Page 94 - History of War - Issue 05-14

REVIEWS HOW THE SCOTS WON SECRET WARRIORS
THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR
Taylor Downing Little, Brown RRP £20
★★★★★
Alisdair McRae
The History Press RRP £14.99
★★★★★ It’s tragic but true that war benefits
humanity through the huge
technological advances that are
The English Civil War is usually often made during conflicts, as
considered to have been a uniquely nations seek to annihilate each
English affair, without external other with ever-greater efficiency.
influences. However, a 30-year trawl The First World War was the first
through all available sources by truly industrialised conflict, so it’s
Scottish historian Alisdair McRae perhaps not surprising to discover
has resulted in a challenging book in Taylor Downing’s Secret Warriors
that sets out to prove that the that some of the most important
first stage of the war (1642-46) scientific developments of the 20th
was, in fact, won for Parliament Century came about as a result
against Charles with a great deal of that holocaust. The book looks
of assistance from the Scots. at five distinct groups of “boffins”
McRae’s book – subtitled “The fighters, doing God’s work under (a phrase not actually coined
Triumph Of Fraser’s Dragoons” – the orders of fanatical clerics. until World War Two) who worked
focuses mainly on the only dragoon Full of gory details of the variously in aviation, code-breaking, 1914, he’d been instrumental in
unit in Lord Leven’s Scottish Army, battles that took place during the engineering, chemistry, medicine the establishment of Room 40
but also looks at the Army of the conflict, and of the slaughter of and the media, and shows how – Britain’s First World War code-
Covenant as a whole, and the roles women and children at Philiphaugh, the conflict both fed and fed off breaking facility and the forerunner
of the Marquis of Montrose and as well as detailed accounts of innovation in all of these areas. of Bletchley Park. Later, when he
King Charles himself. the sieges of Newcastle, Marston One revelation to emerge is the re-emerged from self-imposed exile
McRae compares the role of the Moor and Newark, this book part Winston Churchill played in in the trenches, he again led the
Scots to that of the Americans in would benefit from more detailed these developments. His support technological charge as Minister
both World Wars – coming to the maps and fewer endless lists of for boffins and eccentric scientific of Munitions when he created the
fight late, but with such a powerful soldiers’ pay, food and equipment solutions during the Second World Chemical Warfare Committee.
army that the war ended much entitlements. However, for those War is well documented, but it Secret Warriors is a compelling
sooner than it would have done who want an in-depth analysis of clearly stemmed from his earlier insight into the role intellectuals
had they not arrived. He also, this period, this book might well stint as a wartime decision-maker. can play in the business of war,
controversially, compares the Army turn their perception of the Civil For example, while serving as and how they did so during the
of the Covenant to today’s Afghan War on its head. Simon Green the first Lord of the Admiralty in 1914-18 conflict. Nick Soldinger

THE TANK WAR ARCTIC AIRMEN MUD, BLOOD AND BULLETS FASHION: WOMEN
Mark Urban Abacus Publishing RRP £9.99 Ernest Schofield & Roy Nesbitt Edward Rowbotham The History Press IN WORLD WAR ONE
★★★★★ The History Press RRP £9.99 Lucy Adlington Pitkin
RRP £14.99 ★★★★★
Mark Urban has ★★★★★ Guides RRP £4.99
used previously ★★★★★
unseen diary In this remarkable The phrase
extracts, archive book, co-author “essential The Great War
material and Ernest Schofield reading” is impacted on
interviews with recounts his time bandied about a everyone’s lives
surviving soldiers as a navigator lot when it comes and was the
to tell the story of on a Catalina to books these catalyst for a
members of the flying boat that days. So when I shift in women’s
5th Royal Tank Regiment – an outfit flew a series of secret, long-range saw that very phrase on the cover roles and freedoms. The influence
of “normal, if highly professional, missions to the High Arctic and of this rather diminutive tome – of political events is clear to behold
men who did extraordinary things”. Russia throughout 1942. These the memoirs of Midlands coal in women’s fashions of the era, as
The 5th Tanks were on the missions ranged from rescuing an miner Edward Rowbotham, who they were forced to change their
frontline from the French campaign intelligence officer who’d become was drafted into the newly formed dress according to the constraints
in 1940, through North Africa and stranded on the ice, to flying Machine Gun Corps during the of practicality, textile availability and
Italy, to Germany in 1945. Despite 24-hour-long sorties gathering data Great War – I confess that government propaganda.
the early inadequacies of the Royal about weather patterns, ice floes I groaned slightly. However, within This book is a treasure trove
Armoured Corps in 1939, Urban and German ops in the area to just a few pages, I was hooked of images from the period,
argues that the 5th RTR laid the ensure that Britain’s supply convoys on Rowbotham’s simple, almost including archive photos, adverts
groundwork for the British Army to to Russia could dodge icebergs, matter-of-fact telling of what is an and sketches that bring to life
become a mechanised, experienced storms and U-boats. engrossing and fascinating story. the descriptions of women’s
force without which the war would The work was as complex as it Mud, Blood And Bullets follows changing lives and clothes. There’s
not have been won. was dangerous. Operating so far his life from his days as a General fascinating insight into how
Graphic recounts of battles north meant that Schofield and Baden-Powell-admiring schoolboy, women became adept at recycling
from the men who fought them his team were not only working in through his signing up to the Army materials and using home-made
present the stark reality of their constant daylight, but navigating in 1915, to his adventures in beauty products to look their best,
lives, question the popular image without a compass – they don’t places like the Somme, Ypres and and how even women’s under-
of the stoical Tommy and show work beyond the 80th parallel. Passchendaele. An incredible story garments felt the hand of war –
instead that many soldiers – while This made them vulnerable indeed, proving once again that corsets were made more flexible to
brave and dedicated – were often not only to attack from enemy truth is stranger than fiction. Ian Fry meet the needs of working women.
disrespectful of their superiors, positions, but also to getting lost Win one of five copies of this book! An approachable and educational
sometimes disillusioned and in what is the most inhospitable Visit our Facebook page at www. read – great for fashion students
occasionally very afraid. Simon Green environment on earth. Nick Soldinger facebook.com/HistoryofWarMag. and historians alike. Anna Penniceard
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