Review by Colonel Bob Stewart
Robert Hann's book on the SAS war service of his father, Stanley Hann, behind enemy lines in the mountains North of La Spezia in Italy is a fascinating account. Using Hann's father's own memoires and memories, other survivor's accounts and a few post-operational reports, the book is an intensely interesting read. If anything it understates what the SAS went through and achieved. It makes light of the intense hardships of soldiering in winter conditions in very hostile terrain. I was intrigued too by the way Stanley Hann and his comrades linked up with Italian partisans and even a British officer, Major Gordon Lett, who had escaped after being captured but had chosen to remain fighting with partisans in Italy.
The book centres on Operation Galia, the attempt by only thirty-three SAS soldiers to convince the Germans and Italian fascists that a whole parachute brigade had dropped to their rear. In that aim it succeeded as large numbers of the enemy were diverted from front-line duties to hunt down this very small number of gallant men.
What partcularly attracted me was the way Rob Hann wrote using what he thought to be his father's own voice. This device gave real authenticity to the account and also gave it tremendous atmosphere. Hann was carteful to use the language and words of the 1940's which added to this feeling.
I have always felt that Italians too often get a bad press when it comes to martial exploits but the courage and endurance of the Italian partisans and their families as well shows clearly that this generalisation is totally unfair. The SAS soldiers themselves were clearly deeply impressed by Italian valour too.
As the war stared Stanley Hann was a milkman. He joined up, did his duty and returned to civilian life at the end of the war. He became a milkman again and made scant reference to his wartime SAS service. I have met many SAS soldiers in my life and almost to a man they are just like that. They are self-effacing, very decent individuals who do not seek the limelight. Maybe such an attitude is a pre-requisite of SAS selection.
All round this book is first-class and contributes hugely to what happened behind enemy lines in Italy. I could not put it down until I had read it from cover to cover and there's not many books that make me do that these days.
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