Deserter: The Last Untold Story of the Second World War

Deserter: The Last Untold Story of the Second World War
Charles Glass

The extraordinary story of the deserters of the Second World War. Who were they? What made them run? And what happened once they made the decision to flee?During the Second World War, the British lost 100,000 troops to desertion, and the Americans 40,000. Commonwealth forces from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Britain's colonial empire also left the ranks in their thousands. The overwhelming majority of deserters from all armies were front-line infantry troops; without them, the war was harder to win. Many of these men were captured and court martialled, while others were never apprehended. Some remain wanted to this day. Why did these men decide to flee their ranks?In ‘Deserter’, veteran reporter and historian Charles Glass follows a group of British and American deserters into the heat of battle and explores what motivated them to take their fateful decision to run away. The result is a highly emotional and engaging study of an under-explored area of World War II history.

(#u37e40da0-1303-54c8-9430-5cf02a79a713)

Dedication (#ulink_465c0c75-8f86-5400-8b01-b32edd10f7f0)

To two friends, brave American soldiers,

Private First Class Stephen J. Weiss

and the late Colonel Alfred E. Baker

During the Second World War, the United States awarded Private Weiss the Bronze Star, three US battle stars, the Second World War Victory Medal, Southern France D-Day Landing Citation, Combat Infantry Badge and Good Conduct Medal. France named him Officier of the Légion d’honneur and gave him two Croix de Guerre, the Médaille de la Résistance, the Croix du Combatant, the Vosges Department Citizen of Honour Diploma and French citizenship.

During the Vietnam War, the United States awarded Colonel Baker, as the Pennsylvania House of Representatives noted in his honour, ‘the Silver Star for gallantry in action, multiple awards of the Defense Superior Service Medal, multiple awards of the Legion of Merit, three awards of the Bronze Star, three awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, four awards of the Purple Heart medal (for wounds received in battle) and many other service and achievement medals’. At one time, he was the most highly decorated veteran of the Vietnam War era.

(#u37e40da0-1303-54c8-9430-5cf02a79a713)

Epigraph (#ulink_eecd6aea-a65c-54e2-81ad-25d6c454a91c)

I lack the guts to take being thought a coward.

Audie Murphy, To Hell and Back (Henry Holt, 1949)

CONTENTS

Cover (#uacc9a8a6-cbb9-556f-9874-faaa6a3791c2)

Title Page (#u538197bd-151d-572d-87a0-0fc203c8d144)

Dedication (#ulink_1b690789-9e8b-5035-8068-d87e1ac96f40)

Epigraph (#ulink_e4eccddb-0e7b-553c-904b-cb5b79785bf5)

Introduction (#ulink_9949e1c7-36fe-5006-b7b7-f013f80f8e60)

BOOK I: Boys to Soldiers

ONE (#ulink_a29f3c82-4788-5dec-9e08-3ed320114883)

TWO (#ulink_5adceecd-51ab-5abc-b2f1-1a6ab3e88a9d)

THREE (#ulink_eff0d8f7-d333-522c-ae07-3c72f52a844d)

FOUR (#ulink_6f7c8d36-fdae-5813-abbd-8a52f71a6f54)

FIVE (#ulink_5d72c90d-58e7-54be-a09a-056c060eb3ec)

SIX (#ulink_e6af8061-aa5f-5c18-92e7-aa8db95fc140)

SEVEN (#ulink_9570496b-4533-5489-91c4-5a73cdadb445)

EIGHT (#ulink_d9c3553f-327f-57ff-8913-71e5c0f466a5)

NINE (#litres_trial_promo)

TEN (#litres_trial_promo)

ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)

THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

BOOK II: Soldiers to Deserters

SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

EIGHTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

NINETEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

TWENTY (#litres_trial_promo)

TWENTY-ONE (#litres_trial_promo)

TWENTY-TWO (#litres_trial_promo)

TWENTY-THREE (#litres_trial_promo)

TWENTY-FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)

BOOK III: Military Justice

TWENTY-FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)

TWENTY-SIX (#litres_trial_promo)

TWENTY-SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

TWENTY-EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)