The World Almanac Book of World War II

New York: World Almanac Publications (Newspaper Enterprise Association, Inc.), 1981. Presumed first printing thus. Trade paperback. Fair. Format is approximately 5.5 inches by 8.25 inches. 514 pages. Illustrations. Cover worn and creased. Corners of some pages creased. Spine faded. Introductions, Chronology. Weapons and Equipment (Land Warfare, Sea Warfare, Air Warfare), Biographies, Casualties (a summing up), and Index. The principal part of this almanac is a chronology of the major events leading up to World War II, a detailed day-by-day analysis and commentary about what took place on every front; the final sections of the chronology covers the immediate postwar years up until the start of the Korean War in 1950. Brigadier Peter Young, DSO, MC & Two Bars (28 July 1915 - 13 September 1988) was a British Army officer who, during the Second World War, served with distinction with the British Commandos. Subsequently, he went on to command a regiment of the Arab Legion before leaving the Army to become a lecturer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. In later life he became a well-known military historian and author. Having joined the Territorial Army (TA) while at Oxford, Young was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1938 but this was converted (and backdated to 1937) to a permanent commission in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment in January 1939. Assigned to the 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment, Young went to France with the battalion in late 1939, shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). The battalion formed part of the 10th Infantry Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Evelyn Barker, part of the 4th Infantry Division. Following the Battle of France in May 1940, the battalion was evacuated from Dunkirk in late May, during which Young was wounded. After he recovered from his wounds Young volunteered to join the Commandos and on being accepted joined 3 Commando in time to take part in the second commando operation of the war-Operation Ambassador-in July 1940. Promoted to lieutenant in August 1940, Young was to serve in the commandos for the rest of the war. Following Operation Ambassador and the subsequent operations, Operation Claymore and Operation Archery, Young was awarded the Military Cross (MC). Promoted to captain, Young spent some time on the staff of Combined Operations Headquarters before returning to 3 Commando as second in command with the temporary rank of major. In this role he took part in Operation Jubilee, the Dieppe Raid, in August 1942 for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). Still with 3 Commando, Young participated in Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily, where 3 Commando were one of the first units to land. For his part in this operation Young was awarded his first bar to the MC. After Sicily, Young became Officer Commanding 3 Commando and led them during the Allied invasion of Italy. Young and 3 Commando were withdrawn to England in October 1943 but the intervening period was enough for Young to be awarded a second bar to his MC. In June 1944 Young took part in the Normandy landings, still with 3 Commando but following the Normandy campaign he was promoted to temporary lieutenant colonel and posted to the Far East as second-in-command of the 3rd Commando Brigade, a post he held until the end of the war although he did for a while become the officer commanding the brigade. Upon leaving the army, Young became Head of Military History at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst between 1959 and 1969 before he retired to concentrate on a writing career. His first two books, both autobiographies, Bedouin Command and Storm from the Sea had been published while he was still in the army but his lifelong interest in history and with the position at Sandhurst he began to write history books particularly on the English Civil Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. His writing career continued until his death and he also worked as a historical and military consultant on a number of TV series. He was elected as a Fellow of Society of Antiquaries of London, the Royal Historical Society and the Royal Geographical Society.