{"title":"Stephen Wynn","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into Stephen Wynn's captivating Believe series, a thrilling ride through mystery and intrigue. Perfect for fans of fast-paced suspense and gripping narratives. Start your adventure here.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"shetland-bus-book-stephen-wynn-9781526797254","title":"The Shetland 'Bus'","description":"The Shetland Bus was not a bus, but the nickname of a special operations group that set up a route across the North Sea between Norway and the Shetland Islands, north-east of mainland Scotland. The first voyage was made by Norwegian sailors to help their compatriots in occupied Norway, but soon the Secret Intelligence Service and the Special Operations Executive asked if they would be prepared to carry cargoes of British agents and equipment, as well. Fourteen boats of different sizes were originally used, and Flemington House in Shetland was commandeered as the operation's HQ. The first official journey was carried out by the Norwegian fishing vessel the Aksel, which left Luna Ness on 30 August 1941 on route to Bremen in Norway.  This book examines that first journey, as well later ones, and discusses the agents and operations which members of the Shetland Bus were involved in throughout the war. It also looks at the donation of 3 submarine chasers to the operation, made in October 1943, by the United States Navy. These torpedo-type boats were 110 ft long and very fast, allowing journey times between Shetland and Norway to be greatly reduced and carried out in greater safety.  The story of the Shetland Bus would be nothing without the individuals involved, both the sailors of the boats and the agents who were carried between the two countries. These were very brave individuals who helped maintain an important lifeline to the beleaguered Norwegians. It also allowed British and Norwegian agents a way in to Norway so that they could liaise with the Norwegian Underground movement and carry out important missions against the German occupiers.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49504763347217,"sku":"GOR013683339","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49742393245969,"sku":"NGR9781526797254","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50928368943377,"sku":"GOR013490747","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53075766968593,"sku":"GOR014729865","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1526797259.jpg?v=1750990818"},{"product_id":"battle-of-itter-castle-1945-book-stephen-wynn-9781399007078","title":"The Battle of Itter Castle, 1945","description":"The Battle of Itter Castle was undoubtedly one of the strangest events of the Second World War, being one of only two occasions during the war in which Americans and Germans fought side by side.  The castle was seized by the Nazis on 7 February 1943, on the direct orders of Heinrich Himmler, and in just ten weeks was changed into a five-star prison for a number of high-ranking French dignitaries, both civilian and military.  In the final days of the war, in May 1945, with the castle's German guards having deserted their posts and an attack by SS units imminent, those inside the castle realised they needed help. Having sent out two men to try to make contact with American forces, it was then a case of sit and wait, not knowing if they had been successful in their task or had been captured and killed by the SS.  Help eventually arrived in the shape of United States Army Captain John C. \"Jack\" Lee, his tank and a handful of men, along with German Wehrmacht officer Major Josef \"Sepp\" Gangl, and some of his men. Although happy that their 'prayers' had been answered and help had arrived, the French dignitaries could not hide their disappointment at such a small force of rescuers.  The subsequent battle started early on the morning of Saturday, 5 May, and continued until mid-afternoon when a larger American force arrived and defeated the remaining SS forces. 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Fortunately, no harm was done, by the crew or its cargo, as both were what they purported to be. Less than a week later Pool harbour was in the news again, as night time restrictions were placed on the town's fishing fleet to stop them from venturing outside of the harbour due to the potential danger of attack from  German naval vessels.  By the end of 1914, a number of temporary hospitals had sprung up all over the Poole area, as was in keeping with the rest of the country. These included, The Lodge, The Mount and Springfield Auxiliary Hospitals, all of which were for officers only. In addition to these there was also the Sandacres Private Hospital for officers in Parkstone.  A recruitment meeting took place at the Drill Hall at Upper Parkstone on 19 February 1915\\. To encourage men to attend, arrangements were made for local brass bands to play and make their way to the Drill Hall from different parts of the town.  In Knight \u0026amp; Co, which was located in Hill Street, Poole, the town had its very own munitions factory, which employed more and more women the longer the war continued, as more and more men were called up.  The book also looks at men from the town who went off to fight in the war,  and those who never made it back home to their loved ones. It also looks at the towns women, many of whom carried out Voluntary work such as working for the VAD, whilst bringing up young children and tending to their homes.  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It was renamed Stalag 383 in November 1942.  For most of its existence it comprised of some 400 huts, 30 feet long and 14 feet wide, with each typically being home to 14 men. Many of the British service men who found themselves incarcerated at the camp had been captured during the evacuations at Dunkirk, or when the Greek island of Crete fell to the Germans on 1 June 1941.  