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By Michael E. Wills
Publisher: Bygone Ages Press
Page Length: 177 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
“I am ordered to commandeer this vessel, immediately, for use by the navy and to take command of it!”
The words were spoken by a naval sub-lieutenant to Ben Bainbridge, captain of the motor vessel Bee. The crew of the small ship were unloading a consignment of steel plates on to the quay in Portsmouth dockyard. They were looking forward to sailing back to their home harbour, Newport, Isle of Wight, in time for supper. But that was not to be.
Within thirty-six hours, the Bee was in a sea littered with wreckage, oil spills and floating corpses, dodging lethal bullets and bombs as wave after wave of German aircraft flew overhead.
This is the story of a “Little Ship”, inspired by the diary of the ship’s engineer.
Praise
“May 1940: Destination Dunkirk - The Mission of a ‘Little Ship’ by Michael E. Wills may be brief enough to be consumed in a single sitting, yet its emotional resonance and profound impact will linger with readers long after they have turned the last page. This novel comes highly recommended.
Yarde Book Promotions
Michael E. Wills
Michael Wills was born in Newport on the Isle of Wight and attended the Priory Boys’ School and later Carisbrooke Grammar. He trained as a teacher at St Peter’s College, Birmingham, before teaching mathematics and physical education for two years at a secondary school in Kent.
After re-training to become a teacher of English as a Foreign Language he worked in Sweden for thirteen years. In 1979 he returned to UK with his wife and young family to start a language school, the Salisbury School of English.
From small beginnings the school developed into substantial business enterprise. Michael retired in 2008 after over forty years in the field of education. Along the way, he was President of Salisbury Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Co-Chair of English UK, the national association of English language training providers.
Currently, Michael is employed part-time as Ombudsman for English UK. He divides his spare time between indulging his life-long interest in medieval history and enjoying his grandchildren, writing, carpentry, amateur radio and sailing.
Michael also has an interest in modern history and has a website relating to the evacuation of Dunkirk in World War II: https://www.iowtodunkirk.com
Dunkirk is such a pivotal moment in the history of WWII — how what began as failure came to be seen as success. I’m really looking forward to reading your book.
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