I’ll freely admit that I’ve long been a lover of Bernard Conrwell’s novels. They’re well written, fast-paced, and full of brilliant historical detail and the perfect light and entertaining read. A few years ago, it occurred to me that there was no Sharpe or Hornblower of the Second World War. I’d already written two wartime novels and having done a number of history books on the subject, I reckoned I was well-placed to attempt a series of such novels. My aim, then, was to appeal to those who avidly read Bernard Cornwell, but also fans of Andy McNab, Allan Mallinson and CS Forrester’s Hornblower books. And, of course, there has been just a little bit of inspiration from the classic era of Second World War films: Where Eagles Dare, The Guns of Navarone, and other Alistair Maclean adaptations.
I’ve got about twenty Jack Tanner novels in my head, of which twelve are already well plotted and written down, and Bantam Press, my new publishers, have signed up to the first four, so providing those do well enough, I’m hoping Jack Tanner will be here for the long haul.
They are, however, quite difficult to write. They need to be page-turners with tight plots that can be woven in seamlessly to real historical events. The characterisation needs to be spot-on, as does the historical detail. I’ve had to swat up very heavily on details of training, uniform and weaponry and have been buying up plenty of old training manuals just or that purpose. It’s been fascinating, though, and great fun.
The first in the series, THE ODIN MISSION, introduces not only Sergeant Jack Tanner, but also his close friend and sidekick, Stan Sykes. I hope they will be enjoyed by anyone from the age of twelve to 112.
Needless to say, historical accuracy and authenticity are of critical importance. Every detail, from the accurate depiction of real events, to the correct type of weaponry and equipment, has to be spot-on. Each book will be a self-contained story, but will be framed within a backdrop of real war-time events that will also see the ongoing development of Tanner and other characters.
The Second World War was unrivalled for human drama, and, as its name implies, ravaged many different countries and continents. The Tanner series will follow the history of the war from the snowy mountains and fjords of Norway, to the sun-scorched deserts of North Africa; from the rocky outcrops of the Apennines to the islands of the Mediterranean; and from the bocage of Normandy to the jungles of Burma. These different campaigns and theatres offer a variety of landscapes and conditions in which Tanner will find himself, the descriptions of which will, I hope, make for interesting reading. There is also a wonderful opportunity to follow the fortunes of the British Army through the war. Despite being the best army in the world in 1918, the inter-war years saw a significant decline in Britain’s military power. Cutbacks, complacency and the reversion to colonial-style fighting meant that by 1939, Britain’s Army was in a parlous state and way behind the mark compared with Germany and even Japan. Defeats in Norway, Dunkirk, Singapore and the Mediterranean demonstrated just what a huge mountain Britain needed to climb, and yet gradually – painfully – she learnt her lessons. Tactics, equipment and technology all improved through the long and bitter years of war. Charting this progress through the fortunes of the King’s Own Yorkshire Rangers – a classic infantry regiment - will provide an added dimension to the books, while Tanner – an intelligent, experienced, and independently minded soldier – will often give voice to the despair of the men on the ground. Few ordinary soldiers had much idea of what was going on for much of the time, but from reading contemporary diaries, and, to a lesser degree, letters, it is interesting how often these men instinctively knew when their commanders and generals were making ill-judged and unsound decisions. I hope this sub-theme will be educational as well as exciting.
Attitudes within the British Army also changed dramatically between the years 1939-1945, which was in turn part of a larger social change within British society. At the start of the war, nearly all officers were middle or upper class and privately educated. Experience and loss of personnel led to the gradual breakdown of many class prejudices. This change will also be reflected in the series, not least by the fact that Tanner himself will receive a battlefield commission at the end of Book 3.
Battles
Much of the infantryman’s fighting during the war took the form of small-scale engagements and patrols, but there were a number of large set-piece battles and periods of attrition as well, and the books offer a terrific opportunity to describe these momentous moments of the war in great detail and from the point of view of a few men who were caught up in the thick of them. At the Battle of Alamein, for example, it will be possible to follow Tanner and his comrades through the dust, the mayhem, and carnage. Battles were often very confusing, frightening and disorientating, and this was certainly the case at Alamein. Very different, but equally chaotic were the D-Day landings. The role of individuals in big historical events is always interesting, and I hope that I can bring my extensive research to create highly exciting and convincing passages about these battles.
