True stories from the frontlines of World War I Published to mark the centenary of the First World War and of the RSL in 2016, this is a collection of 100 true stories of Aussie courage from those who were in the action. The RSL, an Australian icon, has supported Australian veterans since 1916, pledging that their sacrifices will never be forgotten. Now from the annals of the RSL come these compelling yarns and memories, written by diggers for diggers and capturing the impact of war on those who took part. With eyewitness accounts ranging from Gallipoli to the Middle East and Western Front, Australia's Great War is brought to life with humour, pathos and vivid detail. Discover a rare account of the capture of German New Guinea, the first Australian action of the war, and experience the Gallipoli campaign through the diggers' eyes. There's the story of how a Light Horse patrol daringly slipped through advancing Turkish troops to warn their mates of danger, a sapper's-eye view of the battle of Fromelles, how the Melbourne Cup was run on the Western Front - and so much more. Collected here for the first time, these stories are a must-read record of World War I.

'Bomb doors open!'It was the call that haunted airmen's dreams.This is the story of an ordinary young Australian whose ambition to fly took him halfway round the globe during World War II - and the fateful mission when his plane was hit three times.'Battle Order 204 is about the quality of courage.Christobel Mattingley has written this book with compassion and insight, its presentation is gripping and moving.' Max Fatchen AM'Brilliant.At once uplifting yet thought-provoking; enlightening yet, of necessity, sad. There is a commendable balance of hard fact and human emotion elements, and I found it almost impossible to put down.' Mike Garbett, author of The Lancaster at War

Following his first three successful books, describing his long career as a military pilot, Mike Brooke completes the story with more tales of test flying during the 1980s and '90s. During this period his career changed to see him take control of flying at Farnborough and then at Boscombe Down, as well as off-the-cuff delivery missions to Saudi Arabia, 'bombing' in the name of science in the Arctic and the chance to fulfil a long-standing dream and fly the vintage SE.5a. This often hilarious memoir gives a revealing insight into military and civilian test flying of a wide range of aircraft, weapons and systems. As in his previous books, Brooke continues to use his personal experiences to give the reader a unique view of flight trials of the times, successes and failures. More Testing Times and its earlier volumes make for fascinating reading for any aviation enthusiast.

Nice One Centurion tells the individual personal, funny stories of men who have served in the RAF & RAF Regiment. All the stories that have been compiled date from the very beginning of the formation of the RAF Regiment up to present-day operations. The reader of this book will be amused and highly entertained at some of the antics that occurred not only in war, but in peacetime as well. The fabulous illustrations by Tim Parker highlight what this book is all about: making a difference with humour. Nice One Centurion was born out of an idea to help fellow servicemen who suffer with PTSD. A percentage of the proceeds from this book will be donated to the RAF Benevolent Fund, Help 4 Heroes, and the RAF Regiment Museum.

In August 1914, thirteen-year-old Amy was trapped on the Belgian seacoast as war was declared with Germany, alone with her younger brothers. British, resilient and feisty, she got back to occupied Brussels and began her war diaries. Amy knew Nurse Cavell and Ada Bodart, members of the secret network to get Allied soldiers across the frontier. She writes of zeppelins, food shortages, constant gunfire and spies. She confronts a 'sneering' German who demands to know where her brother is: 'I could have shot him, ' she comments. Then it all changes: in 1917 her mother attacks her and Amy is moved to a Catholic boarding school nearby. Constantly in trouble for being disruptive, answering back, whistling, laughing in church and climbing onto roofs 'for fun', she longs for the love and approval of her teacher - and her estranged mother.

Stumbling from a university anarchist meeting into a career in the army, Chip Chapman is aware of how consciously incompetent he is. The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst confirms his worst fears. He is eventually let loose on 6 Platoon of 2 PARA and, via the Falklands War, manages to elevate himself to a position of conscious competence and save his career. Snapshots on all aspects of military life, and government decision making, show the military at work and play. This hilarious, touching, informative and thought-provoking insight into a generation of soldiering in the late 20th century and beyond is set against the drumbeat of the social, cultural, legal and educational rhythms of the age, and the change from the certainties of the Cold War to the nihilism of 9/11. Chip Chapman eventually manages to somehow climb the greasy pole to become a General. With echoes of David Niven's The Moon's a Balloon, Lesley Thomas' Virgin Soldiers and the travelogues of Bill Bryson, Chapman captures the rawness, spirit and fortitude of the soldier and soldiering in both peace and war.

