Voices war words men

Buy Voices of the Great War. in the words of the men and women who were there. Max Arthur. for R75.00

This is the story of the sinking of the SS Mendi during WW1, the bravery of the men on board and the ensuing inquiry conducted by the Board of Trade in London. The story follows the small band of survivors to France where they complete their tour of duty. The First World War rages in Europe, it is a white mans war, but when the British government calls for 10 000 black soldiers to be sent to France as a labour force, men from around South Africa volunteer for service. In the foothills of the Drakensberg, Kula Hlongwane, an amaNgwane prince steps forward, followed by a group of his tribesmen. Madondo is ordered to accompany them. For him it is a nightmare from which there is no escape. When crossing the English Channel on the troopship, the SS Mendi, lights loom out of the thick black fog, then a siren blasts. With no time to avoid the collision, the Mendi is struck a devastating blow on the starboard side where Kula and his men lie sleeping. Within minutes, the Mendi begins to sink. The book makes use of various historical documents and the transcripts from the inquiry held in London by the Board of Trade to establish causality for the large loss of life. On conclusion of the inquiry, these transcripts were declared secret and concealed from view for the next 50 years. Men of the Mendi gives an in depth account of the inquiry and the apparent reason for the cover-up.  At 5 am on 21 February 1917, in thick fog about 10 nautical miles (19 km) south of St. Catherine's Point on the Isle of Wight, the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company cargo ship Darro accidentally rammed Mendi's starboard quarter, breaching her forward hold. Darro was an 11,484 GRT ship, much larger than Mendi, sailing in ballast to Argentina to load meat. Darro survived the collision but Mendi sank, killing 616 South Africans (607 of them black troops) and 30 crew. Some men were killed outright in the collision; others were trapped below decks. Many others gathered on Mendi's deck as she listed and sank. Oral history records that the men met their fate with great dignity. An interpreter, Isaac Williams Wauchope, who had previously served as a Minister in the Congregational Native Church of Fort Beaufort and Blinkwater, is reported to have calmed the panicked men by raising his arms aloft and crying out in a loud voice: "Be quiet and calm, my countrymen. What is happening now is what you came to do...you are going to die, but that is what you came to do. Brothers, we are drilling the death drill. I, a Xhosa, say you are my brothers...Swazis, Pondos, Basotho...so let us die like brothers. We are the sons of Africa. Raise your war-cries, brothers, for though they made us leave our assegais in the kraal, our voices are left with our bodies." The damaged Darro did not stay to assist. But Brisk lowered her boats, whose crews then rescued survivors. The investigation into the accident led to a formal hearing in summer 1917, held in Caxton Hall, Westminster. It opened on 24 July, sat for five days spread over the next fortnight, and concluded on 8 August. The court found Darro's Master, Henry W Stump, guilty of "having travelled at a dangerously high speed in thick fog, and of having failed to ensure that his ship emitted the necessary fog sound signals." It suspended Stump's licence for a year. Stump's decision not to help Mendi's survivors has been a source of controversy. One source states that it was because of the risk of attack by enemy submarines. Certainly Darro was vulnerable, both as a large merchant ship and having sustained damage that put her out of action for up to three months. But some historians have suggested that racial prejudice influenced Stump's decision, and others hold that he merely lost his nerve. Softcover, 320 pages. First published: February 2017

 1914 - 1918 VOICES & IMAGES OF THE GREAT WAR by LYN MACDONALD This is a heavy, soft covered book of 346 pages, measuring 24.5 cm x 19 cm. The book is based on the accounts of eyewitnesses and survivors told in their own words with photographs. It is in very good condition. • The postage on this item will be R70.00, up to 100 grams, within S. A. (Registered with tracking) •Postnet to Postnet R120.00, within S.A. •Courier to major S. A. cities R140.00 •If outside South Africa please contact me re payment & postage before bidding. •I do not have a PayPal facility. •Please email any queries. •If you think the description in my listing is incorrect, please email me. •The photograph you are viewing in this listing is the actual item for sale. •Please read my ‘Feedbacks’ for you peace of mind.  

238 pp.In the seventies, eighties and nineties, conscription had a profound effect on hundreds of thousands of young men, particularly those who had to serve in the Angolan war. This title is a collection of reflections and memories of that time, collected by JH Thompson, who interviewed men who did National Service. Contributors include ordinary soldiers, Special Forces members, helicopter pilots, chefs and religious objectors. The title captures the spirit and atmosphere, the daily duties, the boredom, fear and other intense experiences of an SADF soldier.

