This note falls short of a full review but I am sure that a Service readership would find this book, which I found in my local public library, very interesting.

Marine Thomsen had just been made up to lance corporal when he found himself sent out in 1981 to join NP8901 on Falkland. Years later a civilian friend, Malcolm Angel, insisted that he put his story into print and helped him do it.
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Richard Hutchings was one of a long succession of Royal Marines officers who have specialised in flying. In 1982 he was a pilot with Simon Thornewill’s 846 Commando Helicopter Squadron (‘Junglies’) flying a Sea King 4. In April 1982 846 embarked in HMS Hermes and, as the world now knows, off they went to war instead of Easter leave.

Hermes’ state at the outset was quite alarming as she had been stripped down for a refit - astonishingly in a mere five days all was made good.

One oddity is 846 not being welcomed aboard by Captain Middleton, a Buccaneer man. The idea of an officer joining a ship and not being introduced to his Captain I find quite extraordinary, if only by way of the squadron’s officers being gathered together and introduced en bloc, which after all cannot take very long. It seems to be both rude and unhelpful to leadership, and unofficer-like on both counts.
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Volume two starts off as Volume One ended, our hero ‘Harry Clifton’ being arrested at the dockside in New York. No doubt thinking that it might have been a bad idea to swap identities with a fellow sailor.

The first Chapter takes us through Harry’s story from 1939 till 1941, at times not quite as logical to understand as one would have hoped. (methinks some of Mr Archers prison memories were brought into play here). But none the less it made interesting reading.

From there we have Emma Barrington’s story through the same time frame. Followed quickly by that of Giles Barrington, Harry’s best friend. So on the story goes, mixing up the characters but, always following the same time line.

As we progress we learn how all the people involved are experiencing the beginnings of WW2, how they cope, how they try to come to terms with the situation they find themselves in. The Big question that is always in the mind of the characters is, are Harry and Emma actually half brother and half sister ? What of Emma and Harry’s baby son ? The author takes is on a trip that has one wondering, changing ones mind and then thinking again. Brilliant story telling.
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