Books by ex Squaddies

That is correct, Jimsigs1. You are very well informed.

I visited the Royal Artillery museum years ago, wasn't the Woolwich RMA close by known as 'The Shop'

jimsigs1 wrote:

I visited the Royal Artillery museum years ago, wasn't the Woolwich RMA close by known as 'The Shop'

That's right Jim.

There was a museum in there, the storeroom in the back was an absolute Aladdin's cave !

Wouldn't mind a rummage around there Brum

jimsigs1 wrote:

Wouldn't mind a rummage around there Brum

At the time it was the RA Museum, Jim.

The staff told me that when old officers died their relatives donated their medals etc to the museum.

I saw swords stacked in corners like so many broomsticks. (There were General's mamelukes, Japanese as well as others).

Piles of medals, racks of uniforms, (there was even one of those white Foul Weather suits, issued for Korea). You'd have loved it !

What fascinated me was an assegai that I picked up which had a strip of brass twined around the shaft. The strip was engraved with the story of how the weapon had been found beneath the corpse of a member of the French aristocracy who'd been killed by the Zulus. I can't remember who he was at the moment but he was something to do with the exiled Empress Eugenie.

I suppose the contents of the place will now all be at the Firepower museum.

Hi Brum,

I visited the battle sights of the Zulu wars around 4 years ago, whilst visiting my wife's relatives. The guy in question was the son of Napoleon III who was killed out there.

The web site is at :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Eugene,_Prince_Imperial

brum wrote:

jimsigs1 wrote:

Wouldn't mind a rummage around there Brum

At the time it was the RA Museum, Jim.

The staff told me that when old officers died their relatives donated their medals etc to the museum.

I saw swords stacked in corners like so many broomsticks. (There were General's mamelukes, Japanese as well as others).

Piles of medals, racks of uniforms, (there was even one of those white Foul Weather suits, issued for Korea). You'd have loved it !

What fascinated me was an assegai that I picked up which had a strip of brass twined around the shaft. The strip was engraved with the story of how the weapon had been found beneath the corpse of a member of the French aristocracy who'd been killed by the Zulus. I can't remember who he was at the moment but he was something to do with the exiled Empress Eugenie.

I suppose the contents of the place will now all be at the Firepower museum.

Don't suppose there was any sign of my Rootie Gong?

You are NOT getting a Rooti Gong.

You've been a very naughty boy !

jimsigs1 wrote:

Hi Brum,

I visited the battle sights of the Zulu wars around 4 years ago, whilst visiting my wife's relatives. The guy in question was the son of Napoleon III who was killed out there.

The web site is at :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Eugene,_Prince_Imperial

Thanks for that Jim.

The assegai I found was just lying in a pile of old swords & stuff. It would be nice to learn of it's origin.

I found a Boomerang once, I threw it away! The Mess silver from RA Regiments and Batteries that were disbanded or placed in suspended animation were stored under the RA Officers Mess at Woolwich.

Shame about artifacts of days gone by not being looked after properly. After all said and done, they are THE history of the Royal Regiment.

Daveb wrote:

Any body else read the "Gunner Asch" series of books, I read them in German when I was given them by an Austrian in the U.N. I thought they were very funny and have seen them in English somewhere, I think the first one was Gunner Asch goes to war.

I`ve got all four of these books and re-read them on a regular basis.
They are very funny.

Any one read Ken Wharton`s` books about service in NI.

Full of stories from the blokes that were there.
They are all a good read and i can recommend them.

I've read all the gunner asch books as well, very entertaining.

I read a book written by a young Para about the Falklands war, obviously "Ghosted" but very telling and a fine point of view from the grunts on the ground.

Talking about the Falklands Jim, saw excellent programme on TV two nights ago where two chaps revisited the Falklands 30 years after serving there. One was a Company Commander of of the Paras, the other an SAS guy. Great stuff.

There`s been quite a few lately.Probably because it`s the 30th aniversary.

I saw that Jim, the book I read was some years ago, probably early '90's and was very down to earth and "real" made me feel cold, wet, hungry and scared. I wish i'd retained it, or indeed even remember the title of authors name.

Take your pick



The Falklands Conflict - Books

Clic
Sea Harrier Over the Falklands Cmdr.Sharkey Ward Orion PB 1 85797 102 7
One Hundred Days Adm.Sandy Woodward Fontana PB 0 00 637841 2
The Fight for the Malvinas Martin Middlebrook Penguin PB 0 14 010767 3
The Battle for the Falklands Max Hastings & Simon Jenkins Pan PB 0330352849
Battle for the Falklands
Pt.1 Land Forces William Fowler Osprey SB 0850454824
Battle for the Falklands
Pt.2 Naval Forces Adrian English
w.Anthony Watts Osprey SB 0850454921
Battle for the Falklands
Pt.3 Air Forces Roy Braybrook Osprey SB 085045493X
Amphibious Assault Falklands Michael Clapp and
Ewen Southby-Tailyour Orion PB 0 75281 109 6
Secret War for the Falklands Nigel West Warner PB 0 751 52071 3
no longer in print Channel 4 - The Falklands War Denys Blakeway Sidgewick & Jackson SB 0 283 06101 4
no longer in print One Man's Falklands... Tam Dalyell Cecil Woolf PB 0 900 82164 7
Modern Naval Combat David & Chris Miller Tiger HB 1 85501 166 2
no longer in print Modern Land Combat David Miller & Christopher F.Foss Tiger HB 1 85501 165 4
Naval Firepower Linday Peacock Salamander HB 0 86101 514 2
Air War South Atlantic Jeffrey Ethell & Alfred Price Sidgewick & Jackson HB 0 283 99035 X

