Striking Back: Britain's Airborne and Commando Raids 1940-42

As the events of the Second World War fade into the distance it is important that the activities of a small band of brothers are not overlooked. In the dark days following Dunkirk in 1940 these men volunteered for what was euphemistically termed 'Special Service'. Often given very little idea of what they were letting themselves in for, they all wanted to strike back at the enemy. Later, these units evolved into the famed airborne forces and commandos who went on to take a major part in operations such as D-Day, Arnhem and the crossing of the Rhine. However, before this, during the early years of the war, they undertook a number of smaller scale raids.

Whilst some of the early raids such as St Nazaire and Dieppe have received quite a lot of coverage, others such as Lofoten, Glomfjord, Tragino and Bruneval have received far less, yet a knowledge of them is vital to give the development of Britain's special forces historical perspective.

The formation of these two fledging arms is recounted in detail, including material relating to the training undertaken before going on Special Service. In addition to the operations mentioned above raids on the Channel Islands, the coast of northern France, Vaagso, North Africa and Vermork are also covered.

As well as numerous eyewitness accounts from veterans a selection of official reports, kit, weapon and explosives lists are included. The book is complemented by around 125 photographs and maps.

Niall Cherry was born in London in 1959 and recalls becoming interested in military history as a schoolboy from watching such classic war films as 'The Battle of Britain' and 'A Bridge Too Far'. He later found out that one of his grandfathers fought in the Great War, serving as a chemical corporal at Loos in 1915 and ended up as a Captain. His father served in the REME in the 1950's and Niall continued in the family tradition by serving in the RAMC. During his time he qualified as a Combat Medical Technician Class 1 and an instructor in First Aid and Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Warfare and ended as a Senior NCO. Deeply interested in the major conflicts of the 20th Century he has visited numerous battlefields including the Western Front, Arnhem, Gallipoli, Normandy and North Africa. He is a longstanding member of the Western Front Association, the Military Heraldry Society and 23 Parachute Field Ambulance Old Comrades Association. He also has the honour to be the UK representative for the Society of Friends of the Airborne Museum Oosterbeek and membership secretary and a trustee of the Arnhem 1944 Fellowship. He has now written five books - 'Red Berets and Red Crosses', 'I Shall Not Find His Equal', 'Most Unfavourable Ground: The Battle of Loos 1915', 'With Nothing Bigger than a Bren Gun' and 'Striking Back: Britain's Airborne & Commando Raids 1940-42'. He has led various groups around battlefields, contributed articles to 'After the Battle' and 'Battlefields Review' and has helped with around 30 books on the airborne forces and the Great War. Niall currently lives in Lancashire and works for BAE Systems in the aerospace industry.