Overview

Leading Seaman Charlie Erswell saw much more than his fair share of action during the Second World War. He was present at the 1942 landing in North Africa (Operation TORCH), D-Day and the liberation of Norway. But his main area of operations was that of the Arctic Convoys, escorting merchant ships taking essential war supplies to the Russian ports of Murmansk and Archangel. In addition to contending with relentless U-boat and Luftwaffe attacks, crews endured the extreme sea conditions and appalling weather. This involved clearing ice and snow in temperatures as low as minus thirty degrees Celsius. No wonder Winston Churchill described it as 'the worst journey in the world'. Fortunately, Charlie, who served on two destroyers, HMS Milne and Savage, kept a record of his experiences and is alive today to describe them. His story, published to coincide with the 80th Anniversary of the first convoy, is more than one man's account. It is an inspiring tribute to his colleagues, many of whom were killed in action. No-one reading Surviving The Arctic Convoys could fail to be moved by the bravery and endurance of these outstanding men. AUTHOR: John McKay came from a family that had worked in the Scottish shale oil industry from the 1870s to the early 1900s. He worked as a Senior Executive Officer for HM Customs and Excise for over 30 years. He was a member of the City of Edinburgh District Council 1974 - 77 and 1978 - 88, and was Lord Provost 1984 - 88. He was awarded a PhD from the Open University in 1985 for his work on the social history of the Scottish shale oil industry. From 1994 to 2000 he worked as a part-time tutor for the Open University and the University of Dundee. He died in 2011. 32 b/w illustrations

Full Product Details

9781399013031

Table of Contents

Reviews

"""...provides a personal account of events during the Second World War that are often forgotten, or not explored in great depth. The writing offers clear and easy access, a useful background and a worthwhile read for anyone interested in these events.""-- ""The Northern Mariner"""

Author Information

Born in 1923, Charlie Erswell spent his childhood at Berwick-upon-Tweed. He joined the Royal Navy in December 1941 and for the next five years was in the thick of the action, as described in this book. After demobilisation in 1949, he pursued a varied engineering career. For 12 years before retirement at 65 he manufactured artificial limbs in Leeds for Roehampton Hospital, London. He lives with his second wife, Betty in Yorkshire. Between them, they have numerous children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. John R McKay served in the RAF before pursuing a career with the Fire and Rescue Service. He is the author of seven published novels including The Worst Journey In The World, based on the Arctic Convoys. Inspired by Charlie's war service, he feels very privileged to have helped Charlie record his story. A keen football fan, John lives in Wigan with his wife Dawn. He has two daughters and one grand-daughter.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available