Note: PB Paper back SB Soft back HB Hard back

Some unreferenced books on the subject are:
Diver Tony Groom
A gripping personal account from a Royal Navy bomb disposal diver who risked his life diffusing unexploded ordnance during the conflict.
Available now from Tony's own website. Seafarer Books HB 978 1906 266 066
Amphibious Assault:
Manouver from the sea Edited by Tristan Lovering MBE
In this uniquely authoritative study, leading international military and academic experts analyse 37 amphibious operations, from the 'how not to do it' catastrophe of Gallipoli 1915, to the Al Faw landings in Iraq in 2003. With 520 pages of text, more than 270 photographs, and 100 maps, this definitive analysis of amphibious warfare in the twentieth century and beyond will be invaluable to anyone with an interest in military history, as well as those who, as military practitioners or historians study it professionally.
Available now from Amazon UK. Seafarer Books PB 978-0-9550243-5-1
Battle Atlas of the Falklands War 1982 Gordon Smith lulu.com PB 978-1-84753-950-2
Razor's Edge: The Unofficial History of the Falklands War Hugh Bicheno Phoenix PB 0753821869
Ooh Aah Stantona Phil Stant
Phil served with 5 Inf Brig as part of 81 Ord Coy during the conflict, sailing down on the QE2. He left the forces to become a professional footballer and then manager of Lincoln City. This is his autobiography.
Available now from Amazon UK. John Blake Publishing HB 1844542092
Weapons of the Falklands conflict Bryan Perritt Blanford, London. 0713714506
Falklands Task Force Portfolio - Part 1 Mike Critchley Maritime Books (a lot of photos). PB 0907771025
Falklands Task Force Portfolio - Part 2 Mike Critchley Maritime Books (a lot of photos). PB 0907771033
Eyewitness Falklands Robert Fox Methuen, London. 0413523004
Task Force: The Illustrated History of the Falklands War David Reynolds Sutton Publishing HB 075092845X
RAF Harrier Ground Attack Falklands Sqn Ldr Jerry Pook MBE DFC - RAF (Retd) Pen & Sword 2007 HB 184415551X
Task Force: the Falklands War 1982 Martin Middlebrook Penguin PB 0141390557

Wow Gordon, what a mime of information. Now I know where to come for any suggestions of war conflicts etc.

One for Shelldrake, just got a book out of my local library called 'The Dam Busters' by Haynes. Goes into all the technical details of the various bombs which Barnes Wallis, yes Shelldrake, Barnes Wallis had dealings with and associated diagrams and data. But there is no reference to him having ben in, with or near the Gunners. !!!!!

jimsigs1 wrote:

Wow Gordon, what a mime of information. Now I know where to come for any suggestions of war conflicts etc.

One for Shelldrake, just got a book out of my local library called 'The Dam Busters' by Haynes. Goes into all the technical details of the various bombs which Barnes Wallis, yes Shelldrake, Barnes Wallis had dealings with and associated diagrams and data. But there is no reference to him having ben in, with or near the Gunners. !!!!!

That's weird,I can only surmise that they are talking about a different Barnes Wallis.

No Shelldrake, he is THE Barnes Wallis that you know and love, thats referred in the book. But as Sir Barnes was born in Ripley, Derbyshire I thought perhaps there may be a connection with the Royal Regiment there and sure enough, I found the connection - Bombardier Charles Edwin Stone who won the VC as a Gunner in 'C' Battery, 83rd Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery in March 1918.

I knew there was an Artillery connection somewhere. Seek, and you should find

Gordon. wrote:

Take your pick

Gordon, it would be fair to say your list is quite comprehensive, but I feel it has at least one glaring omission, a slim volume entitled '2 Para Falklands' the Battalion at war.

The delights of cut and paste Wilf

[quote="jimsigs1"]BombardierCharles Edwin Stone who won the VC as a Gunner in 'C' Battery, 83rd Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery in March 1918.

In the Central Mess in Woolwich there was a wooden chair with a brass plaque on it that said "Stones chair".

Apparently, every year, on the anniversary of his VC, Stone was taken into the mess, sat in the chair and given a drink.

After he'd finished the drink he was taken out of the mess again !

He also has a MM