Supplying the British Army in the Second World War

by Janet MacDonald

The noted military historian reveals the fascinating history of British Army logistics during WWII in this scholarly study.Armies have always required large amounts of material, but by the Second World War the numbers of men involved had grown exponentially, their equipment had become mechanized, and their deployment was global. Elaborate planning and administration at every level had to ensure that items of all kinds were collected, transported and handed out in every theatre of the war. But how were these items selected, ordered, produced, and delivered? Following her previous volume, Supplying the British Army in the First World War, Janet MacDonald continues her study of how the British Army kept its soldiers fed, clothed, and ready to fight. The scale of the operation was enormous, and it had to be performed to critical timetables. Often threatened by enemy action, it was vital to the army’s success. MacDonald describes the necessity for central advanced planning for each expeditionary force as well as those engaged in home defense. She then elucidates the complex organization of personnel who performed these tasks, from the government and military command in London to those who distributed the equipment on the battlefield.

Genres: World War II, Military History

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2021

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is difficult to understand how this book was authored by someone with a PhD. It is simply awful from beginning to end - indeed I would struggle to list all the problems with it. I’ll try to mention the most egregious. First, it is so poorly researched as to render it useless as a source of valuable information for others. There are no footnotes and every chapter is replete with errors that anyone who knows even a little bit about WW2 can detect. The author doesn’t really seem to understand what the RASC or ROAC did, for example, and often confuses their roles. The flimsy bibliography and complete lack of footnotes should be a clue as to this book’s utility and accuracy. Second, the author writes in a simplistic manner that borders on juvenile. This isn’t terrible in itself but coupled with the constant errors of fact means this book reads like a grade school report. The author also has the troubling habit of writing in the passive voice and this makes the message even less clear. Finally, the book is a random collection of minutiae rather than a comprehensive narrative. This book does not tell the story of how the British Army was supplied in WW2, but rather offers fleeting glimpses of the story. It’s like watching a cartoon through a fence on a moving train: you’re not going to have a better understanding of what happened. I strongly urge you to spend you money on a book where the author at least made an effort to be academic.