The Shetland Bus

My library pick this month was David Howarth's story of the secret wartime missions across the North Sea from Shetland to Norway, known as the Shetland Bus.

The Shetland Bus was a clandestine operation during World War II, involving a secret maritime link between Shetland, Scotland and occupied Norway. The operation was named after the fishing boats that ferried agents, refugees, weapons, and supplies across the North Sea.

This was a British Special Operations Executive (SOE) mission, later carried out by the Norwegian Navy, starting in 1941. The base was initially located in Lunna, but was later relocated to Scalloway to enhance security. There is a museum and memorial there today. The Shetland Bus was vital in smuggling weapons and supplies into Norway to support resistance activities, infiltrating agents and helping Norwegian refugees and resistance members escape to Britain.

They initially used Norwegian fishing boats crewed by civilian volunteers, many of whom were Norwegian fishermen. These boats made long, dangerous crossings, often in winter, and were frequently hunted by German patrols. Later, faster and more secure submarine chasers (American-built and armed) were used. Several were lost, and crews had to merge with the resistance or make the long trek to neutral Sweden.

David Howarth was an RNVR officer and second-in-command of the base when it was established. He wrote the book in 1951, but it has been reprinted many times since. He tells the story in detail, not sparing many of the challenges they faced, internal and external. British officers knew too much about the SOE operations in Norway and were therefore not allowed to go on missions. The Germans would generally, but not always, execute Norwegian crew caught by them. The crews elected their own skippers, not something the Royal Navy would have approved of! 

Air attack was a constant threat, and the need to maintain radio silence meant that information about a mission's progress could not be relayed back to the base. They just had to wait and see if the boat returned. Coastal Command helped with patrols by Sunderland and Catalina aircraft based at Sullum Voe, today the main oil terminal. The operations also included mine laying, using a special hatch in the hull of a fishing boat.

The book caught my eye because, to commemorate VE Day, six of the historic ships that formed part of the Shetland Bus convoys set sail again from Bergen in Norway, replicating the journey back to Shetland. I vaguely remember the old museum as I used to travel to Shetland for work in the 1990s. The new museum, which opened in 2012, looks excellent. On my list for a return visit.

A typical Norwegian fishing boat.

Poetic Justice

 The latest in my Nigel Tranter project remains in the period of James VI and I. This time, the story is told through the rise of Sir William Alexander of Menstrie.

Alexander came to James' attention as a poet. If you are thinking this doesn't look like a promising storyline, you would be right. The first part of the book covers similar ground to previous books and is quite slow going.

In fairness, it picks up when it starts to cover some significant new elements of James' reign, including the publication of the King James Bible and the early plantations in Ulster. Yes, we have James to blame for the Troubles. Alexander is later tasked with developing British colonies in Canada, specifically Nova Scotia. His baronets provided the Coat of Arms of Nova Scotia and the Flag of Nova Scotia, which are still in use today. An attempt to create a colony in what is today Long Island was something of an overreach.

There is no doubt that Alexander had a remarkable rise to power, from a minor laird to being created 1st Earl of Stirling. He struggled to make this pay for himself personally, despite numerous opportunities to reap a profit. He was appointed Secretary of State for Scotland in 1626 by Charles I, whom he had helped tutor as a child. The weaknesses in the theory of the Divine Right of Kings were obviously not on the curriculum!

The young Charles I. National Portrait Gallery

Alexander was one of the most highly regarded Scottish poets in early seventeenth-century Scotland and England. If seventeenth-century poetry is your thing, this book may be of interest. For me, I struggled.

The Goths AD 200-700

 This is a new Osprey Elite series book by Raffaele D'Amato on the Goths. Very welcome, as there are not many readable histories of these people who caused the Romans so much trouble. Simon MacDowall has written a couple and contributed some excellent articles for the Society of Ancients journal, Slingshot. Michael Kulikowski's "Rome's Gothic Wars" is also very readable.

