A story of love and danger, courage, high drama and survival against the odds. Set in wartime England, the western desert, Italy and France, it seeks to capture the spirit of the young soldiers at war in the newly emerging SAS. "Gentleman Jim" Almonds, a sergeant in the Guards Commandos, sailed for the Middle East as part of "Layforce" in January 1941 with David Stirling and others destined to become SAS originals. After intense training in the desert and action at Tobruk, Jolo Oasis, Nofelia and Benghazi, Almonds was captured and shipped to a PoW camp in Italy, from which he managed to escape. After 32 days on the run, he managed to reach US forces at the Benevento front line. Later, in 1944, he parachuted into France to disrupt road and rail links. He spent two months living in the Forest of Orleans - despite Hitler's edict that all SAS were to be shot rather than taken prisoner. This work is based on "Gentleman Jim's" diaries, which he kept to be sent to his wife should he fail to return.
Author Biography
Lorna Almonds Windmill is the daughter of 'Gentleman Jim' and is herself a former Regular Army Captain. She is now an official at the Department of Trade and Industry and is the 1999 winner of the IBM/EUW Award for European Woman of Achievement in the Professions.
