Table of Contents
Preface..........9
Chapter 1. Baptism of Fire..........11
The Croydon air raid -- birth and family connections -- my Mother and Father and breakdown of their marriage -- schooling at Epsom and Carshalton -- interest in flight and aircraft.
Chapter 2. Prelude to War..........19
Bethany School -- interest in sports and games - Plum Kendon and chess -- study of history and its writing -- 1938 crisis -- Portsmouth holiday in 1939 and outbreak of war.
Chapter 3. Phoney Apprenticeship..........26
Redwing Aircraft Co -- the Parkes family -- taste for classical music -- Phoney War -- hot war in May 1940 -- Battle of Britain.
Chapter 4. Living Through the Blitz..........33
The Blitz and Civil Defence -- more about music -- girl friends -- the Home Guard -- joining the tanks.
Chapter 5. Basic Training..........38
Bovington Camp, the 58th Training Regiment and recruit training -- refusal of a commission.
Chapter 6. Apprenticeship for Real..........43
111th Regiment RAC -- driver mechanic -- Tup Gill and Middleham -- the Clark family, Rebe and music -- Churchill tanks -- Exercise Spartan -- 144th Regiment RAC.
Chapter 7. Intermezzo..........51
Application for a commission -- Sherman tanks -- passing WOSB and sent to pre-OCTU.
Chapter 8. Primed for Action..........58
The course at Blackdown and Sandhurst -- Nocky and sex -- S/Sgt Ford -- Doug Pettigrew -- Jack Harman -- commissioned in 141st Regiment RAC.
Chapter 9. Coming of Age..........67
57th Training Regiment -- Pip Crouch -- Kirkcudbright -- Normandy.
Chapter 10. The Beach-head..........72
Herbert Waddell -- Churchill Crocodile flame thrower -- William Douglas Home -- C Squadron -- Dan Duffy -- sabotage and the Falaise pocket.
Chapter 11. The Battle of Le Havre..........79
A Squadron and 5 troop -- George Storrar -- Alan Taylor -- more sabotage -- the great assault -- meeting with Hobo.
Chapter 12. The Battle of Boulogne..........89
Planning -- Cpl Harris -- Mont Lambert -- charge to the bridge -- wounded -- prisoner -- escape -- hospital.
Chapter 13. The Hon William and Matters of Courage..........103
The Douglas Home case -- sacking of Herbert -- analysis of courage
Chapter 14. Back to the Front..........110
Return to 141st RAC via Bayeux, Arras, Brussels and Bruges -- Battles of Olland and Geilenkirchen.
Chapter 15. Winter Reflections..........117
Combat fatigue and hospital -- award of Military Cross -- the Brussels to Paris leave train -- 4th Liaison HQ with 1st Polish Armoured Division.
Chapter 16. From War to Peace..........125
Leave in England -- Rebe and Margaret -- over the Rhine to Wilhelmshaven -- first day of peace and the Germans in defeat -- mention of atom bomb -- liaison with Royal Navy.
Chapter 17. Transition..........132
The Poles after VE Day -- 57th Training Regiment and Pip Crouch again -- Joan Little and marriage -- regular commission in the RTR.
Chapter 18. India and the Retreat from Empire..........138
Peacekeeping the Punjab -- Ken Fidler -- malaria -- withdrawal from India and the holocaust.
Chapter 19. Cold War and Shortcomings..........145
Birth of Susan -- SAE at Tidworth -- Angus Walker and the study of war and history -- The Tank magazine, publishing and writing -- Hobo again signals course -- birth of Andrew -- forming C Squadron for Korea.
Chapter 20. Korean Set Back..........152
Korea -- nervous breakdown -- MTO -- Doris Green and Father
Chapter 21. The Way Ahead..........159
Signals wing at the 66th Training Regiment -- Centurion tank and the Sheffield steel factories -- Culture, philosophy and Richard Strauss -- jet fighters and the RAF -- the Staff College Exam -- GSO 3, at HQ Northumbrian District -- writing essays and a book with Dorothy Procter.
Chapter 22. Making Waves..........164
The Staff College -- gliding -- the prize essay -- with 4 RTR in Germany -- DAQMG (Mov)at FARELF, in Singapore - LSTs, LCTs, finance and commerce -- another prize essay and the urge to write.
Chapter 23. Turnabout..........176
A Sqn, 4 RTR in Hohne -- with APCs and Highlanders in Lemgo -- battlefield tour of Arras -- GSO2 50 Div -- refusals of promotion -- The Shadow of Vimy Ridge.
Chapter 24. End of the Beginning..........184
20 Trials Unit and guided missiles -- GSO2 (Tech) at HQ DRAC at Bovington -- the Hit Kill Indicator and Solartron -- General Jock Holden -- Kimbers and Shadow of Vimy Ridge -- Short History of the RTR -- Exercise HELLTANK -- the biography of Hobo -- Liddell Hart, the Barrie Pitt and Purnell's History of the Second World War -- Ronald Lewin and Armoured Crusader -- decision to retire and the finding of Beaminster -- DOAE -- Ian Ballantine and best selling paperbacks -- the Liddell Hart dilemma.
Chapter 25. Author in Paradise..........193
Whatley Mill -- retirement from the Army -- Deputy Editor of Purnell's History of WW2 and WW1 -- Kurt Peball and Vienna -- translators -- sacked by Purnells -- Tank, Ballantines, New York and US colleagues.
Chapter 26. The Escalator..........200
Death of Mother -- Guinness Publications and the McWhirter twins -- Battle -- the Guderian biography and Liddell Hart -- Sheila Watson as literary agent -- Kesselring biography -- three tank histories -- Lionel Leventhal and Rommel -- West Dorset Hockey Club -- Beaminster town politics.
Chapter 27. Canadian Summer and Cold War..........207
Chelsea Gold Medal -- The Canadian Army and the Clashes -- Penguin encyclopaedias -- Amstrad word processor -- Military Errors of WW2 -- The Hitler Options -- From Triumph to Tragedy -- more battlefield tours -- Beaminster Ladies Hockey Club -- Beaminster Sports Association.
Appendix A..........215
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