The origins of the Goths have been the subject of many myths, but a location around the Baltic Sea seems likely. They moved south and, during the era of mass migrations (c. 300–700 AD), initially raided Roman territory, then provided Roman armies with mercenary contingents, and later consolidated the relationship through treaties of alliance. Having settled near modern eastern Germany, they were overwhelmed by the Huns in the 4th century.  The Romans allowed them to settle south of the Danube, but then broke the treaty, which led to the famous Gothic victory at Adrianople in AD 378. Then, subsequent wars in Asia Minor, the Balkans, and Italy led to Alaric’s Visigoths looting Rome itself in AD 410. They established kingdoms in France, Spain, and Italy.

The mid-6th century Roman historian Jordanes draws a distinction between the barbarian peoples and the Goths. He argues that they were the most advanced of these, able to successfully combine their own traditions with those of the Romans. His exemplar was Theodoric the Great, an Ostrogoth who successfully adapted to Roman culture and rose to become a king of both the Goths and the Romans.

The author provides a fairly lengthy timeline of events, followed by a historical summary. This includes the different stages of their development based on the primary sources and archaeology. I wasn't familiar with their history in the Crimea, which has its own fabulous colour plate. Very tempting!

The military organisation of the Goths was based on the tribes in the early period. More formal structures developed as the Ostrogoths and Visigoths established their own kingdoms. Every male was a potential warrior, and the Gothic forces were structured similarly to the Roman ones, comprising heavy cavalry, heavy infantry, light infantry, and archers. The formidable spear-armed heavy cavalry, called militondas, was formed around a core of Gothic aristocrats and their retinues. However, infantry still made up the most significant element.

The equipment was a mixture of Germanic and Roman. One of the distinctive types was the Spangenhelm, a metallic helmet with a framed and segmented construction, featuring attached cheekpieces and sometimes a fitting for a crest. Armour was reserved for leaders and their elite followers, and even among these, it seems to have been rare in the 3rd and 4th centuries. Weapons included axes, spears, swords and javelins. Unlike the Huns and the Romans, the Goths did not have skilled mounted archers, and their bowmen usually went into battle on foot.

As you would expect, there are illustrations, photographs and lovely colour plates. An excellent introduction to arguably the most successful of the 'barbarian' invaders of Rome.

I have a 15mm Gothic army. One of my favourites as it is simple to use. A decent infantry base, and then let loose the charging cavalry!

Gallipoli: Leading the Immortals

 I was in Leeds today attending the launch conference for an English translation of Hüseyin Avni Bey's story of the Ottoman 57th Regiment at Gallipoli. It is a beautifully produced hardback book, featuring numerous colour illustrations and maps.

The theme of the conference presentations reflected the book, This is a study of the other side of the hill. Most Gallipoli books focus on the failures of the British and Anzac commanders, and there were many. They tend to downplay the outstanding performance of the Ottoman troops. I was made aware of this through an excellent paper written by Ed Erickson in 2001, Strength against Weakness: Ottoman Military Effectiveness at Gallipoli 1915 (Journal of Military History, https://doi.org/10.2307/2677626). He highlighted that the Ottoman divisions on Gallipoli were among the best available, and they had well-fortified positions. They were also well led, and not just by Mustafa Kemal. The III Corps commander, Esat Pasha, was also outstanding. 

At the conference, Paul Knight covered the 127th Manchester Brigade at Krithai. Coincidentally, I had walked the area of their initial camp in Rochdale the evening before. Their attack on the Turkish positions was successful, although they had to withdraw because the attacks on both flanks failed. I had thought the British 29th Division on the left of their attack was one of the better British divisions at Gallipoli. However, while the battalions were regulars, they were scraped together from across the Empire, and the attached artillery were territorials. Crucially, they never trained together. Paul did highlight the detailed orders and the effective tactic of leaving a ten-minute gap after the first shelling to encourage the Turks to emerge from their dugouts, while a second barrage caught them. There were armoured cars at Helles in case of a breakout.

