Featured battle : Bamburgh Castle

Part of War of the Roses

Date : 25 June 1464 - 30 June 1464

After taking the surrender of Alnwick 23rd June and Dunstanburgh 24th June only Bamburgh held out as the last Lancastrian stronghold in the north. The battle is noteworthy in that it was the first time a battering train was used effectively in England. The kings great guns 'Dijon', 'Newcastle' and 'London' supported by bombardels successfully breached the walls giving access for Warwick's soldiers.

Fighting with the Long Range Desert Group

Brendan O'Carroll
War may be viewed on many levels a national conflict and the strategic sweep of armies or the placing of divisions and brigades but at the base of the pyramid everything depends on individual men. This superb book is about one of those men who fought his war as a member of a very special unit the Long Range Desert Group. The motto of the LRDG was ‘Not by strength by guile’ and although they had to do quite a lot of fighting their most important role meant they should avoid any contact with the enemy wherever possible. Put briefly their mission was to go deep, hundreds of miles, behind enemy lines gather intelligence and cause disruption. An example of this is the road watch incredibly dangerous and boring but of enormous value to allied intelligence. Information which could not be gathered in any other way. What it meant to the men who lay in cover within a few hundred yards of the road and recorded vehicle movements for 24 hours at a stint we can barely imagine.
Brendan O’Carroll has done an excellent job, using large sections of Merlyn Craw’s diary, to bring to life a true picture of this special unit. The book is rich in detail of ‘every day’ life and the equipping and organizing of the ‘trips’ into the desert behind enemy lines. Supporting the text are many special photographs and maps. The ten appendices add even more fascinating detail.
This gripping story is very highly recommended.

Pen & Sword Military, 2022