Book Review The Devil's Own Luck by Denis Edwards

I found this book fascinating.



Denis "believed" he was born on 15th July 1924, although he thought it was the 22nd until he was in his teens (but that's another story).

After a bad incident with a horse, Denis ran away from home and joined the army on 25th March 1941 at the age on 16 & a half.

He joined 2nd Battalion of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. He cheated the eyesight test and joined the 6th Airborne Division.

On 5th June 1944 he climbed into 1 of 6 plywood gliders which crash-landed in France early the next day; D-Day.

Denis kept a [more-or-less] day to day diary of events and his thoughts during this campaign. He was a good shot, and was regularly sent out on sniping duty, which he seemed to 'enjoy' rather than just sitting in a trench, waiting for something to happen.

Denis states that some German forces were sloppy, as if they were very new to front-line fighting. These were the ones he could easily pick off with his rifle because they hadn't learnt [yet] to keep their heads down. However others he respected, as they were extremely sharp and good at their job.

By September 1944 his 'D group' of the Battalion returned home, but out of 180 men, only 40 survived. However, Denis was soon in action once again in the so called "Battle of the Bulge".

He mentions the "Mixed Monkey" tea cube (something I'd never heard before) which made a dreadful mug of tea! He mentions meeting Richard Todd. It was years later that he realised he was a famous actor who went on to play Major John Howard (the major commanding Denis's unit) in the film "The Longest Day".

I don't think any book I've read so far captures so well what it must have been like for brave young men like Denis in this dreadful war.

He was so fortunate to have survived, especially as most of the troops around him did not. His philosophy seemed to be that we all have our time, so when the end comes, just accept it.

I can certainly recommend this book.

 

I also enjoyed and cited Denis Edwards' book.

Recently read Gill's Aramageddon in the Arctic. Who knew a convoy battle could be so excitingly told by a merchant mariner?

Note: Bulk of his book though is about his experience of growing up and surviving in The Great Depression. At age 14, he leaves home for the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) and using his older's brother's birth certificate, enlists. $25 a month sent home and $5 for himself. That's good money for the Great Depression. Family won't be eating cavair but they won't starve either. Instead of the normal 6 months enlistment, he stays for 15 months. Afterward he became a merchant sailor until TB forced him ashore to recover. By the time he's well, there's no jobs so he hops trains to seek employment out west. Good description of hobo life and tramps (tramps were bums who stole and hobos wanted jobs and would work). Finally worked his way down to San Francisco where he's able to find a berth on another merchant ship. There's relevant lessons of surviving hardships for what will happen soon. Cheall's FightingThrough WW I & II Podcast does a great job of covering the chapter on their Murmansk Run (PO-18).

https://www.fightingthroughpodcast.co.uk/102-arctic-convoy/