Peter Hart covered the Anzac landings, and it was fortunate that no Australians were in the audience! He argued that there was no prospect of success and that the lead brigade commander dug in on the second ridge too soon. Even if they had taken the third ridge, the Ottomans would still hold the high ground. There was an interesting discussion on Ottoman tactics. Contrary to some of the myths, the Anzacs faced very light opposition when they landed. Just a covering force; a trip wire to warn the Ottomans as to where to deploy their reserves. 

Two of the speakers argued that the Ottomans should have deployed closer to the landing beaches. I am not convinced. The Ottoman III Corps would have been very stretched if they did that, leaving insufficient reserves to hold the crucial high ground. A study of the fighting at Gallipoli during the Balkan Wars is essential here, as Erickson highlights. John Wilson finished the conference talking about the Ottoman defences and the role of Avni Bey's 57th Regiment.

I am looking forward to reading this book, and it was an interesting conference. I learned several new details about the campaign.

When in Leeds, it would be rude not to pop into the Royal Armouries.

Pavia

Mughal War Elephant

Back to God's own county, Lancashire, this evening, and my first cricket of the season tomorrow at Old Trafford - weather permitting!

Solway Aviation Museum

 The Solway Aviation Museum is situated next to Carlisle Airport, formerly the World War II RAF Crosby, which was used to train Coastal Command and then Transport Command pilots. I have passed it several times, but always when it was closed, typically on my way home. It is another fine local museum, run by volunteers, that we should support.

The museum has over 20 aircraft and several rooms full of exhibits. Pride of place is an Avro Vulcan B.2 (XJ823), in excellent condition. The best I have seen other than at the Avro Museum at Woodford, where they were built. It is a huge aircraft, but the cockpit is tiny. Many thanks to the volunteer who gave the talk inside. This Vulcan ended its career in maritime reconnaissance, having previously been stationed in Cyprus, just a few years after the Turkish intervention in 1974.

They also have many of the main RAF fighters since World War II, from the Meteor to the Jaguar.

Meteor NF14 night fighter

Jaguar T4

Lightning F53 that served in the Saudi Air Force

Phantom FGR2, looking terrific in 111 Squadron colours

Hawker Hunter F. 51 that served in the Danish Air Force

And not just fighters. There is a Canberra bomber and a Fairey Gannet.

Also, a Percival Sea Prince, which I don't recall having seen before. It was used as a flying classroom for the Royal Navy.

They don't have a hangar, but have squeezed some smaller aircraft into one of the old RAF buildings, including the first aircraft I ever flew in, the Chipmunk.

The indoor exhibit rooms feature equipment, uniforms, and numerous aircraft models.

Full credit to the volunteers who have kept the aircraft in excellent condition. Not an easy task in our weather. The current project is renovating a Blackburn Beverley. Well worth a visit if you are coming to the Lake District.

James VI and I Exhibition

 The National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh is running a special exhibition on the life and times of James VI of Scotland, who also became James I of England. This is the period I have reached in my Nigel Tranter novels, so I squeezed in a visit before a work meeting in Edinburgh. 

The National Portrait Gallery is an excellent historical resource, housing many famous pictures that tell the story of Scotland. For this exhibition, they have curated relevant pictures alongside exhibits from other sources.

Most of the pictures are of James at different stages of his life. If there is a theme, it is hats. He apparently even wore one in bed. What Queen Anna thought of this is not recorded!

And speaking of his queen, Anna of Denmark, there are several fine portraits of her. And despite James' hats and sundry other less than erotic personal habits, they did manage a fair brood of children, although sadly not all survived to adulthood.

Henry

Elizabeth

Charles

There are also portraits of key courtiers, many of whom appear in Tranter's novels.

My favourite is the Duke of Lennox, whose portrait reinforces my impression that he appears to have been a very decent guy.

The Earl of Morton, who ruled Scotland during James's minority. Not a decent guy!

Villiers (later Buckingham), one of his favourites.

