At first glance, this appears to be the story of a typical Bofors regiment and its commanding officer across the campaigns of the Second World War: the Battle of Britain, Operation TORCH, Tunisia, Sicily and Italy. In reality, it is something far more compelling. Drawn from the vivid and meticulously kept daily account of Lieutenant Colonel G Vivian Hunt OBE TD, it offers a rare ringside perspective on war at every level, from hurried improvisation to high command.
In 1938, Hunt was a 33-year-old Sheffield solicitor and Territorial Army captain with experience limited to a horsed artillery regiment. Tasked with raising and training a Bofors battery from nothing, without guns or instructors, he began a remarkable ascent. Within five years he was commanding the largest concentration of British anti-aircraft forces ever assembled in battle, directing twelve regiments as Commander Corps Anti-Aircraft during the final assault on Tunis.
Along the way, he became a leading authority on engaging fast, low-flying aircraft, raised the 49th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment in record time and led it into action with the elite 78th (Battleaxe) Division. Positioned at the heart of divisional command, his account offers unique insight into the conduct of the North African and Italian campaigns.
From the destruction of over fifty enemy aircraft in the weeks after TORCH to a first-hand account of the devastating air raid on Bari, this is an extraordinary chronicle of leadership, innovation and war as seen from the inside.
