BATTLE HONOURS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE AND COMMONWEALTH LAND FORCES 1662-1991

Author: Alexander Roger

Publisher: The Crowood Press
Ramsbury,
Marlborough
Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowoodpress.co.uk

ISBN: 1 86126 637 5

Published in 2003

UK Price: £35.00

Many may ask the question –what exactly is a battle honour? The following may therefore help-

“A Battle Honour is a public commemoration of a battle, action or engagement, of which not only past and present, but future generations of the Regiment can be proud.” (Army Council Instruction 58, 28 January 1956)

This excellent book is the product of over twenty years painstaking research by the author, who as an ex soldier himself, saw active service in many parts of the world during his extensive army career and is therefore well qualified to write, what I consider to be the definitive reference work on this most fascinating subject.

The first officially recognised battle honour ever awarded to British and Commonwealth land forces, was made to the 15th Light Dragoons on 16th July 1760, when their helmets were especially inscribed, to commemorate their victory over the French at Emsdorff. Since that historic occasion, no less than seventeen hundred battle honours have subsequently been awarded to various units of the army, recognising their participation and gallantry in campaigns covering all corners of the world and spanning a total of three hundred years.

Many of the battle honours detailed commemorate long forgotten and often unheard of battles, fought by our forefathers in countries that no longer feature on modern day maps. However, the more recent awards for the Falkland Islands in 1982 and the Gulf War in 1991 that are still fresh in many people’s minds, are included too.

This superb volume has been expertly presented in a logical and chronological order and also includes an excellent and comprehensive appendicies. It is an invaluable reference book for book for family history researchers. Military historians and battlefield guides, should not be without a copy in their collections, as I am sure it will be referred to often during the course of their research.

HMS GLOUCESTER

Author: Ken Otter

Publisher: Leo Cooper
An Imprint Of Pen & Sword Books Ltd
Pen & Sword Books Limited
47 Church Street
Barnsley
South Yorkshire S70 2AS

www.pen-and-sword.co.uk

ISBN: 1 84415 122 0
Published in 2004

UK Price: £19.99

This excellent volume tells the unique and fascinating story of the ninth HMS Gloucester, a 9,600 ton ‘Southampton’ Class cruiser launched on the 19th October 1937 at Devonport. Capable of 32.3 knots, she certainly was a “force to be reckoned with!” However, despite her powerful armament, which included twelve x six inch and eight x four inch guns, sixteen anti aircraft pom-poms, two triple torpedo tubes, five machine guns and three Walrus aircraft, she was unfortunately sunk by aircraft of the Luftwaffe on the 22nd May 1941, during the Battle of Crete.

Regrettably, 808 men serving aboard the “Fighting G” (as “Gloucester” was affectionately known) were to lose their lives on that fateful Spring day sixty three years ago. Sadly, Chief Yeoman Fred Otter (father of the author), was one of those casualties. Therefore inspired by the need to learn more of the tragic incident that was to “rob” him of a Dad, the author of this superb volume spent many hours researching the history of this remarkable warship and the brave ship’s company that served in her, from her launch in 1937 through to her final demise.

Tragically, just 83 survivors from the sinking , returned home at the end of the war, however, the author has been fortunate enough to have access to many of their first hand accounts of events at the time and has therefore been able to add his own conclusions to the official reports. Sadly, it is still officially unknown as to how many men actually went down with the ship and how many died in the sea whilst clinging to rafts and wreckage in the hope of being rescued. One thing for certain is that the author has been successful in producing an excellent volume that is packed with fascinating information. Researchers and historians will therefore find the archive and personal photographs interesting, however the detailed Roll of Honour and list of survivors also included will be an invaluable source of reference and a fitting tribute to the men who served in this splendid ship.

As an aside, readers may be interested to learn that the proud name of HMS Gloucester lives on in the Royal Navy of today, in the form of a type 42 Guided Missile Destroyer. With a compliment of 253, the tenth HMS Gloucester was commissioned in 1985. Capable of a speed of 29 knots, she is fitted with the latest technology that includes a Sea Lynx helicopter and guided missiles. She is of course, a far cry from the previous ship bearing the same name!