There are other interesting pictures, including Stirling Castle, where James was effectively locked up as a child. And some of the options he considered for a union flag. Something he did not achieve.

The exhibition confirms my view that 'The Wisest Fool in Christendom' was not the worst King in either country. Well worth a visit if you are in Edinburgh this summer.

Gallipoli Sniper

 As if I haven't got enough books about Gallipoli, Dave Lanchester's stall at Carronade enticed me to buy John Hamilton's book about Billy Sing, the Anzac Angel of Death.

Billy Sing served in the Australian 5th Light Horse, a singularly inappropriate unit to send to Gallipoli! Needless to say, they left their horses back in Egypt. The primary sources about Billy Sing are limited, so this book does give a lot of context about the Gallipoli campaign, and sniping in particular. Over 33,500 British Empire troops died on this strip of land in modern Turkey next to the Dardanelles, along with 15,000 French and 87,000 Ottoman troops. More staggering is that the 324,000 Australians who served in WW1 were all volunteers, and 61,829 died, and 157,156 were wounded. All from a total population of less than five million. 

Billy Sing was not a typical Australian volunteer. He was half Chinese at a time when Chinese immigrants faced discriminatory legislation and were deemed unfit for anything other than non-combatant roles. The White Australia Policy was not quite Apartheid, but wasn't far off. Billy was a stockman who could ride and was a skilled marksman, having competed in numerous competitions. It appears that a sympathetic doctor, who had watched him play cricket, turned a blind eye to his ancestry and passed him to join the light horse. Others were not so fortunate and received a certificate with the designation, 'not substantially of European origin'.

When the 5th Light Horse arrived at Gallipoli, Ottoman snipers were picking off the inexperienced troops, including many senior officers. The ranges were close, a few hundred yards, well within the range of standard rifles. The descriptions of the fighting are pretty brutal, along with the appalling conditions the soldiers lived in. The author is a former journalist, and he describes just one Ottoman attack in which 10,000 men were casualties, with the line, 'the sweet nauseating smell of decaying flesh spread like a cloying fog over Gallipoli.'

Billy Sing was one of a team of initially 70 marksmen selected to counter the Ottoman snipers, 'hunting the hunters'. They used the standard Lee-Enfield rifle, but adapted it with homemade periscopes, which were later adopted by the Anzac workshops. The Ottomans sent trench raids to capture some, but the copies made in the Constantinople workshops frequently broke down. They also adapted the sights, strictly against regulations, but most officers recognised it worked. Snipers operated in teams of two with a spotter and managed to gain an ascendancy in this grim struggle. The patience Billy developed while hunting in the bush as a child came in handy in this grim task. They often operated behind camouflaged steel screens, while the equivalent Ottoman ones were made of brick.

The Ottoman equivalent of Billy was nicknamed Abdul the Terrible; aside from an interwar series of sensationalist books by Jack Idress, the evidence appears somewhat limited. Billy was Mentioned in Despatches (later awarded the DCM), having accounted for 201 casualties, although the final tally was probably closer to 300. He survived Gallipoli and a later spell on the Western Front, not without wounds. He married in Edinburgh and later returned (without his wife) to relative obscurity in Australia. He died alone in 1943. 

There is a lot of padding in this book, although it is still a good read, about a remarkable soldier. Happily, now properly remembered in the Australian War Museum.

I have walked over the Anzac and other positions on Gallipoli, a pilgrimage still made by many Australians to this day. You are left with the question: why didn't they just embark and land somewhere else?

Mail Royal

The latest in my Nigel Tranter rereading project takes in the next generation of the Gray family during the reign of James VI & I, after the period when he gained the English throne.

Patrick Master of Gray's son, Andrew, is the Seventh Lord Gray. He has a land steward, David Grey, who is an illegitimate nephew. Tranter uses him as the hook for the story. 

