Ryder Commander R E D (2 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. First Printing. Stated FIrst Edition. Unclipped DJ in archival cover, chips.

Sm. 8vo., First Edition, with frontispiece, 15 plates on 12 and 7 full-page maps and plans in the text; original blue cloth, backstrip lettered in darker blue, boards faintly faded at extremities, a very good, bright copy in unclipped dustwrapper, the latter with lateral loss at upper edge of front and rear panels. AN ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT OF CAPTAIN DONALD WILLIAM ROY IS MOUNTED ON FRONT PASTE-DOWN. Sole edition of an early and vivid account, written by the naval force commander, of Operation CHARIOT, the famous raid on the dry dock at Saint Nazaire. Ryder, together with the military force commander Newman and three others were awarded the Victoria Cross. Captain Donald ('The Laird') Roy led a fourteen-man troop of 2 Commando charged with disabling two gun emplacements of the roof of the pump-house, and then securing a bridge to provide an escape route from the docks. Both tasks were fulfilled: Bridge 'G' is now known as 'Roy's Bridge' and Roy was awarded the DSO. Betrayed by a French policeman, Roy was captured, taken to Oflag IX-A Spangenberg Castle and despite two attempts at escape remained a POW for the duration of the war. A HIGHLY DESIRABLE ASSOCIATION COPY OF BY FAR THE SCARCEST OF ALL THE CHARIOT ACCOUNTS, ESPECIALLY IN THE DUSTWRAPPER. Enser, p.392; Law, 0476; Mulholland & Jordan, R90.…