Greetings all

I'm reading a book at the moment by Ken Ford called D Day Commando (I don't like the title much). However, it's a short history of the life of 48 Commando RM and deals with their role in WW2 from the Normandy landings to the occupation of Germany.

48 Commando RM landed in support of the Canadians on Nan Red Beach and like all plans it didn't go quite as expected. It's written from a historical point of view with reference to plenty of personal experiences.

The reason I'm mentioning this book, is because it contains some excellent 'on the beach' photos and detailed maps of the German Defences. Anyone planning a D Day type dio would have a fairly clear picture of the landing area and the position of the houses, walls and defences. As the tide was in when the Marines landed, due to the wind conditions at the time, there would be no need for vast expanses of water and beach as they came ashore almost at the sea wall.

There's a perfect spot for a RM Centaur, a detailed map of the Landing Area and good reference photographs. It also has details of the the Strongpoint at Langrune-Sur-Mer and later in the book some interesting pictures and maps of the landings on Walcheren and some of the vehicles involved.

It is of course a testiment to the courage of those who took part and gave us the freedom that we enjoy today and puts both the horror and reality of war into perspective.

The book is published by Sutton Publishing and brings to light a story that has probably not been widely available before.

Anyway I thought it might be of interest to both Canadian and British modellers a like, as well as those who enjoy Military History.

Al