Group of 3 World War 1 Miniatures - Rare The British War Medal, 1914-18 Established on 26th July 1919. Also known as 'Squeak'. The silver or bronze medal was awarded to officers and men of the British and Imperial Forces who either entered a theatre of war or entered service overseas between 5th August 1914 and 11th November 1918 inclusive. This was later extended to services in Russia, Siberia and some other areas in 1919 and 1920. Approximately 6.5 million British War Medals were issued. Approximately 6.4 million of these were the silver versions of this medal. Around 110,000 of a bronze version were issued mainly to Chinese, Maltese and Indian Labour Corps. The front (obv or obverse) of the medal depicts the head of George V. The Allied Victory Medal Also known as 'Wilfred' It was decided that each of the allies should each issue their own bronze victory medal with a similar design, similar equivalent wording and identical ribbon. The British medal was designed by W. McMillan. The front depicts a winged classical figure representing victory. Approximately 5.7 million victory medals were issued. Interestingly, eligibility for this medal was more restrictive and not everyone who received the British War Medal ('Squeak') also received the Victory Medal ('Wilfred'). However, in general, all recipients of 'Wilfred' also received 'Squeak' and all recipients of 'Pip' also received both 'Squeak' and 'Wilfred'. The Territorial Force War Medal, 1914-1919 Very Rare Instituted on 26th April 1920. Only members of the Territorial Force and Territorial Force Nursing Service were only eligible for this medal. They had to have been a member of the Territorial Force on or before 30th September 1914 and to have served in an operational theatre of war outside the United Kingdom between 5th August 1914 and 11th November 1918. An individual who was eligible to receive the 1914 Star or 1914/15 Star could not receive the Territorial War Medal. The obverse (front) of the medal shows an effigy of King George V with the words GEORGIVS BRITT OMN:REX ET IND: IMP: The reverse of the medal has the words TERRITORIAL WAR MEDAL around the rim, with a laurel wreath and the words inside the wreath FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE OVERSEAS 1914-1919. Approximately 34,000 Territorial Force War Medals were issued. Condition: As per photo's  

 Pan, 2005, 3rd impression. Good PB, creased on bottom of front cover. Heavy book. 690pp.   The Victoria Cross can only be awarded for most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy. It has been awarded only 1,354 times since the Crimean War, the majority going to British and Commonwealth troops. Symbol of Courage vividly brings the story of the medal to life, giving a narrative history from the Crimean War to the recent war in Afghanistan. It includes many first-hand accounts of individual acts of bravery and describes what happened to the VC holders, some of whom found it was harder wearing the medal than winning it. It also gives a complete listing of every VC holder with details of the action in which they won the medal. Written by acclaimed military historian Max Arthur, this is a fascinating and comprehensive study that will appeal to everyone who is interested in military history.The Victoria Cross is Britain's most famous medal. It has a great emotional appeal and this book is full of stories of remarkable courage. Max Arthur's last book, Forgotten Voices of the Great War, sold over 84,000 copies in paperback for Ebury. The first book for many years to give a complete history of the medal.

 The War Diaries of André Dennison - JRT Wood - Ashanti - 1989 - 394pp, indexed, black and white photographs - Hard cover with dust cover in good, clean and tight condition. Another fighting soldier, Johan Meiring, Bronze Cross of Rhodesia, said about Dennison that somehow his battles seemed bigger brighter and bolder. His war was always noisier, far noisier, than the fights of other soldiers. At one stage of the Rhodesian conflict, A Company 2-RAR held the current record, notching up the largest single kill of the war, eliminating 32 of the enemy after a bloody day-long battle on Rhodesia's south-eastern border with Mozambique - But Dennison's war was largely a blunt, no frills operation. There was no glamour in the killing ground. The glamour was at home. She was his pert attractive British wife, Helen. After the failure of this, his second marriage, and her subsequent return to her aristocratic home in Britain, there were other glamorous women. There were other wars, too. Egypt, Cyprus, Aden, Borneo, The Oman and Northern Ireland. Of these he spoke as little as he did of his women. But there were unguarded moments when Dennison hinted of dark deeds. Like the elusive IRA leader holed up in his Londonderry safe house, where the frustrated SAS could not legally reach him for months on end. Then came the mysterious, never explained shotgun blast in the dark of the night, snuffing out the IRA man on his own doorstep when he answered the coded knock known only to his mistress. There was an equally inexplicable incident when the newly arrived British Commissioner designate, Field Marshall Lord Carver, flew in to meet 2-RAR. Moving down the line of officers at 2-RAR HQ in Fort Victoria, the Field Marshall paused to exchange a few words with each. Introduced to Dennison, he paused briefly but then moved on wordlessly, ignoring the outstretched hand. Dennison never spoke about it and no one thought of asking Lord Carver. Mostly he kept his thoughts to himself and wrote of the war as he had seen it. He would labour into the night over his diary, recording events while memories still jangled fresh in his mind. There were reports of large fireforce actions and of 2-RAR officers and men receiving bravery awards. And there were tersely worded Combined Operations HQ's communiquÌ©s announcing deaths in action.

