Donald Dean VC by Terry Crowdy
Donald Dean lied about his age to enlist in the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment and serve on the Western Front, where he worked his way up from Private to acting Captain. It was in the last weeks of the war, late in September 1918, that he won his VC for leading a platoon in the determined defence of a recently-captured and isolated trench against repeated German counterattacks. In one of these attacks, the Germans actually broke into the trench, forcing Dean to break off a radio call for artillery support with the words 'The Germans are here, goodbye!' Refusing to be overrun, he personally killed four of the Germans before they were finally evicted. Dean also served in World War II, witnessing the fall of France in 1940 and claimingto be the last Brit to get out of Boulogne. His frank account of the evacuation challenges some cherished conceptions and is very critical of the conduct of the Irish Guards in particular. He went on to fight in Madagascar, Sicilya nd the Italian mainland. Donald Dean died in 1985.Military historian Terry Crowdy has edited Dean's letters and diaries, never previously published, adding additional notes and material from official reports to give the reader context. The result is a moving, often amusing and inspiring portrait of a little-known hero of two world wars.
Terry Crowdy has a life long passion for history which was first kindled working on the Fort Amhurst restoration project in the Medway Towns on the coast of England, where he spent his school summer vacations as a fortress tunnel guide. Through this association he developed a passionate interest in the Napoleonic Wars and participated in many of the bicentennial celebrations marking the wars of the French Revolution. His enthusiasm led to significant research in the French military archives at the Chateau de Vincennes near Paris. Terry became equally passionate about the history of 'Secret War' - in particular military espionage - a subject he feels is too often overlooked. After a long stint as bass guitarist for the rock group Soma, Terry put pen to paper and is now the author of a number of books and articles on military history. He lives in Kent, England. The author lives in Kent, UK.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781473877153 |
| ISBN 10 | 1473877156 |
| Title | Donald Dean VC |
| Author | Terry Crowdy |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Pen & Sword Books Ltd |
| Year published | 2016-08-01 |
| Number of pages | 208 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |