Featured battle : The seige of York

Part of The Civil Wars of the Three Kingdoms

Date : 21 April 1644 - 15 July 1644

Following the serious defeat at Selby, the Marquis of Newcastle was able to re-garrison York but was immediately besieged by Lord Fairfax's Parliamentarians and Lord Leven's Scots. When the Earl of Manchester arrived with his forces to complete the encirclement, King Charles sent Prince Rupert to attempt to lift the seige. 2 attempts to storm the city's defences were made but both were drive off, and Rupert, by approaching from an unexpected direction (from Boroughbridge, rather than from Tadcaster as expected) bypassed the Parliamentarian forces sent to meet him and relieved the city. All would have been well but that Rupert then decided, against Newcastle's wishes, to then leave the city and meet Fairfax, Leven and Manchester in battle on Marston Moor (see entry). The completeness of the defeat of the Royalist army that day persuaded the garrison that no further help could be expected and they sued for terms.

British Naval Trawlers and Drifters in Two World Wars

Steve R Dunn
The work of Trawlers and Drifters has had a mention in many books but non conveyed the quite incredible amount of service given by these ships and their crews. The narrative contains many stories of particular actions which illustrate the enormous range of tough tasks these small ships were given. The range runs from the almost static boom defence drifters to trawlers acting as rescue ships for the arctic convoys, from the insertion of clandestine agents to the evacuation at Dunkirk. Losses were high from mines, torpedoes and bombs with, in most cases, no survivors. Some reference to the internal politics of the Admiralty is made in the context of explaining why so many of our fishing fleet were required to support the navy. Passing reference is also made to that support still being needed for the Falklands war.
Anyone familiar with John Lambert’s drawings will not be disappointed by those assembled here; quality and quantity almost sufficient to build a boat and certainly great for any ship modeller.
The quality of the publication is such that if the content had been limited to the many photographs and drawings with simple annotations it would have been a very interesting book but with Steve Dunn’s supporting narrative it is raised to a higher level.
We highly recommend it.

Seaforth Publishing, 2021