Catalogue No. 180 “Messines”
May 2022

This catalogue of largely new stock has been delayed by several weeks due to my having had Covid, but hopefully normal service will now be resumed! Other than 
that, my main news is that soon after this catalogue appears the second issue of my TurnerDonovan Telegraph is scheduled. It contains a major article on the publishing 
activities of a group of anti-Nazi exiles based in England during the Second World War. In the meantime, I hope you will find something to interest you in this catalogue

We are a leading dealers in rare and second hand books on British military history from around 1800 to 1945. The Great War, 1914-1918, has always been our speciality and we hold extensive stocks of regimental and divisional histories, official histories, standard works, memoirs, Rolls of Honour, Army Lists and so forth. For more information see www.turnerdonovan.com.
 

The History of Probyn's Horse (5th King Edward's Own Lancers).
The 5th & 11th Lancers, raised as 1st & 2nd Sikh Irregular Cavalry during the Mutiny, combined to form one of the most aristocratic of Indian Cavalry regeiments. They fought in China, Umbeyla, Abyssinia 2nd Afghan War, WW1 in Mespot. & var. NWF campaigns. Roll of Hon., awards. Perkins 404. Orig. red cloth with regimental crest in blue, red & gilt to front board, near fine copy & rare. See illustration on our website. 1929 £425
 

The Life Story of Brigadier P.J.D. Toosey, CBE, DSO, TD, DL, JP.
Brigadier Sir Philip John Denton Toosey - Phil - 1904-1975, was taken PoW at the fall of Singapore where he was commanding his TA artillery regiment. He was awarded the DSO for his services there. He became senior Allied officer at the Tamarkan PoW camp in Thailand: men from this camp built the famous Bridge 277 of the Burma Railway, which was immortalised on the film "Bridge Over the River Kwai." The film, & the book upon which it was based, employed a considerable degree of poetical licence which enraged former FEPOW because Toosey, unlike the fictional CO in the book & film, had refused to cooperate with the Japanese & in fact worked tirelessly for the well being of his men at great personal cost - being punished, for instance, for aiding an escape whereas in the film he is portrayed (by Alec Guiness) as forbidding escape attempts. He refused to speak publicly about the depiction of him in the film except for a lengthy taped interview which he made on the proviso that it was not published until after his death. After the war he became President of the National Federation of Far East Prisoners of War. This life story by Jackie Smyth VC was based both on personal knowledge & acquaintance with Toosey & upon his personal papers, to which he allowed Smyth access. His Introduction, in & of itself, is revealing & interesting. The story of Toosey's life & achievements - particularly in his work for his fellow PoW in Thailand is most engaging. Rare in any form, this copy is bound in full blue calf with gilt title to front, & bears a small typed label to the front paste-down: "Not to be published during my lifetime - P.J.D. Toosey." Importantly, it also bears a presentation inscription from the subject: "To John Baines from Phil. If you can be bothered to read this little book, you will understand why I do not like the Japanese and also my really deep affection for the Baines Faimily. 24 April 1973." (Note: No. 5955472 Pte, Charles Kenneth Baines, 5th Bn. Beds. & Herts., was captured at Singapore, was a PoW in Thialnd & was one of those lucky to survive the experience.) See illustrations on our website. £250
 

The Career of a Second Lieutenant in the Year 1914. In Memory of Second Lieut. Bevil Tollemache, First Battalion Coldstream Guards, Grandson of the First Lord Tollemache of Helmingham.
A particularly impressive Great War memorial volume. Bevil Douglas Tollemache was Ed. at Eton & on leaving in 1906 entered a business career, but was inclining towards political life when, in August 1914, he obtained a Special Reserve commission in the Coldstream. Went to France in November & was briefly invalided from the trenches with frost-bitten feet just weeks later. Returning to the 1st Bn., he was Killed in Action on 22nd December in an attack at Givenchy. Initially he was posted missing, his father interviewed several NCOs of the regiment who confirmed that he was left behind severely wounded during a retirement. His body was recovered in February 1915 but his place of burial was subsequently lost and he is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial. Contains notes on his life, his letters from the front, much on the attack in which he lost his life (including contributions by several members of his battalion and a detailed map of the action), letters of condolence, obituaries &c. Orig. white vellum, gilt to front and spine, near fine throughout, rare. See illustrations on our website. 1915 £325
 

