Norway 1940: The Forgotten Fiasco

by Joseph Kynoch

Almost two-thousand British soldiers landed in Norway during the evening of April 18th, 1940. On May 2nd, one hundred and sixty three men were rescued by the Royal Navy from one of the most ill-planned operations of World War II. Joseph Kynoch is one of the few soldiers who can still remember the campaign that first brought British troops into battle with Hitler's new army - an army blooded on the battlefields of Poland and well equipped with the most modern weaponry and supported by highly effective air cover. The North-west Expeditionary Force (Codename Sickleforce) was 1,000 men short when it set sail in two coasters for the 500 mile crossing of the North Sea. Two battalions set forth, Leicesters and Sherwood Foresters, and on landing they found much of their equipment had been misdirected or lost. The German Army Group 'Pellengahr' was already established in Southern Norway, the western coastal towns and Trondheim in the North. When the British landed the Germans were already marching north to meet them, pushing the Norwegian Army backwards. These were the first British troops to understand the word Blitzkrieg, but the British Expeditionary Force in France would suffer the same fate, albeit on a larger scale - and the town of Dunkirk would take on a new significance.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2002

Reviews

[Phillip Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, it didn't take long and whilst the stories and accounts do jump around at times, its a good description of what happened in Norway in 1940 to the British Forces.
As the author writes at the time there is very little information/sources available.
Whilst its not always that well written, there is humour and the real emotion of fear being so far away from home, poorly equipped for the job and outnumbered by a superior enemy.
Essential reading for those who are interested in WW2 history of the area.
I would like to retrace some of the marches/retreats one day.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Would have benefited with editing