Lord Gray is losing his lucrative appointment as Sheriff of Angus and wants to find the infamous casket letters (last seen in his father's possession) of Mary Queen of Scots to give him some leverage over the king. He sends David to Fast Castle to find them. David strikes up a romance with the daughter of the Home laird, who now owns the castle, and finds the casket. However, it doesn't include the most important letter, which is supposed to include a confession from Mary that the king's real father was her Italian secretary, David Rizzio.

You can visit Fast Castle today, although little remains of the walls that housed the infamous Logan of Restalrig. It is on a remarkable outcrop on the East Coast. I have only been once, and it's pretty challenging to get to, even today. Fast Castle was originally known as Fause (lit. False) Castle because of the lights hung from it, which misled shipping for wreckers to plunder them.

The king doesn't know that the key letter is missing, and David is sent to London with the delicate task of blackmailing him, without seeming to do so. Despite this, the king takes a shine to David, who sorts out a trade issue and is sent to France as part of the embassy to secure the marriage of the French Princess Henrietta Maria to Prince Charles. We get a lengthy insight into the machinations of the court of King Louis 13th. David gets into a few more of the king's projects, including a return to James' interest in witchcraft.

This is a well-told tale of the court of James I and the international situation at the time. There is not a lot of action, but then James was not a big fan of warfare.

 

The Antonine Wall

 My library pick this month was David Breeze's study of the Antonine Wall.

The Antonine Wall was built in what is now Scotland. It stretches across central Scotland from the Firth of Forth (near Edinburgh) in the east to the Firth of Clyde (near Glasgow) in the west, about 39 miles (63 km) long. It was constructed under the orders of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius around AD 142, marking the northernmost boundary of the Roman Empire in Britain at its height. We don't know a lot about Antoninus due to limited contemporary sources. 

Like the better-known Hadrian's Wall to the south, it was built as a defensive fortification to mark the edge of Roman-controlled territory, control movement and trade, and repel attacks from northern tribes, especially the Caledonians. Unlike the stone-built Hadrian’s Wall to the south, the Antonine Wall was made primarily of turf laid on a stone base, with a deep ditch in front. Forts and watchtowers were spaced along its length. The wall was only occupied by the Romans for about 20 years. We assume that due to ongoing resistance and logistical challenges, the Romans retreated to Hadrian’s Wall around AD 162, although the full reasons are not documented.

Numerous forts, distance slabs (inscribed stone markers), and artefacts have been found along the wall since excavations started in 1895. However, there is nothing like the structure of Hadrian's Wall to see. There is a long-distance walk, and I have done bits of it, but again, it is not as well organised. 

There were three legions in Britain during this period: the 2nd, 20th, and 6th. These legions would have done the heavy work on the wall along with auxiliary units (including Gauls), which would have been the main garrison troops. 6-7000 troops would garrison the wall at any one time. The line was picked because it is the shortest distance across Scotland. Breeze argues that this doesn't necessarily mean it was the limit of Roman control; it was just a convenient line. There were undoubtedly outpost forts further north.

You must use a bit of imagination when visiting the forts at Bonnybridge, Twechar, Castlecary, Westerwood and Croy. Easrtworks are all that remain, although the remains of bath houses can be seen at Bearsden and Bar Hill. The book lists all the sites and is small enough to carry on the walk. 

One of my 28mm Imperial Roman legionary units.

The Serbian Army 1876-1878

This is a new edition of Dusan Babac's book on the Serbian Army during the wars for independence. It's unclear why a second edition was necessary, as the preface and content look the same, except for a lovely new cover and better quality paper. So, if you have the 2015 edition, you won't need this one.

Serbia became an autonomous part of the Ottoman Empire after two revolts in 1815. It was de facto independent from the 1830s, and the last Ottoman troops left in the 1860s. After which, Serbia adopted a new constitution. Formal international recognition came with the Congress of Berlin in 1878.  This means the book's premise is a little misleading, as these wars were really about taking advantage of the uprising in Bosnia to expand the Serbian state, with the support of Montenegro. The nationalist tone of the first chapter might be a bit grating to readers outside Serbia, but this is the Balkans!