As an 18-year-old, John Urwin was posted to Cyprus, where he was recruited into a top-secret unit called the Sixteen, whose task was to assassinate key figures throughout the Middle East. Now he breaks his silence to tell their story. Their training was said to have surpassed that of the SAS in unarmed combat and weaponry. His description of their four key missions is explosive and a riveting account of the turbulent 1950s in the Middle East. The Cold War was approaching its height and when there was a mission to be undertaken that no government could be seen to endorse, the Sixteen would do the job. No previous depiction of a military group, in book or movie, has remotely compared to the secrecy, skills and sheer professionalism of the Sixteen.

Early in 1940 a swashbuckling aristocrat and a member of Military Intelligence, with their secretaries, went to Paris as agents of the British Government. They left on 10 June, when Paris was declared an 'open city'; taking with them many records and details of scientists who wished to continue their work in the UK. At Bordeaux staff at the British Embassy introduced them to the master of a tramp steamer, one of 180 merchant ships standing by to evacuate troops and civilians in the three weeks after Dunkirk. Thirty three scientists were embarked, many with their immediate family. Two Belgians joined with a fortune in gem diamonds packed in two wooden crates. Two more French scientists boarded; bringing all of the 'heavy water' (deuterium oxide - a nuclear moderator) that then existed. Six hundred tons of machine tools were also loaded. The ship escaped from Bordeaux three days before the city fell and carried the passengers and cargo to safety at Falmouth, where there were ninety six other refugee ships. A special train took the passengers, and the most valuable items, to London. The diamonds were put into the vaults of a bank controlled by De Beers and most of the heavy water was stored beneath the library of Windsor Castle, with the Crown Jewels and with the King's knowledge. The House of Commons was only told of the 'Mission' when in secret session; there was no publicity and no awards were made. The Earl, his secretary and their driver, formed a successful bomb disposal team. They lost their lives in May 1941, when their thirty fifth bomb detonated prematurely. The Earl was awarded the George Cross and his companions were 'Commended for Bravery.' Much of the rescue was witnessed by a young naval lieutenant on his first overseas assignment. After the war he became an author and it is probable that the colourful characters involved in this mission first gave him the idea for one of the most famous fictional agents of the twentieth century. In 1943 Twentieth Century Fox wanted to make a film about 'The Incredible Earl of Suffolk', but were prevented from doing so by Lady Suffolk and the British government. Fox would have first heard of the story when a brief mention of the Earl's exploits appeared in press reports of his death. In 1973 the BBC made a four part series about him; they do not seem to have obtained copies of the official records, which were released at about that time. Much of the material for this book came from the British National Archives at Kew, near London; from the descendants of several of those involved and from researchers elsewhere in Europe.

A true story of a Halifax aircraft and seven airmen flying much needed supplies from their base in Italy to Poland to aid partisans fighting heroically during the Warsaw Uprising. It traces the lives of the aircrew and one special man, the father I never knew. It is a story of tragedy and loss, survival and discovery, of a plane shot down and Polish partisans coming to the aid of the survivors. It concludes with a long journey from California to Poland to meet families who also share a truly special connection with this aircraft.

This is the story of the author evacuated in 1939 at the age of six with his brother and sister from Sheffield in the North of England to the safety of relatives in Cork in Southern Ireland and his return to Britain in 1943. It ends on VE Night, 1945. Neil was a practising hypnotherapist for much of his working life and on his retirement revisited this period of his childhood seeking answers to memories and flashbacks that had haunted him for more than sixty years. He tells in his preface how this was achieved. The author had an affinity with his Irish hosts and his four-year stay is not without humour, as you would expect. But the incidents he recalls include the firing of Cork's largest department store in 1942 and providing intelligence that may have led to the torpedoing of the SS Irish Oak in May 1943 by the German submarine U-607. Not yet ten, he was escorted back to Britain on the orders of the Prime Minister, de Valera. The story is certainly an emotional one, not least because of the shooting down over occupied France early in 1944 of the boy's hero, Uncle Bill. You must decide whether this little boy was an innocent used by the unscrupulous Republican agent Finnegan, by Sister Ann of "the Mission," Stan of Short's slaughter house, his wily cousin Clare who took his earnings for dresses and his uncle who took it for drink. Or whether he rose to the challenge of being separated from his parents at a very young age in difficult times. It is a one-off story told by a lad growing up too quickly. It is also one with dark undertones.

In 1816 the author's great-great grandfather, Thomas Kearey, arrived in England to seek his fortune. He was the latest - but by no means the last - in a line of strong and resourceful men. This book is the story of the Keareys, and of their place in history through the centuries. It relates how the Ciardha ('Ciar's people') in the Ireland of the Dark Ages evolved into the modern Keareys, how holders of that name laboured, loved and fought through the centuries, and how in more recent times they were proud to fight with honour for their adopted country of Britain in two world wars. Terence Kearey has woven the carefully-researched story of what happened to his family over the centuries into the economic and social history of these islands, explaining how his ancestors coped with, and in some cases helped to change, the vicissitudes of poverty, war and economic and social change. The result is a detailed and vivid picture of a past that is quickly fading from memory.

