War In My Sights: The Second World War Memoirs Of Lieutenant Colonel G.V. 'Bunny' Hunt

At first glance, this appears to be the story of a typical Bofors regiment and its commanding officer across the campaigns of the Second World War: the Battle of Britain, Operation TORCH, Tunisia, Sicily and Italy. In reality, it is something far more compelling. Drawn from the vivid and meticulously kept daily account of Lieutenant Colonel G Vivian Hunt OBE TD, it offers a rare ringside perspective on war at every level, from hurried improvisation to high command. In 1938, Hunt was a 33-year-old Sheffield solicitor and Territorial Army captain with experience limited to a horsed artillery regiment. Tasked with raising and training a Bofors battery from nothing, without guns or instructors, he began a remarkable ascent. Within five years he was commanding the largest concentration of British anti-aircraft forces ever assembled in battle, directing twelve regiments as Commander Corps Anti-Aircraft during the final assault on Tunis. Along the way, he became a leading authority on engaging fast, low-flying aircraft, raised the 49th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment in record time and led it into action with the elite 78th (Battleaxe) Division. Positioned at the heart of divisional command, his account offers unique insight into the conduct of the North African and Italian campaigns. From the destruction of over fifty enemy aircraft in the weeks after TORCH to a first-hand account of the devastating air raid on Bari, this is an extraordinary chronicle of leadership, innovation and war as seen from the inside. AUTHOR: Jonathan Hunt is a retired solicitor. He joined the Territorial Army in 1963 and transferred into the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry Squadron of the Royal Yeomanry in 1969. He commanded the Squadron from 1975 1978, the Royal Yeomanry from 1979 to 1982 for which he was appointed an OBE and retired in 1995 as a full Colonel. He was the Honorary Colonel of the Sherwood Rangers from 1994 to 2004 and has been Chairman of the Old Comrades Association since 1993. He wrote the companion volume Unicorns - The History of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry 1794 1899. Married with two sons, he lives near Worksop. 12 b/w illustrations