In 1974 the Queen's Gallantry Medal was instituted to replace awards for gallantry in the Order of the British Empire for actions not quite meriting the award of the George Medal. Since then it has been awarded on 1,044 occasions, which includes 38 posthumous awards and 19 second awards. 'For Exemplary Bravery' explains in detail, for the first time, why the Queen's Gallantry Medal was instituted. It explores the relationship between the Queen's Gallantry Medal and other awards for bravery and, also for the first time, explains why the Royal Warrant was amended in 1977 to allow for posthumous awards. Details of the medal's production are examined - the evolution of its design, the artists involved and how it is manufactured - and the original artwork for the reverse design is revealed. Although intended 'primarily for civilians', the author reveals that the medal has, in fact, been awarded to more military recipients than civilian. The majority of this unique book comprises the register of recipients and their stories of extraordinary bravery. It lists every award; all of the published citations are included, with explanatory notes, the personal recollections of many of the recipients, and the details of their other awards and medals. Also included are citations never before published in the London Gazette. A series of thirteen appendices provides first-hand accounts of events that prompted actions to rescue others, repel pirates, tackle armed and violent robbers or deal with unexploded bombs. 'For Exemplary Bravery' is lavishly illustrated with pictures of the recipients, images from the scenes of the incidents where they reacted so gallantly, and full colour photographs of many of their medals groups.

The years of National Service cover almost two decades from 1945 to 1963. During that time 2.5 million young men were compelled to do their time in National Service with 6,000 being called up every fortnight. Some went willingly while others were reluctant. A few were downright bloody-minded as they saw little difference between their call up and the press gangs of Britain's distant past. At first public opinion was behind the idea of peacetime conscription or national service as they call it. It was clear in the immediate post war political landscape that Britain had considerable obligations and only a limited number of men still in service. Overnight the national servicemen had to learn a new language. !Fatigues!, 'Blanco', 'spit n polish', 'rifle oil', 'pull throughs' and the dreaded 'bull' and 'jankers'. Once they had been shaved from the scalp and kitted out all within a few hours of arrival, the rookie National Servicemen all looked identical even if back in the barrack room every man was still an individual. The arena for the breaking in of these young men was the parade ground. In squads they learnt how to obey orders instinctively and to react to a single word of command by coping with a torrent of abuse from the drill Instructors. After basic training the raw recruits would be turned into soldiers, sailors and airmen and they would be posted to join regiments at home or abroad. Nearly 400 national servicemen would die for their country in war zones like Korea and Malaya. Others took part in atomic tests on Christmas Island or were even used as human guinea pigs for germ warfare tests. There are tragic stories also of young men who simply couldn't cope with military life and the pain of separation from their families. For some suicide was the only way out.

Michael Hafferty's memoirs of his National Service days in the RAF will strike a chord with any ex-serviceman (or woman ). He describes his RAF career from "Square Bashing" - Trade Training - Posting to Singapore and final "de-mob" in a light-hearted, at times laugh-out-loud style, which makes for easy reading. The characters he meets along his way will be recognised by anyone who served in the forces and evoke memories of the mid-50's and events now passed into history. His tales of hard-up conscripts, sent out to Singapore to serve their country make interesting reading for those curious as to what their fathers - or even grandfathers - got up to in their youth The descriptions of working with the Sunderland Flying Boats at RAF Seletar, both now sadly extinct, will prove fascinating to aircraft buffs and landlubbers alike. As a reminder of days gone by to "fellow sufferers," or as an insight to those born too late to experience the joys of National Service, it makes for a most enjoyable read. About the Author Michael was one of the last of many thousands of conscripts to go through the mill of National Service. Following his "de-mob" he joined the Police Force in which he served for 30 years.

Van al die gebeure in die Kaapkolonie gedurende die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog het die teregstelling van Hans Lötter, asook dié van kmdt. Gideon Scheepers, die meeste emosie onder Afrikaners ontketen. Lötter en sy mederebelle in die Kolonie het die verbeelding van die plaaslike bevolking aangegryp en die Britte maande lank hoofbrekens besorg. Sy gevangeneming, verhoor en teregstelling deur ’n Britse vuurpeloton op Middelburg, Kaap, het groot woede en verontwaardiging veroorsaak en hom verewig as Boeremartelaar in die Afrikaner-volksoorleweringe. Nou word sy boeiende verhaal vir die eerste keer volledig vertel.

The Victoria Cross is Britain and the Commonwealth's most prestigious gallantry medal for courage in the face of the enemy. It has been bestowed upon 1,355 heroic individuals from all walks of life since its creation during the Crimean War. Lord Ashcroft, who has been fascinated with bravery since he was a young boy, now owns 200 VCs, by far the largest collection of its kind in the world. Following on from the bestselling Victoria Cross Heroes, first published in 2006 to mark the 150th anniversary of the award, Victoria Cross Heroes: Volume II gives extraordinary accounts of the bravery behind the newest additions to Lord Ashcroft's VC collection - those decorations purchased in the last decade. With nearly sixty action-packed stories of courageous soldiers, sailors and airmen from a range of global conflicts including the Indian Mutiny of 1857-58, the Second Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902 and the First and Second World Wars, this book is a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit and a worthy tribute to the servicemen who earned the Victoria Cross. Their inspirational deeds of valour and self-sacrifice should be championed and never forgotten.

In recent years, Civil War veterans have emerged from historical obscurity. Inspired by recent interest in memory studies and energised by the ongoing neorevisionist turn, a vibrant new literature has given the lie to the once-obligatory lament that the postbellum lives of Civil War soldiers were irretrievable. Despite this flood of historical scholarship, fundamental questions about the essential character of Civil War veteranhood remain unanswered. Moreover, because work on veterans has often proceeded from a preoccupation with cultural memory, the Civil War's ex-soldiers have typically been analysed as either symbols or producers of texts. In The War Went On: Reconsidering the Lives of Civil War Veterans, fifteen of the field's top scholars provide a more nuanced and intimate look at the lives and experiences of these former soldiers. Essays in this collection approach Civil War veterans from oblique angles, including theater, political, and disability history, as well as borderlands and memory studies. Contributors examine the lives of Union and Confederate veterans, African American veterans, former prisoners of war, amputees, and ex-guerrilla fighters. They also consider postwar political elections, veterans' business dealings, and even literary contests between onetime enemies and among former comrades.