Stalag 383 had somewhat of a holiday camp feel to it for many who found themselves prisoners there. There were numerous clubs formed by different regiments, or men from the same town or county. These clubs catered for interests such as education, sports, theatrical productions and debates, to name but a few.  This book examines life in the camp, the escapes that were undertaken from there, and includes a selection of never before published photographs of the camp and the men who lived there, many for more than five years.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49512046231825,"sku":"GOR012008298","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49739738579217,"sku":"NGR9781526757241","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53383278526737,"sku":"GOR013459057","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1526757249.jpg?v=1751425039"},{"product_id":"surrender-of-singapore-book-stephen-wynn-9781473824027","title":"Surrender of Singapore - Three Years of Hell","description":"Until the late 1930s, Singapore was noted as a popular stop-off point for wealthy European travelers on their way to countries such as Australia and New Zealand. The outbreak of World War II changed all of that.Major General William Dobbie, who served as the General Officer Commanding Malaya between 8 November 1935 and August 1939, warned that Singapore could be conquered by the Japanese; his concerns went unheeded. Many factors led to the fall of Singapore. These included the arrogance of some senior British military personnel and politicians; a misconception that Japanese soldiers were inferior to their American and Commonwealth counterparts; a belief that Japan would not militarily engage both the United States and Britain at the same time; and the Allies’ perception that victory in Europe took priority over defeating the Japanese throughout Asia and the Pacific.  Singapore fell to the Japanese in 1942 and was controlled by them for the next three years. During this time Chinese civilians and Commonwealth soldiers were murdered in such incidents as the Sook Ching massacre and the Burma Railway death march.  Winston Churchill decided against a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the fall of this bastion of empire, and no subsequent British government has seen fit to change that decision. This remarkable book tells the fascinating and largely forgotten story of the fall of Singapore.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49527527473425,"sku":"GOR008666465","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50377263644945,"sku":"CIN1473824028VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51775578145041,"sku":"GOR013497729","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53105957634321,"sku":"CIN1473824028G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53362773721361,"sku":"GOR014878348","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1473824028.jpg?v=1750858995"},{"product_id":"maidstone-in-the-great-war-book-stephen-wynn-9781473827912","title":"Maidstone in the Great War","description":"Maidstone in the Great War tells the remarkable story of this Kent county town's immense contribution to the Great War effort from the outbreak of war in 1914, to the long-awaited Allied victory in 1918. Maidstone has a long and illustrious military history - it even had its own Civil War battle, dating back to 1648 - and with the onset of the First World War, its civilians, like thousands of communities up and down the country, sent their men off to fight for their king and country. The town paid a hefty price as it lost nearly 900 of its young men. The harbinger of death catered for all strands of society, from the richest to the poorest, from those who toiled in the fields, to the loftiest of society. The book looks at the war year by year and how it directly and indirectly affected Maidstone. As more and more of its young men were killed and wounded, everyday life, or what passed for everyday life, continued the best that it could. The town's incredible support for the war on the Home Front was apparent from the very beginning. When the Mayor of Maidstone appealed to the town's people to support Lord Kitchener's request for blankets for his New Army, they responded in droves. Convalescing soldiers were tended to as passionately as Belgium refugees were looked after by the town's people; they freely and happily did this while coping with the unsettling reality that one or more of their loved ones may never return from the war. 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If it wasn't for him, Britain would almost definitely have lost the war: there were those in government who encouraged Churchill to strike a deal with Hitler at the time of the Dunkirk evacuations, which took place just three weeks after he had been made Prime Minister, but he stuck resolutely to his guns and said,  no'.  However, Churchill was never the favourite to take over after Neville Chamberlain resigned. Indeed, everyone believed Lord Halifax would be the next Prime Minister, although even he thankfully recognised that Winston Churchill was the best man for the job, even though King George VI disagreed.  Yet there was another side to Churchill that is not often spoken of, and one that led to him making some questionable decisions. Some of these, it could be argued, were for national security reasons, but others were not, proving that even the very best are not always as perfect as they first appear.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49539065905425,"sku":"GOR011973624","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50840722899217,"sku":"GOR012284801","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/152670854X.jpg?v=1750797873"},{"product_id":"city-of-london-at-war-1939-45-book-stephen-wynn-9781526708304","title":"City of London at War 1939-45","description":"The City of London was always going to be an obvious target for German bombers during the Second World War. 