Research
My research for my non-fiction books has enabled me to interview well over three-hundred veterans of the Second World War and to visit archives in America, South Africa, Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Malta, France and, of course, the UK. Secondary sources are invaluable, but for the tiny details that bring life to any writing about the war, first-hand material is essential. I have already used the research I have already carried out on the war to good effect in the Tanner novels and done plenty more beside!
IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW THE SECRETS OF TANNER’S EARLY LIFE, DON’T READ ON
Jack Tanner
Although the first book in the series is set during the disastrous Norwegian campaign of April-June 1940, Tanner’s background is important as it will inform some of the events in the novels and helps shape his character.
Tanner is a West Countryman from South Wiltshire. Born on Christmas Day, 1915, his parents, William and Elizabeth Scard, name him John, although he is always known as Jack. His father, William, has survived the trenches and has returned to his job as gamekeeper on Francis Ellerby’s estate. Tragedy soon strikes when Jack’s mother contracts Spanish Flu and dies only a few months after her son is born.
Devastated by the loss but determined not to lose his son, William does his best to raise his son on his own. Help is at hand from his neighbours, the Gullivers – Gerry Gulliver is one of Francis Ellerby’s farm workers, and they are both kind and do their best to help William carry on working. Even so, young Jack learns a sense of independence from an early age, and as soon as he is old enough starts to work alongside his father. His attendance at the village school is consequently irregular to say the least.
Neither father nor son worry about this, however. Jack has a natural affinity to both wildlife and the countryside; he is a natural gamekeeper. It is during these years that he learns stealth, resourcefulness and how to shoot – skills that will help him considerably later.
When Jack is sixteen, he and his father are plagued by poachers. One night, they finally catch the gang, but in the ensuing struggle, William is shot and killed. The gang flee but Jack is certain he knows who they are: three brothers – Frank, Les and George Cutler, from a neighbouring village, and a fourth, Arthur Mayhew. Unfortunately, the police do not agree: the Cutlers’ alibis appear to be safe and there is a singular lack of evidence apart from Joe’s testimony – and this is not considered enough; after all, it was a dark night. The local police are sympathetic, but tell him to be patient.
But Jack is still only a boy and when his blood is up, patience is a virtue he no longer possesses. Grief and rage spur him to make his own form of justice, and soon after he follows George Cutler as he goes to the village pub. After lying in wait for him, Jack follows Cutler again as he emerges from the pub – somewhat worse for wear – several hours later. On the bridge, Jack attacks him, hitting him over the head with a stick. Cutler staggers and falls into the river. The following morning, Cutler is discovered dead, although initially it is unclear whether he has been killed by the gash on his head or by drowning.
Meanwhile, Jack has returned to his home and the following morning, gets up early and returns to work. Sometime in the morning, Gerry Gulliver and Francis Ellerby find him and tell him that George Cutler’s body has been discovered. It is clear that both men believe Jack has had something to do with Cutler’s death, but Ellerby refuses to question Jack about it. Instead he tells him he does not want to see another life ended and so gives him a small sum of money and the name and address of a friend who is a colonel in the King’s Own Yorkshire Rangers. Promising to vouch for him, Ellerby tells him to leave immediately and take a train to Leeds. He also gives him a new name: Tanner.
And so it is as Jack Tanner that he travels to Leeds, overwhelmed by its size, smell and mass of people. Armed with his letter of introduction, he joins the Yorkshire Rangers as a boy soldier. After basic training, he is sent overseas with the 2nd Battalion to India. There he remains, seeing action along the Northwest Frontier and in Waziristan, until finally sailing back to Scotland in the winter of 1939.
The man returning to Britain is almost unrecognisable from the boy who left five years before. Now six foot tall, he is physically strong and highly capable of looking after himself – indeed, he has something of a reputation as a boxer, and has been Indian Army champion of 1939. His dark hair and grey eyes complement his often brooding, somewhat taciturn character – the kind of person whom others find hard to get to know. Tanner is a man who keeps his cards close to his chest; only very rarely does he talk about his past. This makes others initially wary of him, although he has a reputation for great common sense, pragmatism and for a cool head. Only when really riled does he lose his cool – in which case his hot-headedness sometimes gets him into trouble. He is, however, devoutly loyal to the regiment and to those he both likes and trusts. His courage is unquestioned, as is his ability as a soldier and a marksman.
