Turner Donovan Military Books - The world’s finest selection of rare and out-of-print books on British military history from 1800 to 1945
  Stock last updated on 30 July 2021
 
   

Second World War Second World War, Including regimental and divisional histories, personal accounts, general histories and works of reference   93 Books
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Operations of British, Indian & Dominion Forces in Italy, 3 September 1943 to 2 May 1945. Part V. Administrative Monographs. 4. O2E Papers. IV, Employment of Italian Co-operators (from O2E point of view); V, Handling of Enemy & Surrendered Enemy Personnel After the General Surrender. 1st Ed., approx. 50pp., foolscap, dup. typescript, num. fldg. tables. British Historical Section, Central Mediterranean. nd (c.1945).  #53309
[HLMainPic] Very rare contemp. official & CONFIDENTIAL intelligence report on operations in Italy. This volume contains much detail on employment of Italian PoWs in Pioneers Companies &c.. Orig. grey printed paper covd. boards with blue cloth backstrip, excellent original state, near fine, with oval ink stamp to front of Air Historical Branch, Air Ministry, & small IWM withdrawn stamp to front paste-down. See illustration on our website.   £125
24th Guards Brigade Operations August 1944 to May 1945. 76pp., dup. typescript, foolscap., 10 lge. fldg. & cold. maps. Trieste. 1945  #57367
[HLMainPic] SECRET, Copy No. 16 of 200 copies printed at Trieste in July 1945. Excellent contemp. intelligence report on the crossing of the Arno & advance to the Gothic Line by this Brigade, the battles of the Argenta Gap, advance to the Po & the concluding operations of the Bde. in Italy. It consisted of 5th Grenadiers, 3rd Coldstream, 1st Scots Gds., support units (RA, RE &c.) & other units periodically under command such as 4/13 FF Rifs. (Wildes), Royal Natal Carbiniers, &c. Detailed narrative, tabulated casualties, staff lists & a distribution list at the end (just 95 copies accounted for in this list). Orig. printed card wraps. with cloth backstrip, stamped "SECRET" on Contents page together with "16" (i.e. the number of this issue), small, neat IWM withdrawn stamp inside rear cover. VG & of course rare. See illustration on our website.   £475
Operations of British, Indian & Dominion Forces in Italy, 3 September 1943 to 2 May 1945. Part V. Administrative Monographs. 5, The Problem of Desertion; 6, Leave to UK; 7, Rest Camps; 8, Compassionate Postings; 9, The Problem of Marriage; 10, Repatriation of British & Allied PW at the End of Hostilities; 11, Employment of Co-operators in the Italian Camaign; 12, Veterinary & Remount Service; 13, Medical Papers. 1st Ed., approx. 60pp. in all, foolscap, dup. typescript. British Historical Section, Central Mediterranean. nd (c.1945).  #53310
[HLMainPic] Very rare contemp. official & CONFIDENTIAL intelligence report on operations in Italy. This interesting volume contains much detail on the subjects stated in the title. Orig. grey printed paper covd. boards with blue cloth backstrip, excellent original state, near fine, with oval ink stamp to front of Air Historical Branch, Air Ministry, & small IWM withdrawn stamp to front paste-down. See illustration on our website.   £125
Streatham's 41. 2nd Ed., orig. dec. wraps., 52pp., several dozen photos., map in text. Published in aid of the Streatham Comforts Fund. nd [1945]  #61816
[HLMainPic] Detailed record of the 41 V-1 flying bombs (Doodlebugs) that fell on Streatham over a two month period during the summer of 1944. Contains full details of each of these, describing their effect & how the Civil Defence services dealt with them & their awful effects. Includes a map showing where each one fell. The 41 bombs caused almost 1000 casualties & damaged around 17,000 properties. Well illustrated, attractive & rare record of the V-1 offensive, plus details & roll of local CD wardens & their duties, &c. See illustration on our website.   £25
19th Field Survey Company Royal Engineers: Overseas Service 1939-1946. Folding map with letterpress & decorative borders, 605x455mm. Reproduced & printed by the 19th Fd. Survey Co. RE. nd (c.1946)  #62614
[HLMainPic] Illustrated map of Europe & African continents depicting movements & activities of the unit from Iceland to PAIFORCE & Italy, Germany & France, with letterpress history 1939-46 (approx. 1500 words) & attractive marginal sketches & decorations, plus explanation: "During almost six years of war the 19th Field Service Coy. RE has travelled many miles in three continents, ranging from the Icelandic winter to the South Persian summer... This memento of out travels together is but a brief outline... The good times are well remembered & the not so good times are covered by a mask of humorous incident..." Dec. wraps., attractive & scarce. See illustrations on our website.   £95
