John French – författare

Explore the brutal massacre of Isstvaan V in this fantastic stand-alone Horus Heresy title from Black Library.

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John French first took up flying in 1937 with the University of London Air Squadron and in 1938 joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. His early war years were spent instructing newly recruited RAF pilots on Airspeed Oxfords and Avro Ansons. When the end of this posting came through he was designated to 210 Squadron at Sullom Voe in the Shetlands to fly the Catalina flying boat. In November 1942 the squadron was ordered south to join 202 Squadron at Gibraltar.Here they flew sorties in support of the North African landings – Operation Torch. These were lengthy flights out into the Atlantic approaches to Gibraltar or Eastwards into the Mediterranean. He flew fifteen sorties in this short period before returning to Pembroke Dock. He was then instructed to report to Felixstowe to collect Catalina IB FP 222 and to ferry it up to his new base Sullom Voe.From this northern base the flying boats flew thirty hour patrols out into the Northern Atlantic searching for enemy ships and U-boats. On 8 September he was ordered to execute an extended search of the Norwegian coast where it was thought that the Tirpitz and Scharnhorst were seeking shelter. Having unsuccessfully searched the entire coastline at low-level they finally touched down on the Kola Inlet after a flight of over twenty-two hours.As February 1944 came towards its end he was detailed to cover a Russian convoy, JW57, far up to the north of the Arctic Circle. Shortly before his ETA with the convoy they got a radar return. They dropped down below the cloud to find a rough angry sea and spotted the wake of a ship. However this was not a ship but a surfaced U-boat. As they flew into attack they met a hail of 37mm and machine-gun fire John dropped to attack level and came in from the stern dropping two depth charges. Thus came the demise of U-601.On 18 July 1944 a Liberator of 86 Squadron was seton fire during an attack on a U-boat and was forced toditch some 100 miles west of the Loften Islands. Eightmembers of the crew took to their dinghies. A Catalinawas despatched on a search and rescue mission thefollowing day but failed to find the victims. However on20 July they were resighted. A volunteer crew washastily formed and took off at 0130 on the 21st. Someexcellent navigation brought the survivors into view atETA. John decided to attempt a sea landing to effect therescue. He came in low, into wind and across the swellat 65 knots. His crew soon had the stranded airmanaboard, somewhat bedraggled after their sixty-two hourordeal. They landed back at Sullom at 1410.After the war John stayed in the RAF and spent much ofhis time behind the Iron Curtain.

In the summer of 1942 a Wellington bomber, operating with 115 Squadron from Marham in Norfolk was forced to ditch in the North Sea returning from a raid on Hamburg. Two members of the crew, who were picked up by the Luftwaffe, have written this book. '

Of all the military campaigns fought by the British during the 19th century, no area saw more conflict than the subcontinent of India. Dozens of encounters, both great and small, involved many of its races as either friends or foes of Britain – indeed, it was not unusual for an area to furnish both ally and enemy at the same time! This volume covers the British, Indian and Anglo-Indian troops who fought for The Honourable East India Company and Britain over the varied landscape of what is present day Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, between the years 1826 and 1859. The vast array of uniforms and dress worn by soldiers serving in India during this period is examined in detail, and extensive information is also provided on regimental Colours. The book’s nine chapters cover the campaign in Bhurtpore (1825–26); the Coorg campaign (1834); the First Afghan War (1839–42); the conquest of Sind (1843); the campaign against Gwalior (1843); the Sikh Wars (1845–46 and 1848–49); actions on the North-West Frontier (1849–58); the Santhal Rebellion (1855–56); and the Indian Mutiny (1857–59). Each of these chapters includes uniform information specific to the campaign covered, while that on the Indian Mutiny also includes details of Mutineer dress. Many orders of battle and battle-plans are also included. Illustrations comprise 199 drawings of troop types and flags, and 27 other illustrations and maps