Another tidbit arrives

I was reminded today about the utility of maintaining this blog, as a European visitor and collector of LRDG/SAS insignia and other memorabilia wrote to me via email.

We exchanged several emails across the day, and he shared some interesting facts with me regarding Sadler. It seems that this visitor has corresponded closely with Jonathan Pittaway, co-author of "LRDG Rhodesia". I've corresponded with Pittaway as well, and gained some resources in the process.

With luck, this contact will put me closer to finding closure to a number of questions.

I also ran across an Ebay auction for a Howard Sun Compass that offered a copy of azimuth tables that I have been looking for a long time now. Hopefully, I will be able to score a copy of that, even though it only covers 30 deg N to 30 deg S in latitude.

Today's research drifting also came across a posting on Military Photos.net from Kuno Gross. he seems to have come across a working replica of a Bagnold Sun Compass, so now I am on the hunt to see if he has information regarding his source. Hmmm, an interesting day indeed.

Additional photo

This picture seems to have been taken in a sequence that included the title page photo of Sadler. An acquaintance recently commented that he was a handsome fellow, and I suppose that yes, he is in indeed. Herehe wears the rank insignia of a captain, denoted by the three pips found on his epaulets.

I am currently doing a bit of pleasure reading, and Steven Pressfield's novel Killing Rommel: A Novel is on my nightstand for the time being. It is a good portrayal of both the Long Range Desert Group and the Special Air Service during the N. African Campaign, albeit in the midst of a fictionalized mission to kill one Field Marshal Erwin Rommel as he and the Afrika Korps threatened to sweep into Alexandria Cairo unless his successes were curtailed.

My background knowlwedge of both of these formations makes for a very enjoyable read of this mission, and Pressfield brings the characters to life in a manner I could only hope to do with the book.

And on that practical note, I am beginning to think that the final product is going to have to remain devoid of attempts to highlight te mystique of those early members of the SAS, and simply focus on the hard facts and accomplishments. A tall order indeed!

In any event, the book gets a thumbs-up for folks with a interest in WW II history, because it is indeed very historically accurate.

Re-booting this project

Well, I just returned from a deployment to Iraq, and look forward to getting this project back on track.

Not much was done while I was gone. I dabbled with a few readings and thought at length about the flow of what I want to write, but right now I have to start the business of organizing the tons of research notes I have compiled.

I intend to weave that effort in with my professional military education coursework I also have opened right now.