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A Home on the Rolling Main: A Naval Memoir 1940-1946 by [A G F Ditcham]

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Ditcham. A. G. F.

A Home on the Rolling Main: A Naval Memoir 1940-1946 Kindle Edition

by A G F Ditcham (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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This WWII memoir of a Royal Navy Lieutenant offers a vivid account of maritime combat throughout the European Theater.

From first joining the Royal Navy in 1940 until the end of the campaign against Japan, Tony Ditcham was in the front line of the naval war. He served aboard the battlecruiser HMS Renown in the North Sea and Gibraltar. Serving on destroyers in most of the European theatres, he saw action against S-boats and aircraft off Britain's East Coast, on Arctic convoys to Russia, and eventually in a flotilla screening the Home Fleet.

During the Battle of the North Cape, Ditcham was one of the first men to actually see the German battleship Scharnhorst, and he vividly describes watching it sink from his position in the gun director of HMS Scorpion. Later his ship operated off the American beaches during D-Day, where two of her sister ships were sunk. En route to the Pacific Theater, his combat service ended with the surrender of Japan. Written with humor and colorful descriptive power, Ditcham’s account of his incident-packed career is a classic of naval memoir literature.

Print length

646 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Seaforth Publishing
Publication date

17 Jun. 2013
File size

34675 KB
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Review

Brilliant naval memoir. This book is an honest account of what life was like during the war but this is an open honest and factual account of that life aboard ship. As one of the last veterans left standing Ditcham provides us with some very powerful descriptive language, while using humour that covered his incident packed naval career. This is a wonderful memoir and it has been an honour to read it as it is probably one of the last to be written by a veteran as their number declines with the years. This is also an important voice being left for all of us to remember how war touches all of us and that people Tony Ditcham stood tall for us in our hour of need. This will be used by students of history as not just a memoir but a witness statement to life on the seas during World War Two. Paul Diggit (reviewed on: Goodreads, Amazon, Library thing, the readingroom, Waterstones and Shelfari --This text refers to the paperback edition.

About the Author

TONY DITCHAM originally wrote this memoir for family and friends and self-published a very limited edition hardback. Attractively produced with many of the author s own illustrations and photographs, it was enthusiastically reviewed in the specialist press, prompting this paperback reprint. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00SGC4XF2
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Seaforth Publishing; Illustrated edition (17 Jun. 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 34675 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 646 pages

Best Sellers Rank: 160,327 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 90 in Biographies of the Navy
- 254 in Biographies of World War II
- 480 in Maritime Archaeology

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151 ratings

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Michael K.

Excellent

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 November 2019

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The author gives an excellent account of his time as a junior officer in the Royal Navy during 1940-1946. He started off in the battle cruiser Renown, before spending the rest of his service in various destroyers. His war service included convoy work, both off the east coast of Britain and on convoys to Russia. He saw action against a range of German naval and air forces, winning a DSC. In the destroyer Scorpion, he participated in the Battle of North Cape, where they closed to within two thousand yards of the Scharnhorst, and on D-Day, bombarding enemy positions.
As I said, this is an excellent work, well written and engaging, with a good degree of humour. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

One person found this helpful

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Tim Lewin

no one has told their wartime experiences better than this

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 June 2019

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This book is essential reading for anyone interested in Naval biography, WW2 history of the conflict at sea or just wants to know what life afloat in small overworked ships was really like, these ships won the war, not the battleships and cruisers. I urge anyone with the smallest spark of interest in this part of our history to read this book. I was so impressed I bought several more as gifts.

One person found this helpful

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hammerkop

Excellent Royal Navy memoir

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 September 2016

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Having previously suspected that this book had potential I'd given it a 1 star review due entirely to the appalling formatting that had rendered it unreadable on my Kindle. It has now been updated and with 99% of problems sorted out it is an excellent read. Tony Ditcham's account of life on HMS Renown followed by a succession of destroyers is both witty and thrilling in turn. His account of Arctic convoy duties and the Battle of the North Cape as well as D-Day and many other actions along with everyday life in the Royal Navy is a must for anyone interested in WW2 and naval warfare in particular.

3 people found this helpful

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simon murphy

Excellent

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 March 2019

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This is one of the best wartime memoirs I have read. His understated role on wartime destroyers is fascinating reading.
Gives his mistakes with a smile and sounds like he was a thoroughly likeable young man. It's hard to understand the responsibility for one so young who did a remarkable job, like all his cremated.
If you want a down to earth account of life in the wartime navy this is one you will enjoy.

One person found this helpful

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Mr. Ric Dumbleton

Outstanding

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 April 2017

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This book is one of the most outstanding military Memoirs which it has been my pleasure to read. the writer takes you through his Naval service beautifully written in a manner which the reader feels almost alongside him. Writing embodied with humility, humour and wonderful descriptive language. IT would however have been good to have at least a brief outline of the writers post war career.

3 people found this helpful

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Brian Murphy

You can smell the sea air.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 April 2021

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No-frills account of real events lived by a junior naval officer on destroyers on WW2. It is one of the most gripping accounts of sea warfare I have ever read. It takes you there, on the windswept bridge of a destroyer. Excellent. Don't get seasick!

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Brian Dee

Very informative and entertaining

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 March 2019

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Excellent insight into a WWII life and times in the RN.
Told in a very modest and light-hearted style, giving insights into the cameraderie, humour, actions and strains of 6 years on operations or training for them.
Some new (to me) technical details and some hilarious moments - very good value thanks.

One person found this helpful

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AndyWB

A personal account of service in the Royal Navy in WWII

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 July 2021

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In war some young men know no fear - either that or they deem themselves already dead. I enjoyed this account of WWII at sea almost continuously in action, or ready for action, in appalling conditions. Tony recounts it all from countering E Boats to sinking the Scharnhorst.

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