Gentleman Jim: The Wartime Story of a Founder of the SAS & Special Forces

by Lorna Almonds-Windmill

This remarkable story of Jim Almonds (Gentleman Jim) is set in wartime England, the western desert, Italy and France, and recounts his formative role in the birth of the SAS. Against a dramatic background of love, courage and high-risk adventure, it captures for the first time the real spirit of the young soldiers in the newly emerging Special Air Service.Jim Almonds, a sergeant in the Guards Commandos, sailed for the Middle East as part of OCyLayforceOCO in January 1941 with David Stirling and others destined to become SAS OCyLOCO Detachment OCyoriginalsOCO. Following intensive training in the desert and action at Tobruk, Sidi Haneish, Nofelia and Benghazi, Almonds was captured and shipped to a POW camp in Italy, where he staged two escapes. After thirty-two days on the run in enemy territory, he reached US forces at the Benevento front line. Later, he parachuted into occupied France where he harried the Germans so effectively that he was awarded the Croix de Guerre.Written by Gentleman JimOCOs daughter and based on AlmondOCOs own diaries, various primary sources and interviews with other OCyoriginalsOCO, the action throughout is vivid and immediate."

Genres: Biography, History

472 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 26, 2001

Reviews

[JD · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is more than just the story of Jim Almonds, but of the how the SAS came into being and the wonderful assortment of men that made it happen. The start and finish of the book focuses on the life of Jim Almonds, which is very interesting on its own. And the middle, and biggest part of the book is focused on the creation of the SAS by David Stirling and the first members of the unit. It looks at the resistance it got from higher HQ to the creation of this raiding force, and of the teething problems and losses experienced by the unit in its early days trying to find a place in the battle line up of the Allies in the North African campaign. When it got its tactics sorted out, they were a real thorn in the side of the Axis, and it is a unit still operating today. Jim Almonds gets lost in these pages, as he did not take part in the early raids and was left on base.

The most interesting part of the book for me was his time as a POW in Italy and his escape back to Allied lines after the Armistice in 1943. After rejoining the SAS in Britain he was dropped into France to assist the Resistance movements in the build up to D-Day and beyond. Scattered in between all these stories is also diary entries he made throughout the war and letters written to his wife and child which ads a nice personal touch. Good read and recommendable.

[simon payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written tale of a true hero and gentleman. Filled in gaps left by other books on the same subject. A pre war police officer, a great credit to the service holding true to the values and standards expected of the profession.

[IAN D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravest of the brave

True events that did happen thank God we had men like gentleman Jim we owe our freedom my father also escaped from pow in Italy and reached allied lines in January 1944 after been helped by Italian families

[Simon Alphonso · Rating 3 out of 5]

a family tale

A good book offering insights into the SAS’s contribution in the Second World War. Unfortunately several kid-spellings and errors marred my enjoyment of the book, but these did not detract from the story. A very abrupt ending though

[Richard West · Rating 5 out of 5]

educational

Just awesome what these brave men did for our freedom have never read anything like this book not a great reader but could not put this down honour to read it

[Lynne M Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brave man Jim Almonds was

This is not the first book I have read about the S.A.S, but this was one of the best I have read.