicts including Italy, Malaysia, the Borneo confrontation with Indonesia, and more recently Afghanistan.
Fighting the People's War
Author: Jonathan Fennell
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107030951
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 967
Book Description
Jonathan Fennell captures for the first time the true wartime experience of the ordinary soldiers from across the empire who made up the British and Commonwealth armies. He analyses why the great battles were won and lost and how the men that fought went on to change the world.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107030951
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 967
Book Description
Jonathan Fennell captures for the first time the true wartime experience of the ordinary soldiers from across the empire who made up the British and Commonwealth armies. He analyses why the great battles were won and lost and how the men that fought went on to change the world.
Rangers in World War II
Author: Robert W. Black
Publisher: Presidio Press
ISBN: 0307776158
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 448
Book Description
From the deadly shores of North Africa to the invasion of Sicily to the fierce jungle hell of the Pacific, the contribution of the World War II Ranger Battalions far outweighed their numbers. They were ordinary men on an extraordinary mission, experiencing the full measure of the fear, exhaustion, and heroism of combat in nearly every major invasion of the war. Whether spearheading a landing force or scouting deep behind enemy lines, these highly motivated, highly trained volunteers led the way for other soldiers -- they were Rangers. With first-person interviews, in-depth research, and a complete appendix naming every Ranger known to have served, author Robert Black, a Ranger himself, has made the battles of WWII come to life through the struggles of the men who fought to win the greatest war the world has ever seen.
Publisher: Presidio Press
ISBN: 0307776158
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 448
Book Description
From the deadly shores of North Africa to the invasion of Sicily to the fierce jungle hell of the Pacific, the contribution of the World War II Ranger Battalions far outweighed their numbers. They were ordinary men on an extraordinary mission, experiencing the full measure of the fear, exhaustion, and heroism of combat in nearly every major invasion of the war. Whether spearheading a landing force or scouting deep behind enemy lines, these highly motivated, highly trained volunteers led the way for other soldiers -- they were Rangers. With first-person interviews, in-depth research, and a complete appendix naming every Ranger known to have served, author Robert Black, a Ranger himself, has made the battles of WWII come to life through the struggles of the men who fought to win the greatest war the world has ever seen.
Terrible Victory
Author: Mark Zuehlke
Publisher: D & M Publishers
ISBN: 1926685806
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 562
Book Description
Mark Zuehlke is an expert at narrating the history of life on the battlefield for the Canadian army during World War II. In Terrible Victory, he provides a soldiers-eye-view account of Canada's bloody liberation of western Holland. Readers are there as soldiers fight in the muddy quagmire, enduring a battle that lasted three weeks and in which 6,000 soldiers perished. Terrible Victory is a powerful story of courage, survival, and skill.
Publisher: D & M Publishers
ISBN: 1926685806
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 562
Book Description
Mark Zuehlke is an expert at narrating the history of life on the battlefield for the Canadian army during World War II. In Terrible Victory, he provides a soldiers-eye-view account of Canada's bloody liberation of western Holland. Readers are there as soldiers fight in the muddy quagmire, enduring a battle that lasted three weeks and in which 6,000 soldiers perished. Terrible Victory is a powerful story of courage, survival, and skill.