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Despite the damage to its buildings and its population, by the end of the war the City of London was able to rise, like a phoenix, from the flames of destruction, ready to become the vibrant and flourishing borough that it is today.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49542695551249,"sku":"GOR013229524","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49735489257745,"sku":"NGR9781526708304","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50772305215761,"sku":"GOR014065973","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1526708302.jpg?v=1751275330"},{"product_id":"romford-in-the-great-war-book-stephen-wynn-9781473822207","title":"Romford in the Great War","description":"Romford in the Great War tells the remarkable story of Romford and its surrounding areas from the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, to the long-awaited peace of 1918. 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He also offers a unique flavour of what everyday life was like for the local community, by looking through the local newspapers of the day.A growing paranoia among the masses is addressed, as are the important roles of women, who were keeping the country on top form, whether delivering mail, driving a taxi or working in a local factory, while their husbands, brothers, uncles, sons and fathers were off fighting the war. 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The use of vehicle headlamps was also prohibited, which resulted in a number of accidents and pedestrians being killed.  These restrictions, enforced by Air Raid Precaution wardens and the police, were for the benefit and safety of the British public, but it also unintentionally made life a lot less dangerous for members of the criminal fraternity, allowing them to go about their regular night time activities with less chance of being caught by the police.  As a result, during one week in February 1942, Gordon Cummins, RAF, was able to move around freely to carry out his attacks and make it back to his billet without being caught, or even stopped, by the police.  The very restrictions put in place to protect the British public from German bombers actually placed women in danger from men such as Cummins: three of his victims were known prostitutes, as was at least one of the two women he is known to have attacked, but who survived.  All of Cummins victims were attacked during the hours of darkness whilst the  blackou? was in place, leading to him becoming known as the Blackout Ripper.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49550038302993,"sku":"GOR012771860","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49743393030417,"sku":"NGR9781526711786","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50497762558225,"sku":"GOR013973249","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53343948996881,"sku":"GOR014862483","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1526711788.jpg?v=1751453327"},{"product_id":"channel-islands-in-the-great-war-book-stephen-wynn-9781783463305","title":"The Channel Islands in the Great War","description":"Before the outbreak of the First World War, the Channel Islands were viewed as they are today; scenic, sunny and relaxing holiday destinations, where it was possible to briefly escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. As soon as the fighting began, the immediate worry was the threat of a German invasion to the Islands, which are much closer to the coast line of France than they are to the southern coast line of Great Britain.  Both men and women alike played their part. Men by either joining one of the islands Militia or enlisting in one of the numerous regiments of the British Army, including the 'Jersey Pals', and the men who served with the Royal Irish Fusiliers, the Royal Irish Rifles and the Royal Irish Regiment. The book looks at the pride in the commitment and achievements of the Channel Islands' very own Royal Guernsey Light Infantry, formed in December 1916.  The Islands' women volunteered in their droves to serve with the British Red Cross' Voluntary Aid Detachments, but not just throughout the Channel Islands, but to mainland Great Britain, and further afield in Belgium and France and other similar theatres of war.  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The men's overall treatment, conditions in the camp and the poor relationship between them and members of the Military Police, was a cocktail for disaster, culminating in a number of incidents in September 1917, which have collectively become known as the Etaples Mutiny, the full story of which can be found in this book.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49561320358161,"sku":"GOR012706683","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49738555949329,"sku":"NGR9781473846036","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/147384603X.jpg?v=1751210145"},{"product_id":"tunbridge-wells-in-the-great-war-book-stephen-wynn-9781473833647","title":"Tunbridge Wells in the Great War","description":"Using original material and letters from the First World War, this captivating and eye-opening account uncovers the unnerving realities of the First World War and the impact it had on the town of Tunbridge Wells. 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The diary was his mechanism for coping with the passion, distress and rage he felt while his sons - Luke and Ross - were on active service in Afghanistan. \"Two Sons in a War Zone\" is his compelling true story, illustrating the raw inner conflict between one man's pride for his sons and their chosen profession, and his natural fears for their safety. In vivid, everyday language he describes the intense experiences - the joys and sorrows - of being a 'loved one' at home, whilst his sons battle a deadly foe in gruelling and treacherous conditions. Stephen describes Luke's and Ross' personal stories - why they joined the military and how they relate to the work - and quotes from private letters and documents. Both sons are injured whilst on their first tour of duty (one narrowly escaping serious harm from a bullet wound) but thankfully they return safely home. 