"Gun Buster" - Flanders 1940

Discussion in 'Books, Films, TV, Radio' started by CROONAERT, Jul 19, 2007.

  1. CROONAERT

    CROONAERT Ipsissimus

    Just obtained a couple of books (for the princely sum of £1 each!) published in 1941 and 1942 detailing certain events of great interest to me through the eyes of a RA battery in France & Belgium 1940. I haven't started to read them yet (my dad's nicked them!), but the glance that I've had at them they look an extremely interesting read.

    They are written by someone going under the pseudonymn "Gun Buster". Anyone any idea who he is/was, and are the names mentioned in it all real? (one that sticks in my mind is Lt.Hart-Davies).

    Thanks,

    Dave.
     
  2. CROONAERT

    CROONAERT Ipsissimus

    Forget my above question. He was John Austin, and I can work the rest out...

    Dave (still look interesting though!)
     
  3. Kyt

    Kyt Very Senior Member

    Gun Buster were father and son (John and Richard Austin) who were both in the RA. I don't exactly how many books they wrote but here's a partial list:

    Zero hours
    Return via Dunkirk
    Battle dress
    Victory salvo
    Grand barrage

    EDIT - ahh, seems you found out whilst I was typing
     
  4. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Lt.Hart-Davies, would his Commission be listed on the LG website?
    I'm rubbish at finding anything there.
     
  5. Kyt

    Kyt Very Senior Member

    8 Hart-Davies entries on LG but the site's playing silly buggers at the moment. I'd heard that the books were fictionalised.
     
  6. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I found 12 but latest one was 24-June-1919.
     
  7. Kyt

    Kyt Very Senior Member

  8. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Opps!
    Silly sod!
    I'd clicked WW1 Records.
    Doh!
     
  9. Trackfrower

    Trackfrower Member

    Gunbuster?

    Captain John or Richard Austin.

    A battery captain with a 25 pounder regt.

    Possibly with 1 Corps of the BEF in France 1940.

    Who was he with and who was he?


    Cheers


    Lawrence
     
  10. idler

    idler GeneralList

    I'll try again as the threads were merged as I posted:

    Captain Richard Austin was with 368 Bty, 92 Fd Regt (source); John was his father.
     
  11. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    I have a copy of the regiments war diary. Is there anything specific you are after?
     
  12. Trackfrower

    Trackfrower Member

    But who was he with?
     
  13. Goodygixxer

    Goodygixxer Senior Member

    A 'Gunbuster' is also the nickname given to the 4.5" mk8 gun maintainer in the Royal Navy. I am a 'Gunbuster' instructor!!
     
  14. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    But who was he with?

    I think Idler answered your question in post number 10.
     
  15. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Looking at the field return I'm guessing he was the battery 2ic:

    [​IMG]
     
  16. op-ack

    op-ack Senior Member

    Gun Buster were father and son (John and Richard Austin) who were both in the RA. I don't exactly how many books they wrote but here's a partial list:

    Zero hours
    Return via Dunkirk
    Battle dress
    Victory salvo
    Grand barrage

    EDIT - ahh, seems you found out whilst I was typing

    That's the full list, got copies of all of them, some are better than others, Battle Dress doesn't only deal with RA and in my opinion, isn't up to the standard of the rest. Still, all good reads. I've done a battlefield tour with the Royal artillery where we followed Return via Dunkirk, looking at OP's mentioned in the book, which really bring it to life. Yes, it is fictionalised, but then it was written during WW2.

    Phil
     
  17. Trackfrower

    Trackfrower Member

    Thanks


    Lawrence
     
  18. Trackfrower

    Trackfrower Member

    He was the Battery Captain
     
  19. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    He was the Battery Captain

    I don't think there is such a position in the Royal Artillery.
     
  20. idler

    idler GeneralList

    There's another author in there as well: Capt G B Aris wrote the 92 Fd Regt and 5 Div histories.

    Regarding the Battery Captain:

    Battery Captain (BK)
    When the rank of the BC was increased to major, in 1874, one of the 4 subaltern officer positions was raised to captain. He became known as 'The Captain'. However, in 1938 troop commanders were created in batteries, and they were captains. At much the same time vehicles started being marked with 'tac signs' and that for The Captain was 'K'. It became the practice to refer to The Captain as the Battery Captain or more colloquially the 'BK'.
     

Share This Page