Ian McHarg writes about the daring raids and indomitable fighting spirit of the Second World War Commandos and other Special Forces and clandestine units, including the Special Air Service (SAS), Special Boat Squadron (SBS), Special Operations Executive (SOE), Combined Operations Pilotage Parties (COPP), the Cockleshell Heroes, Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF), Special Raiding Squadron (SRS), and Long Range Desert Group (LRDG).
He introduces the readers to legends of the Second World War, including: Blair “Paddy” Mayne, Lord Lovat, John Durnford-Slater, Peter Young, Charles Newman, Jack Churchill, Derek Mills-Roberts, Colin Gubbins, David Stirling, Tommy Macpherson, and other Commando and Special Forces leaders.
His writing follows the Commandos and other Special Service units across all the major theatres of operations during the Second World War, including: Norway, France, Algiers, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sicily, Italy, Burma, Normandy, Holland, and Germany.
Ian McHarg passed the All Arms Commando Course and earned the Coveted Green Beret at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines. He is working on his fourth book, and lives in Abu Dhabi with his wife Donna and GSD Tala.
Dick Holmes, on the left, and Duggie Pomford were both awarded the Military Medal while serving with the Special Boat Squadron during the Second World War. In the early hours of 23 June 1943, the men of B and C
For his “great gallantry, skill and devotion to duty” during the St. Nazaire Raid in March 1942, Sergeant Tommy Durrant of No. 1 Commando and the Royal Engineers was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. Having been ordered to withdraw from
Stood first on the left is Lieutenant George Herbert DCM MM of No. 3 Commando. Herbert, who was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry at Dunkirk, was one of the most courageous soldiers of the Second World War. On his
No.11 (Scottish) Commando was raised in Galashiels in the summer of 1940, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Dick Pedder, from volunteers from the Scottish Command. From Galashiels they completed a 100-mile march to Ayr before commencing arduous commando training
Lt Col Blair ‘Paddy’ Mayne DSO and 3 Bars, 1 SAS Regiment, was a courageous and brilliant special forces soldier, and one of the most outstanding leaders of the Second World War. A qualified solicitor and Irish Universities heavyweight
The venerable Lord Lovat briefs his fellow commando officers prior to Operation Abercrombie, the raid on Hardelot, near the Channel port of Boulogne in April 1942. The intention of the raid was to ‘make a reconnaissance of the beaches and
At 04.30 hours on 9 April 1945, Danish born, Major Anders Lassen MC** and his ten-man SBS patrol set out on a diversionary raid on the north shore of Lake Comacchio in north-east Italy. Their tasks were to cause as
Lance Corporal Eric Harden of the Royal Army Medical Corps attached to the Royal Marines, posthumously received Britain’s highest award for valour in the presence of the enemy, after giving his life to save his wounded comrades. Victoria Cross recipient
On 9 March 1945, twenty-seven men from the Special Boat Squadron, were tasked to attack the enemy occupied Villa Punta, on the Yugoslav island of Lussino. Initially occupied by Italian fascists, the fortified villa with extensive gardens, and the surrounding
Recipient of the Military Medal (MM), Johnny Dowling of No. 3 Commando, was a fighting man. He learned to box at the famous St. Malachy’s Boxing Club in Liverpool, and after spending three seasons in the city’s tough boxing booths,
Commando come fighter pilot, Eric Garland MC and Bar, had a remarkable war. In a period full of incredible achievements by extraordinary people, the actions of Eric Garland were of the highest order. During the withdrawal from Dunkirk in June
The invasion of Sicily in July 1943 was based on two Allied armies landing on the island. The US 7th Army were tasked to land on the south-west at Gela, with the British 8th Army on the south-east at Pachino
