by John Fairley
A century on, Percy Toplis’s notoriety sustains a museum exhibit in the Eden Valley in Cumbria, with its greatest treasure the veritable monocle itself.
Private Percy Toplis masquerading as a war-hero
Brigadier-General Andrew Graham Thomson
Lady Angela Forbes at the time of the mutiny
Troops at bayonet practice on the snow covered sand of the Bull Ring
Lieutenent James Davies during the Second World War – the British Army’s only one-legged infantryman
Corporal Frank Reynolds
The burial of Corporal William Wood, whose death at the hands of a military policeman was one of the causes of the mutiny
Three Arch Bridge, around which the rebellion raged after the first day
Norman de Courcy Parry, as he was on the night of Sunday, 6 June 1920
Mrs Toplis leaving Penrith in her invalid chair after the inquest on her son
The farm wall behind which the police gunmen hid as they waited for Toplis
The road-side memorial to Constable Fulton’s uncle at the point where Toplis was to die thirty-five years later
Percy Toplis lying dead in Penrith police station
Copyright
Copyright © 1978, 1979, 2015 by John Fairley and William Allison
First published in 1978 by Quartet Books Limited
This second paperback edition published in 2015 by Souvenir Press Ltd
43 Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3PD
The right of John Fairley and William Allison to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Copyright owner.
ISBN 9780285643116
Lines from ‘Goodbye-ee’ © 1918, reproduced by permission of Francis Day & Hunter Ltd
Typeset by M Rules
Printed and bound in Great Britain
Available in ebook and as a paperback edition
“Alexander McKee has a unique place in the study of British history.” ‘The Independent’
Caen: Anvil of Victory
Alexander McKee
The definitive account of the D-Day landings during World War II, revised and updated.
The Allies’ first foothold in Europe was won at enormous cost, and for two months afterwards a fierce battle raged for the control of Caen. Using the personal accounts of those who took part in the fighting, both Allied and German, and of the French civilians caught up in the conflict, Alexander McKee brilliantly reconstructs the bitter battles in Normandy throughout the summer of 1944 before the Allied position in Europe was finally secured. With fearful losses on both sides, and unspeakable suffering for the French who had to endure constant massive bombardments from the air, the Battle of Caen ranks as one of the most terrible and heroic episodes of the war.
The Race for the Rhine Bridges 1940, 1944, 1945
Alexander McKee
The River Rhine protected Germany’s vital industrial area of the Ruhr and was the battlefield for three crucial land campaigns of World War II. Alexander McKee provides a detailed history of the three battles (including the three battles of Arnhem) that were found along the Rhine. Drawing on contemporary documentary (much of it previously unpublished) and the personal stories of eye-witnesses, from German paratroopers and the men of the Guards tank crews to the memories of civilians, this is the definitive account of the crucial Rhine Bridges campaigns and essential reading for an understanding of the course of World War II.
Available in ebook
Available in ebook The Devil’s Tinderbox:Dresden 1945
Alexander McKee
The Allied bombing of Dresden on February 13th, 1945, when 35,000 people were killed still causes controversy today. By that date the war was virtually won and the city was full of civilians and refugees. Alexander McKee’s classic exploration of that event, made up of the personal stories of a host of eye-witnesses (not only the survivors in the city but, also, the young aircrews, both British and American, who flew on that night) assesses the political and military decisions that led to the raids. Drawing on official and private sources, with many archive photographs of the night that reduced a city to rubble, this is the definitive account of one of the major events of World War II.
The Spitfire Log
Peter Haining
Of all the airplanes that defended Britain during World War II, none inspired as much affection as the Spitfire, the plane that became a symbol of courage and determination during the Battle of Britain. Today, almost seventy years later, it is still one of the world’s most loved planes. This splendidly illustrated tribute to the fighter and the men who flew her is essential reading. It brings together a fascinating collection of writings from Allied aces such as Air Vice-Marshal James Johnson, Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader, novelists such as H.E. Bates and Gavin Lyall and enthusiasts such as Richard Dimbleby and Alexander McKee. There are details of the story of its creation, a chronology of the Battle of Britain and a history of the Spitfire squadrons. Illustrated with contemporary and modern photographs this is a celebration of the plane that fought off the enemies of liberty.