Highway 16 Courier: Area Sports Committee Newsheet. Vol. 1, No.1, 12th October 1944 [and] Vol. I, No. 27, 11th November 1944. The first & a later issue of German propaganda sheets directed towards allied troops in Italy, each consisting of a single printed leaf, No. 1 being 30x20cm approx. & No. 27 42x32cm approx. Contemp.  #52204
[HLMainPic] Nazi propaganda publications printed in English & purporting to be official newsheets distributed free to troops. Cleverly, but not too convincingly, they headline with anti-German reports: "Nazis Shoot Aachen Deserters" & "Patton's Men Near Nazi Frontier," but within them are various smaller "news" reports intended to lower morale, e.g. "Italian prisoners of war at a Lincolnshire camp have gone on strike because they were put on the same sandwich ration as their British guards instead of having a hot midday meal" & "Many public houses at home are showing 'no beer' signs on two or three nights a week - but several of the teetotal organisations are out to see that the sign shall apply to the entire country. They plan to launch a great 'Make Britain Dry' campaign as soon as the war ends..." Both issues ex-IWM lib., laid down or archival tissue, VG thus & scarce survivals. See illustration on our website.   £35
Headquarters 154 Infantry Brigade. 1st Ed., orig. printed card wraps., oblong. 4to, 25 leaves, 9 orig. photos., 2 fldg. maps. Printed by Hans Meyer, Horneberg, Germany. 1946  #59151
[HLMainPic] 154 Brigade, 51st (Highland) Division consisted of 1st & 7th Black Watch & 7th Argylls. A brief history of the brigade from Alamein to VE Day, plus Roll of Hon. of Bde. HQ, real photo. illus. of last two GOCs (North-West Europe campaign), named groups of officers, NCOs, admin. staff, signals &c. Orig. orange wraps., titled in black, somewhat worn, about VG & scarce. See illustration on our website.   £85
The Bromley Home Guard: A History of the 51st Kent Battalion. By L.D.V. 1st Ed., orig. dec. wraps., [iv]+80pp., 23 photos., 2 cartoons. Printed by the Sun Engraving Co., Ltd. nd [1945].  #52682
[HLMainPic] Rare & detailed history with several interesting photos. & 2 cartoons reproduced from the unit's magazine, 'The Willing Horse.' Named group photo. of officers. Nominal roll (showing, interestingly, that a total of 3420 individuals served in the ranks between 1940-44, plus 81 in the 'Electricity Unit'), roll of officers & their appointments, 1941-44, & roll of members who joined regular forces. VG with RUSI bookplate (presented by the unit, 1945), paper label at foot of sp. & small, neat IWM 'withdrawn' stamp inside rear cover. VG. See illustration on our website.   £75
British Army of the Rhine Battlefield Tour. Third Day: 8 Corps Operations South of Caumont 30-31 July 1944 (Operation Bluecoat). 1st Ed., [vii]+49pp., foolscap, 7 maps (6 bound-in, 1 in endpocket). Prepared under the Direction of G (Trg) HQ BAOR. 1947  #50638
[HLMainPic] RESTRICTED. Detailed account of the planning & execution of this phase of the Normandy Breakout, with various original Operation Orders &c. reproduced. Excellent coloured fldg. maps. Preface states that this tour is "especially concerned with the part played by 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division in those operations. It forms the necessary background to a detailed study of the battle carried out on the ground." Orig. blue cloth, gilt to front. VG & rare (just 150 copies printed of this edition), with ownership inscrip. of the writer Alan Sillitoe & several ts. foolscap sheets loosely inserted re contemp. training exercise, outlining a situation where, as GOC 15th Div., you have to decide how to alter your plan during the battle to benefit from air support. With list of officers in syndicates during this exercise. See illustration on our website.   £220
"C" Company 11th Worcestershire Battalion Home Guard. 1st Ed., orig. dec. wraps., 55pp., oblong. 4to, several group photos. Phillips & Probert Ltd., Worcester. nd (c.1945).  #52833
[HLMainPic] Rare large format history of Coy. based in the area of Witley, Shrawley, Stockton, Abberley, Pensax, Clows Top, Mamble, Bayton, Stanford Bridge, Martley & Clifton-on-Teme. VG with tipped-in typed errata slip. See illustration on our website.   £85

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