Danish Air Force pilot Hans Gundelach is a man trapped in Germany when Hitler invades his homeland in 1940. Instead of trying to rejoin his family, he heads for occupied France with a set of secret technical drawings given to him by a Jewish gun-sight maker. Although he knows he'll be shot as a spy if caught, Gundelach's hatred of the Third Reich drives him on into the unknown. Along the way, he falls in love with a local woman, services a downed Hurricane fighter and eventually makes it to England to deliver drawings he hopes will change the course of the war in the Atlantic, but, once there, he finds his troubles are only just beginning... This is an incredible true story about one man's crusade to help the Allied war effort against the Nazis. It gives a fascinating insight into Gundelach's resourcefulness and drive, and his lasting hope that his actions will make a difference. Beautifully told and richly entertaining, The Little English Boy will delight readers of all ages.

This is the unforgettable story of the remarkable medical workers of World War One. A hundred years ago, the Armistice that ended the Great War was signed. The human cost was devastating: over 21 million military wounded, and nearly 10 million killed. The injuries on the battlefield were unlike anything those in the medical field had ever witnessed. Yet, they adapted incredibly fast - saving millions of lives. Drawing on letters and diary entries, we follow the lone stretcher bearer into the trenches only to find that they were all dead, to the dugouts where rescue teams dug frantically to escape the earth-shaking shellfire, and from stretcher to aid station, from jolting ambulance to crowded operating tent, exploring actual cases of casualties who recorded their terrifying and remarkable experiences. A groundbreaking book of the history of the Western Front from a new perspective, this is a tribute to the indispensable medical network that came together and saved our soldiers. 'A highly readable account...this is an engaging book...they are voices that deserve to be heard.' Daily Express

"With bayonet in hand, I cautiously approached the narrow opening..."These words begin a chilling first-hand account of a life endangering situation which confronted John "Jethro" Thompson in 1967, when he served as a Tunnel Rat in Vietnam . Jethro is just one of many Australian war heroes whose brave deeds in various war zones are highlighted in Ian Ferguson's latest book. Graphic details are provided about the combat achievements of every current Australian VC winner, along with other legendary Aussies such as Nancy Wake, "Weary" Dunlop and Reg Saunders. The political, economic and social situations which have motivated Australians to risk their lives, from the Boer War of 1899 until the present day conflict in Afghanistan, are comprehensively documented, while the performances of many military leaders, including Sir John Monash and General Sir Thomas Blamey, are carefully analysed. Brolga's bestselling non-fiction author has produced another compelling book which will become a must read for every lover of Australian social history.

Steve Haydock joined the British Army in 1972 aged 15, joining the lnfantry Junior Leaders Battalion, based in Oswestry, Shropshire. On his 18th birthday he arrived in Northern lreland to begin the first of his three tours of duty in the province, with the 1st Battalion of The Queens Lancashire Regiment. He served nine years with the QLR from Northern Ireland to Cyprus to Ghana before becoming a civilian in the mid 1980's. In 1992, after seeing the war unfold in Yugoslavia he left England to join the Croatian Army, to use his experience and skills to help the Croats fight to defend the country and win freedom from the Serbian aggressor. This is his story................

Immediate Action is a no-holds-barred account of an extraordinary life, from the day Andy McNab was found in a carrier bag on the steps of Guy's Hospital to the day he went to fight in the Gulf War. As a delinquent youth he kicked against society. As a young soldier he waged war against the IRA in the streets and fields of South Armagh. As a member of 22 SAS Regiment he was at the centre of covert operations for nine years - on five continents. Recounting with grim humour and in riveting, often horrifying, detail his activities in the world's most highly trained and efficient Special Forces unit, McNab sweeps us into a world of surveillance and intelligence-gathering, counter-terrorism and hostage rescue.There are casualties: the best men are so often the first to be killed, because they are in front. By turns chilling, astonishing, violent, funny and moving, this blistering first-hand account of life at the forward edge of battle confirms Andy McNab's standing in the front rank of writers on modern war.

