The British Reconnaissance Corps in World War II

Osprey's study of Britain's Reconnaisance Corps of World War II (1939-1945). Either creeping through the landscape or mounted in armored cars and Bren carriers, Reconnaissance Regiments became a vital addition to all British infantry divisions. After the disastrous defeat in France in 1940, at the hands of German forces with strong recce units mounted in light armored vehicles, the Bartholomew Committee called for the formation of a British equivalent. This was achieved by forming the new elite Reconnaissance Corps.Their spearhead role meant that they were consistently at the forefront of all dramatic action, and most famously served with the 1st and 6th Airborne at Arnhem and with the Chindits in Burma.Within every theater of war, ranging from the jungles to the deserts, the Reconnaissance Corps made a critical contribution to the Allied war effort. However, with the disbandment of the Corps at the end of the war, their record has been unjustly forgotten.With a selection of rare and unpublished frontline photographs taken from private collections, this fascinating new insight into a forgotten elite unit of the British Army recounts the experiences of those soldiers who operated ahead of the army throughout the course of the war.

Historian, writer and broadcaster Richard Doherty is the author of eighteen books of military or police history. His books include Only The Enemy in Front (1994) the first history of the Reconnaissance Corps to be published since 1947. He has researched and presented several series for BBC Radio Ulster, including the much-acclaimed Sons of Ulster and Generals and has also presented TV programmes on the Battle of the Boyne. Chairman of the Irish Regiments Historical Society, he is also a Trustee of two regimental museums: The Royal Irish Regimental Museum in Ballymena and the Museum of The Royal Irish Fusiliers in Armagh.

Rob Chapman has worked as an illustrator for a number of years, initially in children's books but then specialising in military history. He has worked closely with a number of British regiments and corps and his paintings are held in regimental and public museums, regimental messes and private collections. He also teaches part-time in Further Education. Rob is married and lives in Staffordshire, UK.