Striking Back: Britain's Airborne and Commando Raids 1940-42
Books / Hardcover
Books › History › Wars & Conflicts › General
ISBN: 1906033250 / Publisher: Helion and Company, April 2009
Cherry, a noted military author and former instructor in the Royal Army Medical Corps, covers the airborne and commando raids of two small yet effective UK "special service" arms in the two years following the 1940 defeat at Dunkirk. Written for military history buffs, this volume covers many of the smaller and less known raids by these men as well as their role in larger operations such as D-Day, Arnhem and the Crossing of the Rhine. Extensive appendices include historical documents, reports and notes from the commandos, and plenty of historical photographs are included as well. Distributed in the US by Casemate. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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As the events of the Second World War fade into the distance it is important that the activities of a small band of brothers are not overlooked. In the dark days following Dunkirk in 1940 these men volunteered for what was euphemistically termed 'Special Service'. Often given very little idea of what they were letting themselves in for, they all wanted to strike back at the enemy. Later, these units evolved into the famed airborne forces and commandos who went on to take a major part in operations such as D-Day, Arnhem and the crossing of the Rhine. However, before this, during the early years of the war, they undertook a number of smaller scale raids. Whilst some of the early raids such as St Nazaire and Dieppe have received quite a lot of coverage, others such as Lofoten, Glomfjord, Tragino and Bruneval have received far less, yet a knowledge of them is vital to give the development of Britain's special forces historical perspective. The formation of these two fledging arms is recounted in detail, including material relating to the training undertaken before going on Special Service. In addition to the operations mentioned above raids on the Channel Islands, the coast of northern France, Vaagso, North Africa and Vermork are also covered. As well as numerous eyewitness accounts from veterans a selection of official reports, kit, weapon and explosives lists are included. The book is complemented by around 125 photographs and maps.
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