Other Characters
There are and will be a number of other characters that will accompany Tanner through the war. British Army regiments are broken down into battalions (about 900-1000 men), companies (about 300-strong), platoons (25-30 strong), and sections (10-12 strong). In the first couple of books, the focus will be on Tanner’s section and platoon; later it will be the company, and then the 2nd Battalion of the King’s Own Yorkshire Rangers. But a core of men who make up the section and platoon will provide the focus.
The majority of the Yorks Rangers are Yorkshiremen, most of whom are from the tough lower class areas of Leeds and Bradford. Tanner, and his closest friend, Stan Sykes, are, in many ways outsiders: Tanner a countryman from the south, Stan a South Londonder. It is one of the reasons they are drawn together in the first place. Stan is small and wiry, the classic product of an under-nourished and tough urban childhood. He has joined as a regular before the war, having run away from an alcoholic father and a life that was descending into criminality. Intelligent, quick-witted and with a talent for handling explosives, Stan is forever the optimist, ready to joke and the perfect foil for his friend. Tanner trusts Stan above all others – he is the one person in whom he willingly confides. Stan’s streetwise sassiness also complements the skills Tanner has developed from his gamekeeping days. Together they make a formidable team.
Other characters will come and go, but several of the men in Tanner’s first section and platoon will feature throughout the books. ‘Hep’ Hepworth, ‘Mac’ McAllister, and ‘Tinker’ Bell are all young Yorkshiremen who follow Tanner during many of his adventures, not least the first two books in Norway and Northern France in 1940.
Introduced into the second book will be Lieutenant Edward Peploe. A year younger than Jack, he will, in time, become a great friend and supporter. A farmer from Suffolk, he has joined the army despite belonging to a reserved occupation, believing strongly that it is his duty to help destroy Nazism. Principled, resolute and without any scrap of the snobbism that affects many of the other officers, Peploe, like Stan Sykes, becomes another trusted friend. When Tanner is commissioned, it is also Peploe who helps him through the maze of etiquette and rules that any officer is expected to observe. Neither Tanner nor many of the other men share Peploe’s strong moral convictions, but their mutual love of the countryside ensures Edward and Jack have a shared passion. Peploe is a good soldier, but makes no attempt to hide his distaste for war. He is a sensitive man prone to introspection, yet well-liked by both his men; Edward Peploe, like Tanner, would never ask his men to do something he is not prepared to do himself.
Others will come and go, including characters that, I hope, become popular men – and women – in the stories. Certain people will appear in some books and not others. For example, Captain David Vaughan will appear in Book 3, then will reappear in Books 5 and 8 (by which time he is a major working for Special Operations). Real personalities will also be featured, not least General Sir Harold Alexander, who, it will be revealed, was Tanner’s brigadier in India in 1935-36, and who has a special interest in the young infantryman. Montgomery and even Rommel will make appearances. They will, of course, be drawn as accurately as possible.
Despite the increase in mechanisation and technology, (and despite American war planners’ belief in 1940 that GIs would become increasingly redundant), it was the Poor Bloody Infantry that bore the brunt of the fighting. Although the overall British casualty figures in the Second World War were nothing like as bad as in the First, casualty rates amongst the front-line combat units were every bit as high, sometimes – as in Italy during the battles along the Gothic Line – even higher. British troops dealt with this proximity to death, and the frequently long separation from home, by drawing strength from the intense camaraderie that often formed, and by using large doses of ironic and black humour. This will also be reflected in the books. Soldiers’ banter was used with exemplary skill, for example, in two great memoirs from the war - George Macdonald Fraser’s Quartered Safe Out Here, and Alex Bowlby’s The Memoirs of Rifleman Bowlby - and I hope authentic and occasionally humorous talk between Tanner and the men around him will add weight to the novels. The stalwarts of the 2nd Battalion of the King’s Own Yorkshire Rangers – men like Tanner and Sykes – would have laced their conversation with Hindu and Urdu phrases. Later, the men of the Eighth Army who fought through North Africa also introduced various Arabic words, all of which littered soldiers’ chatter along with numerous acronyms, abbreviations and other jargon. Such language would be used in the novels, albeit sparingly, to increase authenticity.