Books published by Naval & Military Press Ltd

LIST OF MAPSTHE CRIMEAN WAR1. The Crimean War 1854-1855. General Map. 2. The Crimea. 3. Alma, September 20 1854. 4. Balaklava, Octoer 25, 1854. 5. Inkerman, November 5 1854. 6. Sevastopol (b) and the surrounding country. 7. Sevastopol (b).THE INDIAN MUTINY8. India, 1857. (Inset, The Pursuit of Tantia Topi). 9. Delhi, 1857. 10. Lucknow, 1857-1858.THE CAMPAIGN IN CHINA11. The Operations against the Taku Forts, August 1860.THE AMBELA CAMPAIGN12. The Ambela Campaign, 1863-1864 (Inset, The Ambela Pass.)THE ABYSSINIAN CAMPAIGN13. The Abyssinian Expedition, 1867-1868THE WARS IN NEW ZEALAND14.New Zealand, the North Island (Inset, North and South Islands)

LIST OF MAPSTHE FIRST AFGHAN WAR1. The Khyber Pass and the Bolan Pass. 2. From the Helmand, south-eastward to the Indus. 3. Ghazni. 4. Kabul. 5. The Passes between Kabul and JalalabadTHE SIND WAR6. Hyderabad, Miani.THE CHINESE WAR7. China (Tinghai, Chinhai, Chapu, Chinkiang-Fu). 8. Canton. 9. The Gwalior Campaign (Maharajpur).THE FIRST AND SECOND SIKH WARS10. The Punjab 11. Ferozeshah, Mudki, Aliwal, Sobraon. 12. Chilianwala, Gujrat.THE BURMESE WAR13. Burma (Lower irrawaddy Valley, Rangoon, Operations against Myat-Toon).THE KAFFIR WAR14. South Africa, Eastern Frontier (Cape Colony, Natal)In the Text1.Coorg 2. Kalat 3. Jalalabad 4. New Zealand

The Battalion was formed on 12th September 1914 at Maidstone and allocated to 72nd Brigade, 24th Division, one of Kitchener's Third New Army divisions, with which it served throughout the war on the Western Front, having landed in France on 30th August 1915. Both authors served in the battalion, Wenyon commanded it from December 1917 and was awarded the DSO and Bar, Brown became 2IC in April 1918 and was awarded an MC. One officer, Lieut D.J Dean, was awarded the VC in September 1918 for gallantry near Lens. There is no overall casualty figure though in many cases figures are given for definite actions or over certain periods; Soldiers Died shows total dead close to 800.The book is divided into ten phases, arranged chronologically, each phase covering a specific period described in the list of contents, though for some reason the dates for Phase IV are omitted in the contents list but given in the text - September 1916 to April 1917. So this is a continuous narrative, based on the War Diary supplemented by written and spoken contributions of particiants. It begins with the formation of the battalion, training, the move to France and the Battle of Loos (September 1914-September 1915), which was the battalion's first major action in which the casualties were appalling. Of the twenty-five officers who went over the top twenty-four were hit (thirteen killed) and of other ranks over 550 out of some 900 became casualties. The maps are good and include copies of two trench maps, the Ypres Salient and Lens. The account ends with the list of Honours and Awards

This is another outstanding contribution to the bibliography of the Great War and to the part played by chaplains. It follows the fortunes of the 1st Canadian Division from the earliest days at Valcartier where men of the Canadian Expeditionary Force first assembled, through days of preparation in the UK, to the Western Front where the division arrived in February 1915, the first non-regular division to join the BEF. This record is as good as an official divisional history, though lacking illustrations and maps, and fills a void, since none of the four Canadian divisions that fought on the Western Front left a history of their doings. Canon Scott''s descriptions of the life of the division, in and out of the line, present a wonderful account of a division at war. His only son was killed on the Somme, and his account of his search and discovery of his body makes moving reading. He lies buried in Bapaume Post Cemetery, just outside Albert of the road to Bapaume. This is a well recommended book, an outstanding history and account of the work of a chaplain in the field.

This is an account of the 1882 campaign in Egypt following the revolt of the Egyptian Army. Alexandria was bombarded by the fleet and Sir Garnet Wolseley commanded the British force on land. The principle battles were at Tel-el-Kebir and Kassassin. This volume has a section containing 16 full plate colour illustrations by the well-known Richard Simkin, and the text is illustrated with 40 b/w sketches ; there are six maps of the campaign

Henry Brackenbury was a brilliant staff officer - one of the "Garnet Ring" that surrounded the famous General Sir Garnet Wolsey.This is a very serious and detailed two-volume account of the brief but bloody Ashanti campaign - containing a lot of background and logistics. The Ashanti War came about after the armies of the ambitious Ashanti Empire moved south, attacking coastal tribes in the Gold Coast under British protection. After naval forces had failed to deter them, a military expedition was mounted under Wolseley, including soldiers from the Rifle Brigade, the Black Watch and the Royal Welch Fusiliers. Garnet moved against the Ashanti early in 1874, twice defeated them, and occupied their capital Kumasi. In the wake of the defeat, other small tribes asserted their independence and eventually Britain, after restoring oirder, was compelled to add the Gold Coast to the dominions fo the British Empire. Losses in the war were an estimated 1,000 British and 2,000 Ashantis.

Some time ago I read of an officer of the old 52nd who used to strop his razor fifty-two times every morning before shaving. In1881, when the Cardwell reforms took effect, the 52nd were linked with the 43rd. The officer concerned still stropped his razor fifty-two times but when he reached forty-three he turned his head to one side and spat. It is doubtful the author had ever heard this story because his version of the amalgamation speaks of brotherhood between the two regiments.Sir Henry Newbolt was a well-known literary figure of his time, poet, novelist, historian (he wrote the last two volumes of the Official Naval History) and very much a patriot. In this book he tells the story of both regiments from their formation to the end of 1914. Each chapter covers a specific period and the fortunes of the regiments during those periods are described five of the fifteen chapters are devoted to the Peninsular War. The 43rd was raised in 1741, at first as the 54th but this was changed in 1751 and in 1782 it became the Monmouthshires. The 52nd was raised in 1755, also as the 54th, but this number, too, was changed within a couple of years and in 1782 it became the Oxfordshire Regiment. The eventual union of these two regiments seems to have been pre-destined for not only did they begin life with the same Foot number, they served together in the American War of Independence; in 1803 they were both redesignated Light Infantry under General Moore; in 1807 they went together on the Copenhagen expedition; they fought together through the seven years of the Peninsular War in which they were awarded identical battle honours and in 1881 they were linked to become the 1st (43rd Foot) and 2nd (52nd Foot) Battalions of the Oxfordshire Light Infantry Regiment. In 1908 there was another change in title when the regiment was designated the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and although this event took place within the time frame of this history, Newbolt makes no mention of it let alone explain it; so I, for one, still have no idea how or why Buckinghamshire got into the act. Of two appendices, one reproduces the list of officers as published in the September 1915 Army List (corrected to August 31st 1914) and the other lists the officer casualties for the first year of the Great War, that is to the end of August 1915.