'It was Christmas Day; I was one of hundreds of 16th Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry soldiers aboard a troopship. We were all excited - not at the thought of festive celebrations but because, that day, we were setting sail and our ultimate destination was the battle field' This is a taster of the extraordinary accounts provided by soldiers of the Durham Light Infantry, painting a vivid picture of the real horror, boredom, hardship, sacrifice, heroism, and comradeship of World War Two. As we follow the Battalion on ...
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'It was Christmas Day; I was one of hundreds of 16th Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry soldiers aboard a troopship. We were all excited - not at the thought of festive celebrations but because, that day, we were setting sail and our ultimate destination was the battle field' This is a taster of the extraordinary accounts provided by soldiers of the Durham Light Infantry, painting a vivid picture of the real horror, boredom, hardship, sacrifice, heroism, and comradeship of World War Two. As we follow the Battalion on manoeuvres across the theatres of war, the tales are funny and harrowing by turns. Whilst on latrine duty with only petrol to stave off the germs, one private accidentally blows up the toilet. In another instant, a private is shot on an Italian hillside, just out of reach of his comrades: 'You couldn't rely on the Germans, it wouldn't be any good taking a Red Cross flag...' He was 'unlucky' - that meant he would eventually die of shock and blood loss where he fell. And so the remarkable story unfolds, from conscription to demob, following the Battalion through Dunkirk, the desert in North Africa, Sicily and the Italian campaign, the celebrations of D-day and the liberation of Belsen. This reads like a real-life Spielberg movie. Revealing, educational, down-to-earth and accessible, this very human tale has a wide readership.
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Add this copy of Dunkirk to Belsen-the Soldiers' Own Dramatic Stories to cart. $2.34, fair condition, Sold by Stephen White Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Bradford, WEST YORKSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2010 by JR Books Ltd.
Add this copy of Dunkirk to Belsen-the Soldiers Own Dramatic Stories to cart. $6.00, very good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2010 by JR Books Ltd.
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Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine. Inscription on the first page, typically just a name but may include a dedication or a brief personal message.
Add this copy of From Dunkirk to Belsen: the Soldiers' Own Stories. John to cart. $11.72, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Aurum.
Add this copy of From Dunkirk to Belsen: the Soldiers' Own Stories. John to cart. $11.72, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Aurum.
Add this copy of From Dunkirk to Belsen the Soldiers' Own Stories. John to cart. $29.00, like new condition, Sold by Brian Bauld (B-Line Books) rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Amherst, NS, CANADA, published 2010 by JR Books Ltd.
Add this copy of From Dunkirk to Belsen: the Soldiers' Own Stories. John to cart. $56.24, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by JR.
This book chronicles the Durham Light Infantry throughout the Second World War, and because they were deployed in so many areas of that theatre, it chronicles the War itself.
Each chapter tackles one area where the DLI served - from the Phoney War, the Dunkirk evacuation, Italy, Libya, then back into Europe and the final push in France. The DLI were the first to liberate Belsen concentration camp, then they moved to Burma and the final chapter covers the role of the Home Guard and the Durham lads there.
It is a comprehensive study, well researched and with enough background information to enable the reader to visualise where the lads were serving. I found the early chapters more disjointed - the voices of the men did not shine through as well as in later chapters. Also, the author tended to refer to endnotes which meant if the reader wanted to know who was speaking, they had to keep referring back to the end of the book, which interrupted the flow. Later on he adopts a more standard approach of introducing who is speaking before giving their quote, and you began to build a relationship with these extraordinary men.
And extraordinary they were - incredibly brave, keeping a sense of humour and proportion. As someone summed up in the book, if you were in a hopeless situation you'd most want the Durhams alongside.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lume Books for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
