Dean Hollands – författare

For centuries Farnborough was a small town south-west of London, but today it has transformed into a large, vibrant commercial community, synonymous worldwide with the international air show, which it has hosted since 1949, and the home of military aviation. However, the real origins of Farnborough’s military heritage lie not with aviation but with the arrival of the army in 1856 and the building of a new barrack complex in South Farnborough, called North Camp. The army’s presence was further expanded with the arrival of the Royal Engineers, at South Farnborough, followed by the formation of the Army Air Battalion, and then the army’s Royal Flying Corps. The Royal Flying Corps was eventually replaced by the creation at Farnborough of the Royal Air Force and the Royal Aircraft Establishment was set up. The Royal Engineers also established a camp in North Farnborough and during the war years Farnborough was home to many other units including troops from the Canadian Army. German prisoners of war were engaged in building housing in Farnborough, captured German scientists were brought here and interrogated about their knowledge of aviation and rocket development and captured German planes were flown and frequently crashed at Farnborough. The war years also saw many heroic stories and tragic events unfold as Farnborough was routinely attacked.Farnborough has a fantastic military heritage that includes hospitals, notable burials and a wealth of military buildings and structures as well as a fine and often overlooked collection of military monuments and memorials along with its association with many military personalities.This, then, is the real story of Farnborough’s military heritage.

Forged through centuries of armed struggle and foreign domination, aggressive invaders, oppressive monarchs, and rebellious citizens have repeatedly clashed to create Berkshire’s military heritage. A heritage stained with blood spilt during hard-fought sieges, vicious battles, terrible slaughters, and tragic accidents. The oldest remnants of Berkshire’s military heritage date to the Atrebates, an Iron Age people whose impressive hill forts once dominated the county’s skyline, and whose remains are visible today.Windsor Castle, a royal residence, embodies almost a thousand years of military action and is still one of the nation’s top ceremonial attractions. The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst formed on the site of the former Royal Military College is one of the world’s toughest and most revered military training academies in the world. Its graduates include the Sultan of Brunei, Sir Winston Churchill, fascist Sir Oswald Mosley, James Bond author Ian Fleming, sports personalities Fionidi Parker and Heather Stanning, singer James Blunt, Oscar-winning actor David Niven, and Princes William and Harry.Berkshire’s military forces include the Royal Berkshire Regiment’s ‘Biscuit Boys’, who have protected the county and nation at home and abroad since 1881; and the women of the Air Transport Auxiliary service, who were formed and operated out of the county during the Second World War.Military historian and battlefield guide, former soldier Dean Hollands writes passionately about Britain’s military heritage and this book will interest anyone keen to know more about Berkshire’s remarkable military history.

The making of Dorset’s military heritage has been a dramatic, brutal, and often turbulent affair. From the time of the Durotriges tribes and their spectacular Iron Age strongholds, to the more modern sea forts and blast-proof nuclear bunkers of the Cold War, Dorset’s landscape has been shaped by generations of defensive countermeasures.Successive and bloody invasions by Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Viking and Norman forces have paved the way for revolution, civil uprising, insurrection and rebellions that history defines as the Peasants’ Revolt, the Swing and Monmouth Rebellions, the rise of the Dorset Clubmen, the Anarchy and English Civil Wars.In Tudor times the ships of Elizabeth I’s navy dropped anchor in Dorset’s waters before engaging the Spanish Armada off Portland. Men of the local volunteers, militias, yeomanry, and Dorsetshire’s Regiment of Foot have fought bravely and with distinction at home and abroad, from the Peninsular War to South Africa, and through two world wars. The Royal Flying Corps and its successor the Royal Air Force played vital roles in defending the nation, and during the Second World War their presence proved invaluable in the planning and execution of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of northern France.Military historian, battlefield guide and former soldier Dean Hollands writes passionately about Britain’s military heritage and this book will interest anyone keen to know more about Dorset’s remarkable military history.

Portsmouth’s position on the south coast of England has meant it has been an important port for centuries, and the heavily fortified home of the Royal Navy. Industries surrounding the naval docks and shipbuilding led Portsmouth to become one of the most heavily industrialised areas in the country during the nineteenth century, and today this part of Hampshire is Britain’s most densely populated urban area.In Portsmouth Murders and Misdemeanours author Dean Hollands explores the history of serious crime in Portsmouth from medieval times to the twentieth century. He looks at how the punishments for crimes evolved, including the use of corporal and capital punishment and the sites of these grisly events. Tales include murder in many guises, crimes of passion, highwaymen, robbers and motor bandits, a conviction for witchcraft during the Second World War, arson and terrorism, and mutiny – most famously the trial of the crew of Captain Bligh’s Bounty, as well as the assassination of George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, and the Bishop of Chichester.This collection of true life crime stories gives a vivid insight into life in historic Portsmouth. This book will fascinate anyone with an interest in the history of crime, as well as those who want to know more about the history of the city.

The county of Carmarthenshire has an impressive military history and heritage which stretches back into the Iron Age. Following Celtic settlement, this part of south-west Wales witnessed Roman occupation, Viking raids and Norman and English invasion. Remains of fortifications can be seen in Carmarthenshire from Iron Age hill forts and Roman forts to medieval castles and Civil War defences. The Second World War and the Cold War have also left relics. The military heritage also encompasses the county’s sons and daughters who have distinguished themselves militarily, its munitions factories (which were the largest in Wales) and the many memorials to conflicts.This book will be of interest to all those who would like to know more about Carmarthenshire’s remarkable military history.

The county of Pembrokeshire has a long military history, and its heritage stretches back into the late Bronze Age. Even today ancient hill forts and coastal defences can be discerned in the landscape. Norman settlement in Pembrokeshire and Welsh resistance created monumental castles which are still prominent in the landscape, including Pembroke, Carew and Manorbier, and later the strategically important harbours on the coastline such as Milford Haven, Fishguard and Pembroke Dock were further fortified. During the First and Second World Wars, Pembrokeshire played an important role in the aerial war, with what became the world’s largest military flying boat station during the Battle for the Atlantic and numerous airfields inland, some continuing into the Cold War. With numerous memorials, a military cemetery and a roll call of gallant Pembrokeshire men and women through the centuries, this book will be of interest to all those who would like to know more about Pembrokeshire’s remarkable military history.