Once a Hussar: A Memoir of Battle, Capture and Escape in the Second World War

This book arrived very quickly and in excellent condition. There is no doubt about Ray Ellis's ability to captivate a reader. You are taken on his long journey with him through fighting in Tobruk, site seeing in Egypt and the long horrendous journey to Italy. I have seen on TV programmes the fighting that took place in Torbruk, but in this book Ellis describes, (without all the gore) how fierce and brutal the fighting was and what horrific injuries some of the men received. Not only does he manage to survive all this but he also manages to survive the despicable treatment he received from the Italians when he was captured. I enjoyed this book so much I have put Ray Ellis's next book on my Christmas list.

A real well written book which captures life in the build up to the war. It captures the values of a generation who put duty and love of country before personal gratification. The book captures the spirit of pre war territorials as well as the relationship between Ray and his brother. The book captures the change in these young soldiers as they moved from peace time soldiering to active service. As they fight their way to Knightsbridge the pre war territorials are gradually reduced in number and joined by younger soldiers. This was a generation that gave their today for our tomorrow and this book shows them at their finest. The South Notts Hussars could stand up to the German Army but Brown and Blair have reduced their numbers and replaced their unique cap badge. The contrast between Ray Ellis 's generation and today's gutless politicans is so great it is difficult to believe that we are the same people .

This is a superb book. Ray Ellis has provided us with an account of his life when, as a young lad in Nottingham in 1938 he joined the local TA Regiment - the South Notts Hussars - through to 1944 when he was repatriated to the UK from Italy where he had been first a POW and then an escapee living among friendly Italian peasants in the mountains. It is a wonderfully heart warming story, told with frankness and honesty. His account of the terrible Knightsbridge battle outside Tobruk in June 1942 is one of the most dramatic accounts of battle I have ever read, and his escapades (literally) after escaping from an Italian POW camp in 1943 are the stuff of fiction. The book bursts with the humanity, intelligence and compassion of the author, as well as his good sense. I could not put the book down, and eagerly await the next promised installment.

Whilst I haven't finished reading the book, Ray Ellis describes his experiences so well and almost takes you to the point of being with him.

Fantastic story, bought for my Dad, he loved it, prompt delivery, thank you

Very good read

A book first published in 2009 recounting the WW2 exploits of a British soldier might beg the question as to why he waited so long. Having studied his story - and frequently marvelled at the events which befell him, I came to understand how that passage of time had allowed former soldier and author Ray Ellis to place a fair and reasonable appreciation on the events in question. In short, this memoir is written with a fuller understanding of what actually happened at the time than ‘might’ have otherwise been the case. Had the work been written immediately after the war, we may have had a work tainted by the sadness and bitterness of such recent tragic events. Instead, we have a balanced and carefully thought-out account of one man’s truly remarkable adventure thnrough that war.Like so many of the youth of the day, Ray Ellis longed for the excitement of uniform and war. Fired with national pride he joined the South Notts Hussars. Transferred to the Royal Horse Artillery, he became a gunner and was soon in Palestine. From there it was a relatively short hop to the rigours of North Africa where his first taste of battle came at Mersa Matruh. Following his deployments to Sidi Barani, Gennia and Suez he became part of the famous defence of Tobruk - where he describes life during the siege with a simple honesty which allows the reader to understand the the very real hardships. This is followed by the break-out from Tobruk, the Nile Delta and the Battle of Knightsbridge - so far removed from the London Borough from which it took its name, and where his was the last gun still firing as they were overwhelmed with very few surviving to be taken prisoner.In many ways, however, this man’s remarkable tale could have started right here as wee learn of his days as a POW, his escape, life ‘on the run’ and his eventual joining the partisans in the Apennine mountains. Eventually, of course, we learn of his repatriation.I shall not spoil the enjoyment of the read (and it is a most satisfying read!), by revealing all - except to say that Ray Ellis has that rare ability to provide the most authentic and graphic accounts of the many different elements to this story - his being a civilian, a soldier, a fighter, under siege, a POW, an escapee, a fellow partisan and a homer-comer. It is a gripping tale, well told without any hint of bitterness towards that former enemy.Somehow he is able to summarise all his own feelings in the book’s Dedication which simply reads; “To those of my Comrades who grow not old.”God bless them all!NMBritish army major (retired)

I concur with all the positive reviews of this superb book. My only regret is that it ends rather suddenly. Repatriated by sea to Liverpool. Train to Nottingham. Sees his mother. The end. What about Binkie? Did he marry her or even see her again? What happened to Elena, the girl in Italy? Who did he marry? What of his children? Some words on returning to Italy after the war to meet the Minicucci and Lattanzi families again would have been a fitting conclusion.Don't let my small criticisms put you off. This book is well-worth reading.