2004. Hard cover with dust cover; 676 pages. Very good condition; like new. Over 1kg.   From the team that edited the bestselling The Assassin's Cloak which has sold over 90,000 copies to date The wartime experiences of over 100 diarists from around the world Published to coincide with Remembrance Day Third party promotion in conjunction with the British Legion under discussion The Secret Annexe brings together - in their own words - the stories of the men and women who have endured wartime life. By turns horrific and comic, the entries retain the candid intimacy that is the particular preserve of the diarist. From the colourful band of contributors - Davy Crockett, Anne Frank, Josef Goebbels, Virginia Woolf, Che Guevara, Anais Nin, Florence Nightingale, Samuel Pepys and Salam Pax to name a few - Irene and Alan Taylor have forged an unprecedented insight into what has been described as 'the most exciting and dramatic thing in life' and 'the universal perversion', war.  

Hardcover with d/j in very good condition. Published in 2006 by Harper Press with 385 pages and illustrated with b/w and colour photographs. D/j unclipped. This is an account of what it means to be a contemporary soldier, written in the words of the men and women of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment.  Postage in RSA = R50.00.  

1960 hardcover with dust jacket and 256 pages in good secondhand condition. Browning to all pages edges. 6 June, 1944. 156,000 troops from 12 different countries, 11,000 aircraft, 7,000 naval vessels, 24 hours. D-Day - the beginning of the Allied invasion of Hitler's formidable 'Fortress Europe' - was the largest amphibious invasion in history. There has never been a battle like it, before or since. But beyond the statistics and over sixty years on, what is it about the events of D-Day that remain so compelling? The courage of the men who fought and died on the beaches of France? The sheer boldness of the invasion plan? Or the fact that this, Rommel's 'longest day', heralded the beginning of the end of World War II. One of the defining battles of the war, D-Day is scored into the imagination as the moment when the darkness of the Third Reich began to be swept away. This is the story of D-Day, told through the voices of over 1,000 survivors - from high-ranking Allied and German officers, to the paratroopers who landed in Normandy before dawn, the infantry who struggled ashore and the German troops who defended the coast.Cornelius Ryan captures the horror and the glory of D-Day, relating in emotive and compelling detail the years of inspired tactical planning that led up to the invasion, its epic implementation and every stroke of luck and individual act of heroism that would later define the battle. In the words of its author, The Longest Day is a story not of war, but of the courage of man.

This is the story, from New Year's Day to VE Day, 8 May 1945, of the conquest of Nazi Germany in the words of those who were there. It is the follow-up to Robin Neilland's "D-Day 1944: Voices from Normandy". The story is told in the words of ordinary people: American infantry, British paratroopers, Canadian gunners, Australian pilots, New Zealand POWs and German civilians. Neillands paints a broad picture, and tells of events from the participants viewpoint: the men who flew on the Dresden Raid or fought the battles in the Hurtgen Forest, The Bulge, the Reichwald, and at the Rhine Crossing, those who made the horrific discoveries of Belsen, Dachau, Buchenwald and Dora. He talks to those who survived the concentration camps, and to Allied POWs who lived through the Death Marches from the East. *Previous owner's stamp on half-title page; covered in clear plastic wrap.*

