"Gun Buster" - Flanders 1940

Idler

You beat me to it!

Phil

 

Perhaps the following should be added to Idler's explanation in order to further explain the role:

At Battery level, the Battery Captain also performs the role of Gun Area Commander. Fulfilling the role of Battery second in Command, the title is not necessarily an indication of the rank held by the post holder and the role can be undertaken by Warrant Officers.

 

Picked up a couple of these from the bargain stall outside good old Baggins Book Bazaar in Rochester. Started on Battle Dress and I’m really impressed so far. Considering when it was released I’m surprised it includes sections knocking the French and Belgians, a chapter on how medals don’t mean much to anybody apart from Joe public and a part about shooting a dying refugee. I’d expected a bit of boys own stuff but it reads as a bit more realistic than that.

 

I think it's a pretty honest account, yes, I used it as a source in my own book. Wartime British books are often surprising in that way, and to me at least they seem much more mature and intelligent than American wartime books. Alan Moorehead's Desert Trilogy and Eclipse contain quite a few revealing and critical passages. I can only suppose that British censors believed that the people and the troops were both intelligent enough and committed enough to the fight that their resolve would not be weakened by honest reporting and constructive criticism. That's a remarkably confident and enlightened attitude to have in the midst of a desperate war.

 

How many titles are there and do they all cover the France and Flanders 1940 campaign?

 

I suspect it's just one of them. I picked up one recently - Victory Barrage - and it's set on Malta, and looks like it will focus on the AA gunners there.

 

Battle Dress is all France 1940 and I’m guessing Return via Dunkirk is the same. Grand Barrage is the only other one I picked up, which is about Malta.

 

Zero Hours is another title, set in the desert, and like the others a good read.

I am surprised that no one has yet researched or written about the author's wartime service. I am sure it would make a good story.

Like other posters I have a couple of them I have come across very cheaply, but have enjoyed reading the many stories.

Scott

 

Victory Salvo is an anthology of others' experiences. It was a useful find for me as one of the chapters deals with the Hong Kong & Singapore Royal Artillery at Kota Bharu airfield on day one of the Pacific war.

 

Thanks - think I’ll look for Battle Dress. I havecreturn via Dunkirk and there’s a great bit at the end (not read all of the book) that’s quiet detailed about what it was like standing chest high in the sea for hours waiting to be rescued whilst being attacked from the air.

 

They are all a good read.
The detail is very good too.

Lawrence

 

I have just ordered both Return Via Dunkirk and Battle Dress.

Grandad was also in 368 Battery of the 92nd and from reading the above posts I presume these are the two books in the collection that are most closely linked to the 92nd and, presumably, 368 Bty.

I understand they are fictionalised accounts but also that they are based on the author’s own experiences and so I hope they will in some way, therefore, very much reflect what he and the Battery actually went through in 1940.