Ceylon: Past & Present.
Rare account of Ceylon: the first 60pp. largely reproduce portions of Captain Knox's classic account of the country (published in 1681) which was based on twenty years he spent there as a captive - although a captive at large in that he was engaged as a farmer, money-lender & pedlar. His account was published in London after he achieved his freedom. The current work by Sir George Barrow (an employee of the Colonial Office who never - as far as can be ascertained - visited Ceylon) is "brought up to the 'present' & I hope that the sketch which I have given of 'The Garden of India,' & its growing prosperity, may be found interesting, & in some measure useful, as the information which it contains has been collected from authentic sources,  VG. See illustrations on our website.  £250
 

 

Fighting the Boche Underground.
Memoirs of tunneling & mining by an American officer of the Royal Engineers (who later served in the USA Engineers), including operations at Vimy Ridge, Ancre, Arras, &c. The folding sketch is a remarkably interesting view of trench systems & tunnels, both above & below ground, detailing the opposing front lines & the organisation of the tunnels, from behind-the lines shelters & shafts to the front-end galleries &c. Orig. dec. printed paper covd. boards with green cloth backstrip, VG indeed & rare original edition. See illustrations on our website. 1918 £145
 

The Fighting Territorials. Volume II.
Scarce account of London battalions on the Western Front during 1915, following on from Vol. I which was mainly concerned with 2nd Ypres &c. This volume includes includes: 1st to 4th Londons, Cast Iron 6th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th & 21st Londons., &c., at Battle of Loos &c., inc. citations for MCs & DCMs, plus list of those Mentioned in Despatches. Very nice example in attractive orig. pictorial wraps. complete with publisher's wraparound band listing the regiments whose deeds are contained within. See illustration on our website. £85
 

Royal Engineers Battlefield Tour: The Seine to the Rhine. Volume I: An Account of the Operations Included in the Tour. Volume II: A Guide to the Conduct of the Tour.
RESTRICTED. "Prepared by HQ 8 AGRE... to enable present & future REs to study certain operations of particular engineer interest in the 1940 Flanders Campaign & in the 1944/45 Campaign in NW Europe..." Fabulous detail on RE aspects of ops. inc. Arnhem, battle of the Rhineland, Rhine Crossing &c. Numerous accounts by participating officers & NCOs. Excellent photos. & exceptional, detailed col. printed maps of operations. Orig. blue cloth, gilt to front & spines, some chipping, rubbing & wear to edges, generally VG with ownership inscrip. & later bookplate of Major J.S. Batholomew, GM, in Vol. I.. Rare. See illustration on our website. 1947 £275
 

Sworn to Die.
The history of Skinner's Horse from 1921-47 inc. much WW2, North Africa & Italy. Roll of Hon., awards. The 1939-45 history, which is exceptionally rare & not in Perkins, was written by the same author & published in XXXX. This new version appears to contain the entire text of the original WW2 history, but also, as stated by Perkins: "The first sixty-one pages cover the period 1921 through to 1939" which appears to reproduce the unpublished typescript history of that period written by Lt.-Col. E.G. Haynes & recorded by Perkins on p.399. Of the WW2 & later portion Perkins writes: "The Regt. lost its horses & became mechanised in 1939. Equipped with light vehicles, it operated as a reconnaissance unit in the East Africa campaign & in the Western Desert with 4th Indian Div. After a spell on Cyprus & with Paiforce, it moved to Italy in June 1944 as an element of 10th Indian Div. The book concludes with an 11 page epilogue covering Partition & the Regt's participation in the 1948 Hyderabad Police Action & in the 1965 & 1971 wars with Pakistan. It includes details of casualties & awards for 1971." Orig. dec. laminated boards, VG & rare. See illustration on our website. 1984 £250
 

Tunnellers' Old Comrades Association Bulletin.
Rare Tunnellers' OCA journals, each containing OCA news, reports from branches both at home & overseas, various details of former tunnellers & their activities, lists of new members &c., but most importantly around a dozen articles of reminiscences, such as "The Experiment with a Power-Driven Clay-Cutter at Petit Bois, 1916" by 'Tunneller'; "The Troubles & Tribulations of a Newly Recruited Tunnelling Officer in April 1915" by A.D. Lumb; "The Fight for Givenchy Ridge, April 1918 & the Part Played by the 251st (T) Coy. RE" by Capt. E.J. Ritchie, adjutant; "Notes on 179 Company" by J. Young, &c. Together with Haig's Special Order of the Day dated 4th Dec. 1918 concerning Mine Warfare & specifically thanking Tunnellers for "the fine work that has been done by the Tunnelling Companies throughout the last four years... They have earned the thanks of the whole Army for their contribution to the defeat of the enemy. Their fighting spirit & technical efficiency has enhanced the reputation of the whole Corps of Royal Engineers, & of the Engineers of the Overseas Forces..." All four items little worn, generally VG. See illustrations on our website. £225
 

 

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