THEIR GREATEST HOUR

THEIR GREATEST HOUR

by Philip Watson.

The book's foreword is written by Queen Camilla whose father is one of the officers in the story and whose own wartime memoir is often quoted from.

The author begins by describing the pre-war history of the Lancers. This was a time of huge change as the regiment switched from using horses to armoured cars. 

We are then introduced to the men of the 12th Lancers with the help of photographs accompanied with some short bios.

Starting with May 10th 1940, the narrative is a day-by-day account covering a twenty-three day period. The author has had access to official regimental records as well as being able to quote from several personal diaries and memoirs. Together they reveal the full definitive story of the Lancers who were part of the British Expeditionary Force in Belgium and France. Often their orders involved holding a vital town, village or bridge for as long as possible to slow the advancing German Blitzkrieg, then sweeping across Western Europe.

Forming this rearguard, the Lancers were often in the sights of enemy snipers as well as regularly being attacked from the air. As the Allied forces continued to withdraw towards the French coast, it would be these men who would oversee the blowing-up of bridges, often within minutes of the first Germans arriving.

The final day covered is at the point where those you survived were evacuated from Dunkirk and arrived back in England.

The author has been involved in the Royal Lancers official history and the regiment's own Battlefield Study. His research and access to regimental archives has produced a thorough and comprehensive account of those few weeks in 1940. 

It reveals the bravery of these men who were not just fighting a superior enemy, but doing so having had little in the way of sleep, food or water for days at a time. It certainly makes their contribution all the more remarkable and is remembered by the many listed commendations that followed their return home.

A really enjoyable read.

The paperback edition is published by Helion & Co and is available now from their website. 

I thank Helion for this review copy.