I've heard that a book has recently come out by a member of this unit called 'A Sapper at Arnhem'...has anyone seen it and what do they think of it?
A SAPPER AT ARNHEM. THE MEMOIRS OF HARRY FAULKNER-BROWN Author: Faulkner-Brown, H. Stock Code: MBN6051 The author was trained with the Durham Light Infantry. As captain of a Parachute Troop Royal Engineers, he jumped on Ginkel Heath with 4th Parachute Brigade on 18 September 1944. During the battle he supported 156 Parachute Battalion, defended part of the perimeter and ferried 40 Poles over the Rhine to Oosterbeek. In 1945 his squadron helped in the disarming of the German army in Norway. A worthy new addition to the literature on this battle.
Looks like an interesting one - will you be selling it via the Friends newsletter Niall? I see it is by the 'usual publishers'?
1st Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers. Apparently this picture was taken at 1530hrs 20th September 1944. They had just been captured after their position at Van Limburgstirum School. VE-Day, The Album.
Very good Website dedicated to the 4th Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers, which includes acknowledgements to our very own AndyBaldeagle index page
HI Niall, Here you go not read this one yet but looks good inside... Cheers Tom.. Ps do you know about Jimmy Little 4 Para RS
Tom, Thanks....ASAA is another of those books that I've never read in book format.....I think I knew what was in it from all the times I proof read it! Yes heard about Mr Little...for info A Sapper At Arnhem is now as far as I am ocncenred all sold out.....however there amy be one or two book dealers with a copy or two.....so soon I feel it will be another of those hard to find Arnhem books.....
My father was one of his Lieutenants and I met Harry a few times at reunions. The ranks of these guys are thinning pretty quickly now but I can assure you that they were a very tough lot! Bad men with a bottle too, as I discovered to my cost at one reunion. There are many interesting tales to be told of these guys. My father led his men in the evacuation from Oosterbeek, where they had been defending the perimeter around the Hartenstein Hotel, to the river whereupon there wasn't enough room in the boats for my father as well so he swam along behind. Interestingly, he also told me that they all volunteered to be re-kitted and re-armed and sent back to rescue the wounded. I was in the pub with Dad a couple of years ago and he kicked off the conversation with the classic line of 'It was 63 years ago today at around this time that I was being strafed by a Stuka in Holland.......' another beer, dad? He reminisced for a while which he seldom does and I noticed that the entire pub had shut up, including teenage barmaids, and were listening with respect to his memories. A nice moment for him.
Hello Simon and welcome to the forum. I wonder if you have heard of another book which concerns your Father's unit called "Basic Function", ISBN number 9780978383817. It is available from lulu.com and is a great read! Your father is probably mentioned in it, what is his name?? All the best..............
I haven't heard of that one, but will dig out a copy though, thanks for the heads up. Dad is N.L 'Toby' Thomas. I understand that their losses were so large that after the battle they were absorbed in to 1 Para RE and they then went to Norway. That enabled my father to research what happened to his cousin who died on Operation Freshman earlier in the war.