Book description
A unique and poignant record of a club created for heroes.
There are just a handful of men and women alive today who served and
fought with the Special Forces during the Second World War. They are a
dwindling bunch of veterans in their twilight years whose tales of
heroism and daring-do will soon be lost in time forever - yet they still
regularly get together in a gentleman's club, right in the heart of
London - The Special Forces Club.
In ten separate and astonishing accounts of ingenuity and heroism, the
Sunday Telegraph defence correspondent Sean Rayment visits this unique
group of people, and through their vivid memories, transports the reader
back in time to the dark days of the Second World War when Britain was
again fighting on multiple fronts across the globe.
These incredibly heroic tales are taken from men such as Captain John
Campbell, MC and Bar and the last surviving officer of 'Popski's Private
Army', whose triumph over being wrongly labelled a coward led him to
serve with distinction and bravery behind Rommel's lines in North
Africa. Balancing the heroism in the field of battle is the story of
Noreen Riols, who worked under the legendary Colonel Maurice Buckmaster,
helping train operatives in the art of counter-espionage and
counter-surveillance, who was used to 'honey trap' would-be agents. Then
there is Mike Sadler, who served with David Stirling in the LRDG and
took part in an SAS attack on a German airfield near el-Alamein in 1942
in which 34 aircraft were destroyed; and Harry Verlander, who served
with the legendary Jedburghs, a highly secret element of the Special
Operations Executive, and recalls his service during D-Day and
subsequent operations in Burma. The book covers all theatres of
operations and provides a unique glimpse into why the members of the
Special Forces Club are truly exceptional.
Time is running out to capture the myriad of epic stories WWII threw up
over its five-year period. In their twilight years, the Special Forces
Club has decided to reveal its identity at last. "Rayment
uncovers astonishing depths of courage and resourcefulness.” Sarah
Sands, The Evening Standard
'Sean Rayment has gathered wartime experiences that have an extra
resonance. For his veterans served in the Special Forces… [a] brilliant
and often deeply moving book.'
Sinclair McKay, Sunday Telegraph
'An outstanding book offering a vital insight into the wartime
adventures of that small community of Britain's war heroes who rarely
speak publicly.' Chris Hughes, Daily Mirror
'A cracking read, couldn't put it down.' Neil Chandler, Daily Star
Sunday Sean Rayment is the defense correspondent for The Telegraph. He
is the author of Bomb Hunters, following the tours of duty of bomb
disposal teams in Afghanistan. His time spent as a captain in 3 Para,
plus his various connections throughout the armed services means he can
open the doors to these unique veterans from WWII that have been closed
to other writers over the years. He will be the first to properly tell
their story.
