Julian Thompson - No Picnic

First published in Great Britain in 1985

Republished in this revised edition 1992 by
LEO COOPER
190 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8JL
an imprint of
Pen & Sword Books Ltd,
47 Church Street, Barnsley, S. Yorks S70 2AS

Copyright Julian Thompson, 1985, 1992

ISBN 0 85052 304 4

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library

Typeset by Yorkshire Web, Barnsley, South Yorkshire
in Plantin Roman 10 point

Printed in Great Britain by
Redwood Press
Melksham, Wiltshire

I would like to thank everybody who has helped me to write this book, but in particular James Ladd for his help and encouragement and for casting a critical eye over the first four chapters; my Personal Assistant, Tricia Roberts, who typed most of the first drafts in her spare time, skilfully managing to decipher my writing; Mrs Shandra Keelan and Miss Betty Gershon who typed both first and second drafts; Corporal Latimer who drew the maps in his spare time; and last, but not least, my wife who for almost a year while I wrote endured being ignored on most evenings during the working week, at most weekends and through Summer leave, Christmas leave and most of Easter leave; and listened patiently to each chapter she was read.

I would also like to pay tribute to Chief Petty Officer Peter Holgate, Royal Navy, who took most of the photographs that appear in this book; but I must also thank 2 Para and 3 Para for providing some of the photographs, as well as Petty Officer Birkett, Leading Airman Ryan and Leading Airman Campbell.