Ranged against two powerful communist terrorist armies, the small, under-equipped army of Rhodesia defied all military convention by not only resisting the onslaught, but taking the fight to the very heart of the ZIPRA and ZANLA terrorist machines. The efforts of the Rhodesian army and air force shocked the world; how could such a small force of men repel the hordes of Russian and Chinese backed communist terrorists who threatened to overwhelm them? At the very heart of the Rhodesian war effort lay the RLI. The Rhodesian light infantry Commandos were second to none. Brave, tough, resourceful, stubborn and highly trained, the exploits of the RLI soon became legend, not only in Africa but the world over. Where ever the war situation was at its most dangerous, you would almost certainly find The Incredibles at the epicentre of the action. Stu was taking first stag and he woke Richard and me when he heard it. The voices were coming from the bush north of our location. We were unable to accurately determine distance, but estimated they were about fifty metres away. Often FRELIMO and ZANLA had little regard for noise discipline, even in circumstances such as this. So, the enemy was out here searching for us? The voices came closer then suddenly sheared off into the distance. Shortly afterwards there was more noise. Orders being issued and the clanking of unsecured kit drifted through the bush from several tens of metres away. We still couldnt see anything but it was obvious we had been overtaken and possibly encircled. In response to a question from Stu, I whispered that I didnt think the enemy knew our location. They were being far too indifferent. Had they known they would have approached cautiously, making as little noise as possible. No, they were looking for us alright, but didnt know where we were. We were on the alert now. We had about twelve hours of daylight left before we could move, plenty of time for Freddie to find us.Commando Shoot To Kill is a thrilling fictional account of service with the elite Rhodesian Light Infantry during the final year of the Bush War. Peter Rische describes heart stopping behind the lines reconnaissance missions and the realities of brutal close quarters combat as he leads the reader into the heart of the bitterest conflict in sub Saharan African history. Softcover, 109 pages

 Charge! History's greatest Military Speeches - Steve Israel - 2007 - Hard cover in nearly new condition. One of the leading voices on national security issues in the U.S. Congress demonstrates how words have been sharp and powerful weapons of victory in this compilation of great military speeches that helped turn the tide of history. Among the dozens of inspirational speeches featured are: Moses instructing his followers to cross the Jordan River without him... Queen Elizabeth pledging to die with her soldiers as they faced the Spanish Armada... Patrick Henry choosing between liberty and death... Napoleon exhorting his troops as they marched on Egypt... Winston Churchill rallying his nation to victory... General Sir Montgomery refusing to retreat from Rommel... President Roosevelt preparing the American people for World War II... General Eisenhower fortifying his troops for the invasion of Normandy... President Reagan demanding that Gorbachev tear down the Berlin Wall... President George W. Bush encouraging America after 9/11... and more. Congressman Israel has included speeches that have motivated and mobilized, challenged and comforted. Some were blurted in the heat of combat, others were carefully written in places far removed from the brutality of the battlefield, but all will inspire readers with the courage that moved people forward against all odds. Each speech is introduced with an insightful historic context. This dramatic sweep of military history in the words of history's military leaders serves to reinforce the concept that the pen is mightier than the sword.

In his own words Andre Scheepers describes his childhood on a farm, learning about the bush from his African friends, and becoming a soldier. The family had to leave the farm after being ambushed by terrorists. A quiet, introspective deep thinker, Andre started out as a trooper in the Rhodesian Light Infantry commandos and was hectically engaged in Fire-Force combat operations before leaving for the SAS. Wounded 13 times, his operational record is exceptional even by the high standards that existed at the time and he really emerges as the quintessential SAS officer displaying extraordinary calmness and audacious cunning in the course of a host of extremely dangerous operations. Loved by his men, Andre writes very eruditely about his mental and emotional condition during the war and reflects very candidly on what he learned and how war has shaped his life since. Offered a commission in the British SAS after the conflict, he decided to stop soldiering and entered the seminary whereupon he became a minister. In addition to Andres personal story the book also reveals more about the other men who were distinguished operators in other celebrated SAS operations. This is the story of soldiers, the hardships, the battles they fought and the challenges they faced. Softcover, 320 pages. FIRST PUBLISHED: MAY 2018  

We Dared to Win: The SAS in Rhodesia   In his own words Andre Scheepers describes his childhood on a farm, learning about the bush from his African friends, and becoming a soldier. The family had to leave the farm after being ambushed by terrorists. A quiet, introspective, deep thinker Andre started out as a trooper in the Rhodesian Light Infantry commandos and was hectically engaged in Fire-Force combat operations before leaving for the SAS. Wounded 12 times, his operational record is exceptional even by the high standards that existed at the time and he really emerges as the quintessential SAS officer displaying extraordinary calmness and audacious cunning in the course of a host of extremely dangerous operations. Loved by his men Andre, writes very eruditely about his mental and emotional condition during the war and reflects very candidly on what he learned and how war has shaped his life since. Offered a commission in the British SAS after the conflict he decided to stop soldiering and entered a seminary whereupon he became a minister. In addition to Andre's personal story the book also reveals more about the other men who were distinguished operators in other celebrated SAS operations. This is the story of soldiers, the hardships, the battles they fought and the challenges they faced.   Condition: Good