Available in ebook and as a paperback edition
The Password is Courage
John Castle
“Of all the escapes I have read of the last war, this is the most outstanding.” Lt. Col. F. Spencer Chapman, DSO
When he was captured in France in 1940 Sergeant-Major Charles Coward launched his own private war against the Germans (although he was being held as a prisoner-of-war). For several years he was one of the most incredible amateur espionage and sabotage agent of World War Two, opposing the Nazis while sending back vital information to England. He was, eventually, sent to Auschwitz III (a labour camp just five miles from Auschwitz II, the extermination camp).
Sergeant-Major Coward carried guns and dynamite for the Polish underground movement, traded in dead bodies (by swapping the corpses of dead prisoners for Jewish prisoners, allowing the prisoners to escape) and, finally, he smuggled himself into Auschwitz II where he witnessed the full horrors of the extermination camp. As a result of his actions Coward’s testimony at the War Crimes Trials was important, allowing over 2,000 Auschwitz survivors to file lawsuits for compensations against I.G. Farben.
“The fact that British prisoner-of-war had to show the German defendants what moral courage involved is a matter of regret to the Chamber as a German Court.” From the Court Judgement, Wollheim v.I.G. Farbenindustrie, Frankfurt (Main), 1953
This is one of the most heroic and extraordinary stories of World War Two. Charles Coward, a true cockney, demonstrated incredible courage and his story is testament to the indomitable human spirit facing overwhelming odds.
Available in ebook and as a paperback edition
Code Name Caesar
Jerome Preisler and Kenneth Sewell
“The full history, for the first time, of an extraordinary event … Very readable” In Depth’ (The Submariners Association)
As World War II was nearing its end Hitler desperately tried to land a decisive blow against the Allies. He ordered U-Boat U-864 to transport blueprints, parts and scientists to Japan, providing the Japanese with Germany’s most advanced rocket and aircraft technology. It was a decision that could have lengthened the war. With this technology the Japanese would divert more Allied troops to the war in the Pacific and give Germany time to regroup. British codebreakers based at Bletchley Park discovered Hitler’s plan and, working with the Norwegian resistance movement, the RAF sent its ‘Dambuster’ squadron on bombing raids against German naval installations in an attempt to destroy the U-Boat and its deadly cargo. However, U-864 evaded all attempts to destroy it and was able to slip out to sea.
The British
submarine HMS Venturer lay in wait for the U-Boat, and the two engaged in a cat-and-mouse battle that would change the course of the war. It is the only recorded instance of a submarine being sunk by another submarine while both were submerged and many of the men abroad HMS Venturer would be awarded for their courage by King George VI.
“A darned good read … a huge amount of research – some rediscovered, some new – underpins this story … A good story compellingly told.” ‘All Round Look’
Jerome Preisler and Kenneth Sewell recreate one of the least-known, but most crucial, victories of World War II. Drawing on military and naval archives, interviews with those involved and archive photographs Code Name Caesar brings the tense, action-packed underwater battle alive with all the suspense of a thriller.
Available in ebook and as a hardback edition
Growling over the Oceans
Deborah Lake
“A fitting tribute to this unglamorous aeroplane and its long-suffering and frequently heroic crew.” ‘The Times’
The Avro Shackleton was a formidable machine with its Griffon engines producing the characteristic grumble that gave the aircraft one of its nicknames, the Growler. This book contains stories from the men for whom the aircraft became a way of life. Combining memories and anecdotes from crew members with archive material (including rare and previously unseen photographs) Growling over the Oceans is an intimate and vivid introduction to the world of the Shack.
“Contains stories from the men for whom the aircraft became a way of life. Combining memories and anecdotes from crew members with archive material, including rare and previously unseen photographs, the book is intimate and vivid.” ‘Nottingham Evening Post’
The Shackleton served in anti-submarine warfare, maritime reconnaissance and colonial policing. The Cold War ensured that the threat of unrestricted submarine warfare against British shipping kept the Shackleton on permanent alert for twenty years. It also became a troop transport, a bomber and a search and rescue aircraft when the need arose. From its first public flight in 1949 to the end of the Cold War when the Shackleton finally retired from service and entered history this book provides many reminiscences, some amusing, some serious, of those who flew in the Shack, the aircraft that struck more fear into its own crew than it did the enemy.
Deborah Lake joined the Royal Air Force at the age of 18, and served in various locations around the world. She is a qualified pilot, but has also worked as an actor in film, television and theatre. She has published numerous military books, including ‘Smoke and Mirrors: Q-Ships against U-Boats in the First World War’.