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A total of 1,459 men lost their lives that day, 1,260 of whom were from the Chatham Division. Two months later, on 26 November, the battleship HMS Bulwark exploded and sunk whilst at anchor off of Sheerness on the Kent coast. There was a loss of 736 men, many of whom were from the Chatham area. On 18 August 1914, Private 6737 Walter Henry Smith, who was nineteen and serving with the 6th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment, became the first person to be killed during wartime Chatham. He was on sentry duty with a colleague, who accidentally dropped his loaded rifle, discharging a bullet that strook Private Smith and killed him. It wasn't all doom and gloom, however.Winston Churchill, as the First Lord of the Admiralty, visited Chatham early on in the war, on 30 August 1914. On 18 September 1915, two German prisoners of war, Lieutenant Otto Thelen and Lieutenant Hans Keilback, escaped from Donnington Hall in Leicestershire. 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Women began to work in munitions factories, as nurses in military hospitals, bus drivers, mechanics, taxi drivers, as well as running homes and looking after children, all whilst worrying about their men folk who were away fighting a war in some foreign clime, not knowing if they were ever going to see them again.With the work came a wage, which provided women with financial freedom for the first time, as well as an element of independence and social integration, which they would have possibly never otherwise experienced. Women were not paid the same wages as men for doing the same work, but what they did earn was much more than they had ever earned before.  This was also a time of the suffrage movement, who wanted more out of life for women. Accordingly, some of these women were reluctant to stop working, with some of these being sacked so that returning soldiers could have their pre-war jobs back. 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He was an orphan at just six years of age, and despite not wanting to, his step mother, Clara, had no choice but to place him and his elder brother, Edward, in to a children's home in the East End of London. As neither Walter or Edward had ever travelled outside of Folkestone before, the upheaval must have come as quite a shock. Two years after entering the home, Walter and Edward were split up when Edward was adopted and went to live in Glasgow.  Walter's sporting prowess saw him play for top local amateur side, Clapton Football club, signing for them in 1908, but it was to be a short lived affair, as by the following year he had signed as a professional for the prestigious Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, making his first team debut against Manchester United.  In October 1911 Walter was transferred to Northampton Town Football Club, where he would go on to play over one hundred first team games, before the First World War brought a premature end to his career as a professional footballer. With the outbreak of war, Walter wasted no time enlisting in the British Army, initially as a Private in the newly formed 17th (Football) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. Further promotions followed and in no time at all he had reached the rank of Sergeant.  He was put forward for a commission and passed out as a 2nd Lieutenant on 29 May 1917\\. He went on to become the first black officer in the British Army, to lead white troops in to battle, and was fondly regarded by the men who served under him.  Walter was killed in action whilst leading his men in a counter attack against German defensive positions on Monday 25 March 1918\\. He died a hero. He was well liked and respected by all who knew him. 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Its defensive emplacements largely responsible for acquiring the nickname locally of the 'Barbed Wire Island.'  One of its main claims to fame in relation to the years of the First World War would have undoubtedly been in relation to aviation. The island had been a hive of activity in relation to flying since the beginning of the twentieth century, when the Royal Aero Club came to Leysdown, making it the first airfield in England. What became Eastchurch Aerodrome was where the first pilots of the Royal Naval Air Service were trained, making it the first military flying school in the country. The Short brothers also had an aircraft factory at Eastchurch where they designed and built their own aircraft, some of which would be used during the First World War. 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The official reason for the raid was to capture the town's port, gather relevant intelligence, and destroy a number of coastal defences, port structures and other identified buildings. Allied authorities believed the raid would not only provide a much-needed boost to Allied morale, but also demonstrate to Stalin that Britain and the United States were serious in their commitment to opening a second front, in order to help the Soviet army fighting on the Eastern Front. It has also been suggested that the real reason for the raid was to capture a new German 4-rotor Enigma code machine, along with related code books.  Whatever the reasons for the raid, it was an unmitigated failure. The German defences were more formidable than intelligence reports suggested they would be, Allied aerial and naval support was insufficient, meaning soldiers were unable to achieve their objectives, and most of the tanks failed to make it off the beaches. 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