As the Wehrmacht invaded the Soviet Union, it discovered that the Russians possessed heavy tanks that German anti-tank guns were ineffective against.
The German Army developed the 37-mm Pak 36 in 1936 to provide the primary weapon for its panzerjagers, who were responsible for anti-tank defense in infantry divisions. Realizing that the new Wehrmacht offensive doctrines intended to fully exploit the shock effect, firepower and mobility of armor, the panzerjagers were intended to enable German infantry to fend off enemy tanks. Although the Pak 36 was adequate against most pre-war tanks, during the 1940 Campaign in the West it proved unable to defeat the British Matilda II or French Char B, so the Wehrmacht began developing the 50-mm Pak 38 to supersede it. However, the process of re-equipment was slow and most German infantry divisions that participated in the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 only had a handful of Pak 38s and still relied mainly on the Pak 36. Just four days into the invasion, German troops encountered the first KV-1 and KV-2 tanks near Raisinai in Lithuania and the impotence of both the Pak 36 (soon derisively labeled the "Door Knocker") and the Pak 38 was revealed. Thus at the start of this decisive campaign, the German Army was faced with the reality that it's panzerjagers could not provide effective anti-tank defense against Soviet heavy tanks and the Wehrmacht was forced to adopt a crash-program to upgrade its division-level AT defenses. New weaponry, including the 75-mm Pak 40, captured Soviet 76.2-mm guns converted into Pak 36(r), HEAT shells and tungsten-core rounds, offered possible solutions to the Soviet armored behemoths, but would require time to develop. In the interim, the panzerjagers were forced to adopt a variety of ad hoc tactics and stand-in equipment to survive in an unequal duel with heavy Soviet tanks.
On the Soviet side, based upon lessons from the Spanish Civil War, the Red Army decided to develop a heavy "breakthrough" tank to smash enemy infantry defenses. The result was the KV-1 and KV-2 tanks, introduced in 1939. At the start of Operation Barbarossa, both these tanks were virtually invulnerable to the weapons of the panzerjager and demonstrated their ability to overrun German infantry on several occasions. This advantage gave the Red Army a window of opportunity between the fall of 1941 and the spring of 1942 to use their heavy tanks to repel the German invasion in a series of desperate counteroffensives. Yet the window of Soviet advantage was a narrow one and the duel between the Soviet KV heavy tanks and German panzerjagers had a major impact upon the struggle for the strategic initiative in 1941-42.

In the course of the Second World War, more than a quarter of a million European and American soldiers were taken prisoner by the Japanese in Malaysia, the Dutch East Indies and the Pacific. They went on to suffer years of deprivation and brutality, most of them failing to survive at all. Harold Atcherley was fortunate enough to be one of the survivors. Throughout his time as a prisoner, from the fall of Singapore on 15th February 1942 until 14th September 1945, he kept a diary, which he was able to bring home with him. This book is based on that diary, along with other diaries and official documents. The original diary can now be viewed at The Imperial War Museum, London. He was fortunate enough to count among his friends and comrades the celebrated artist Ronald Searle, whose drawings have been used to illustrate his text; they give a far better impression of what life was like for a POW of the Japanese than mere words can, though neither words nor pictures could ever convey the appalling stench of disease and death on such a massive scale.

Bold, brash, and full of ambition, George Brinton McClellan seemed destined for greatness when he assumed command of all the Union armies before he was 35. It was not to be. Ultimately deemed a failure on the battlefield by Abraham Lincoln, he was finally dismissed from command following the bloody battle of Antietam. To better understand this fascinating, however flawed, character, Ethan S. Rafuse considers the broad and complicated political climate of the earlier 19th century. Rather than blaming McClellan for the Union s military losses, Rafuse attempts to understand his political thinking as it affected his wartime strategy. As a result, Rafuse sheds light not only on McClellan s conduct on the battlefields of 1861-62 but also on United States politics and culture in the years leading up to the Civil War."

My chief lied and my shipmate died. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Do yourself a favor and read this war story before you enlist. Otherwise, you may be joining the enemy.

Military working dogs gained widespread attention after one participated in the SEAL Team Six mission that led to Osama bin Laden's death. Before that, few civilians realized we had dogs serving in combat, let alone that they could parachute from up to 30,000 feet. And as astounding as that is, it's only one of the many things our four-legged soldiers can do.

In this book, Lisa Rogak shows the amazing range of jobs that military working dogs perform, such as explosives detection, patrol, and hunt for enemy combatants. Dogs have had a place in the military for decades, but their importance and our treatment of them has evolved over time. Rogak examines the training, equipment, and what it's like to serve with them on the front lines.

"The Dogs of War "also tells heart-warming stories of the deep connections that grow between dogs and their handlers. And Rogak recounts adventures both heroic and tragic of the courage and devotion that both human and canine soldiers have shown together on the battlefield.

An incredible story of a largely unseen but vital role that dogs play in our armed forces, "The Dogs of War "is a must-read for animal-lovers everywhere.