Recommended Reading - Hostilities Only

About Combined Operations, WW2

Yippee. A great looking book arrived recently, another online purchase via AbeBooks. Two more winners are expected as well. Yippee!

In 1941 my father volunteered first for duty with the RCNVR and later with CO, Combined Operations, and was soon training (on loan to the RN) for WW2 'assaults and landings' in Scotland (at Irvine and Inveraray) and Southern England (Southampton, Southend-on-Sea, etc.). In his memoirs he mentions he volunteered for two years of HO or 'hostilities only'. Not much has been written about Combined Operations but slowly I am piecing stories together that relate to actual times, places and events my father knew a fair bit about and mentioned briefly in his navy memoirs.

["Beaches and assault craft at Inveraray were familiar to my father"]

["RN Commandos practiced assaults and landings upon Navy barges.

Many of the barges were manned by young Canadians, 1941 - 45"]

["CO insignia was worn by my father. Above is a new one"]

If you know someone who was a member of RCNVR and CO, I recommend you look for a copy of the book by Brian Lavery. Lots of detail as far as I can see after a quick 'thumb through' and I'll tell more once I seriously pick it up this weekend or next week.

Link to more Recommended Reading

Photos GH