Books by Anon

This third volume in the official four-volume history of the Mesopotamia (Iraq) campaign takes the story from May 1916 up to 30 April 1917, covering the battle of Kut-Al-Amara, the pursuit of the Turks, the occupation of Baghdad and the subsequent operations around Baghdad. During this period, command of the British forces had passed to General Maude, whose papers were made available to the author by the General's widow, Lady Maude. The Turkish troops proved to be tough opponents, especially on the River Tigris where their XVIII Corps made an heroic stand. Operations here are described in detail, since this phase in the Mesopotamian campaign is the only instance of continuous, close-trench fighting. Appendices provide detailed British and Indian Army order of battle information.

Created in July 1940, the Home Guard was not entitled to use military ranks until February 1942, after which date all officers appeared in the Home Guards Lists, each covering a different Command. These Command Lists give details of relevant units proceeding down the chain of command. Officers, together with their Decorations (awarded for World War Two and before) are listed by unit and rank; some entries identify service in previous units. The volume has an alphabetical index. This is a good genealogical source of reference for family and local historians. It also allows military enthusiasts and collectors to identify Home Guard service and thence Defence Medal entitlement. The Western Command is the largest of the Commands, covered the western side of Great Britain from Herefordshire, through Wales and Cheshire to the industrial centres of Lancashire, then onwards to the Lakeland counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland. On its eastern borders it encompassed the Midland counties of Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire.

Persia (modern Iran) was a key strategic piece on the global chessboard of The Great War, placed as it was between Afghanistan and the warring Ottoman Turkish, Russian and British Empires. In 1914 Britain sent an Anglo-Indian force to Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) to deny the Turks access to the Persian oil fields. Germany retaliated by attempting to stir up an Islamic Jihad against the Allied incursion in Persia and India. This was foiled by the capture of German agents, as was a German attempt to kidnap the young Shah of Persia. Fighting between Russia and Turkey spilt over into Persia, and in the wake of the Russian collapse into revolution in 1918, Britain sent a small force - Dunsterforce - under Gen. Dunsterville into the Caucasus to encourage local resistance against the Turks and Germans. Although eventually withdrawing into Persia, Dunsterforce did succeed in denying the Turks access to the Baku oil fields until the armistice.

Twenty appendices essential to understanding the campaign . 1. Instructions and Orders issued by the 29th Division for Battle of Gully Ravine, 28th June, 19151.A. Turkish Counter-Battery Work at Helles2. First Instructions from G.H.Q. to IX Corps for Suvla Operations3. Final Instructions from G.H.Q. to IX Corps for Suvla Operations 4. IX Corps Orders for the Suvla Landing5. IIth Division Order for the Suvla Landing6. Composition and Principal Armaments of Naval Squadrons for August Operations7. Orders for the Night Advance from Anzac and Capture of Sari Bair8. Orders for Attack on Sari Bair , 8th August9. Epitome of Orders issued by Vice-Admiral for Suvla Landing10. IX Corps Order to 31st Brigade,7th August11. First Report of General Stopford to G.H.Q., 7th August12. 32nd Brigade Order for the Morning Advance, 8th August13. IIth Division Orders for Attack on 9th August14. Final Order for IIth Division Orders for Attack on 9th August15. 32nd Brigade Orders for Attack on 9th August16. G.H.Q. Instructions to Major General de Lisle17. Lord Kitchener's Instructions for GeneralSir C.C. Monro18. Army Orders for Helles Evacuation19. Naval Embarkation Orders, Helles Evacuation20. VIII Corps Order for Helles Evacuation

Twenty nine appendices1. Lord Kitcheners's Instructions to Sir Ian Hamilton2. Order of Battle, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force3. Sir I. Hamilton's Order for Landing, 25th of April 19154. Instructions for Helles Covering Force5. Instructions for G.O.C.A. & N.Z.A.C6. Instructions for Kum Kale Landing7. Epitome of Orders issued by Vice-Admiral de Robeck8. Composition of Naval Squadrons9. Epitome of Orders issued by Rear-Admiral Wemiss10. General Orders to Masters of Transport11. Medical Arrangements for the Landings12. Epitome of Orders issued by Rear-Admiral Thursby13. Suggested Action in Event of Failure14. Gen. Birdwood's Orders for Anzac Landing15. Gen. Birdwood's Instructions to 1st Australian Division16. 1st Australian Division Order for Landing17. 29th Division Order for Landing18. 29th Division Instructions for Covering Force19. 86th Brigade Operation Order No. 120. Instructions to G.O.C C.E.O.21. Extracts from Signal Log, H.M.S Euryalus22. 29th Division Order, First Battle of Krithia23. 87th Brigade Order, First Battle of Krithia24. G.H.Q Order, Second Battle of Krithia25. 29th Division Order, Second Battle of Krithia26. 29th Division Order, Second Battle of Krithia, (2nd Day)27. G.H.Q Order, Second Battle of Krithia, (3rd Day)28. 29th Division Order, Second Battle of Krithia, (Final Phase)29. Notes on Signal Arrangements

This concluding fourth volume in the Official History of the Mesopotamian campaign takes the story from May 1917 to the conclusion of hostilities and the armistice with Turkey, which came into force on 31 October 1918. It begins with a very useful chronological summary of the campaign in Mesopotamia, showing the respective periods and details of operations covered by each of the four volumes which constitute the history of the campaign. An extensive appendix gives details of the distribution of the troops of the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force as on 27 May 1917 and, in the following appendix, compares the order of battle of the Turkish Sixth Army and its strength in rifles, sabres and machine guns on 17 August 1917. The narrative opens with the description of the River Euphrates operations and the British victory at Ramadi under General Maude, who tragically died of cholera on 18 November 1917. A very able commander, he was a great loss. Other operations described include NW Persia and the Dunsterville Force; in Kurdistan and on the shores of the Caspian Sea (occupation and defence of Baku); and the advance on Mosul. Only one British division, the 13th (Western), served in Mesopotamia compared with nine Indian divisions (including one cavalry). Total casualties amounted to 92,501, of whom 14,814 were killed in action or died of wounds while 12,807 died of disease. Appendices also give the distribution of the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force on various dates and list the principal officers (brigadier-generals and above) in the Force on 1 December 1917 and 1 November 1918. There is a good index.

The story of a typical infantry battalion of a county regiment as they fought their way from the beaches of Normandy to the River Elbe. In the proud words of Lt. Gen. G.I. Thomas, their divisional commander, the 4th Somersets 'Never had a failure and never lost an inch of ground.... they knew they were better men than the Germans and never ceased to show it'.Unusually for an official history of this kind, the book has no single author, but includes contributions from all ranks to build a picture of such hard-fought actions as Hill 112 and Mount PIncon in the Normandy campaign; the heavily contested crossing of the RIver Seine, the 'taking out' of the ancient German town of Cleve, and finally the taking of the north German port city of Bremen. This is the story of the final months of the Second World War in Europe seen through the eyes of the men who won it.