Putting the nationalist politics aside, this is a book about the Serbian army during these wars. The first war went badly. Serbia was poorly prepared militarily, and the Ottomans inflicted several defeats on the Serbs, most notably at Aleksinac. They were saved by Russian and Great Power intervention. The second war was part of the wider Russo-Turkish War of 1877, in which the Russians and Romanians played the central role.

The book describes the main battles of both wars, but its real value comes from the chapters on weaponry, uniforms, and standards. There is a profusion of period photos and colour plates. In the style of the time, they are mostly posed portraits, but the magazine artwork helps bring the action to life. I particularly enjoyed rereading the chapter on volunteers in the first war, as I gave a talk on this in Belgrade many years ago. Over 500 Russian officers volunteered to fight, and they were joined by Bulgarians, Hungarians and others from further afield. Brigadier-General MacIver was the most famous British volunteer, a remarkable soldier of fortune who fought in many conflicts. Babec says under 18 flags, although his 1888 biographer, W. D. L'Estrange, says 14. Dorothy Anderson wrote an excellent book, The Balkan Volunteers, in 1968. Surprisingly, it isn't in the bibliography, as copies can be found at attractive prices. I also have Philip Salusbury's memoir, which is less valuable. He was a yeomanry officer who made his way to Serbia at the outbreak of war and was given a small cavalry unit to train. However, his description of the actions he was present at spent more time describing the members of the Royal family he met and the food he ate than the action!

This book has everything a wargamer needs. Outpost Games was considering a small range of 28 mm figures for the Serbian army. However, the owner has sadly passed away, and I'm not sure how far he got. Their Bulgarian legion figures are superb. Conversions from the Balkan Wars ranges would not be too challenging, and French or even ACW ranges have figures that would work, particularly in smaller scales. The Ottomans can come straight from the 1877 ranges.

Outpost Bulgarian Legion

Arran - Scotland in Miniature

 I live a stone's throw away from the ferry terminal for Arran, but haven't been over for years. It is here temporarily (probably) while the Scottish Government and Peel Ports sort out an upgrade of the port facilities at Ardrossan. Yes, they built a new ferry that was too big for the ferry terminal, and it still hasn't been resolved!

However, the new ferry is an excellent ship, and Arran is a glorious place to visit on a sunny day. It is called 'Scotland in miniature' because it has all the elements that make up Scotland on one island. This includes several historical sites that reflect the island's rich history.

The ferry docks at the main town, Brodick. Our first stop was the Arran Heritage Museum, which I hadn't visited before. This small museum reflects many aspects of Arran life, from the geology and archaeology to the present day. The cafe also has delicious cake! Of particular interest is a display about wartime Arran. I have previously reviewed Colin Turbett's excellent book about wartime Arran and its role in defending the Clyde estuary. 

HMS Fortitude at Adrossan was the main naval base.

Memorial to the 21 USAF airmen who died in a Liberator crash on the island. The map above plots all the crashes.

Commandos trained on the island.

Next stop was Brodick Castle, probably the main attraction on the island. The medieval castle has been largely replaced by a Victorian house in the Scottish baronial style. Napoleon III lived here during his exile and there is a fine collection of Napoleonic medals.

The other castle is at Lochranza on the northern tip of the island. This was a MacSween castle built in the 1200s, and later developed as a royal castle. It's in a stunning location in a bay that would have housed the clan's fighting ships. There was a third castle in the south at Kildonan, but there is little left to see.

We drove down the west side of the island, which has little to see other than a fine view of Kintyre. The last historical stop (there were pubs, cafes and an art gallery!) was Kingscross point, the site of a Viking fort that would have defended their base in Lamlash Bay. King Haakon of Norway's fleet was based here before the Battle of Largs in 1265. The Bay was also used by the Royal Navy in both world wars. There are no remains but the view is excellent.

If you are planning a visit, I would recommend Horace Fairhurst's Exploring Arran's Past, for the history of the island. We are indeed blessed to have such treasures on our doorstep.