Author Description

Please note that Tom's memoirs have now been released into one book to make it easier for those wishing to read his entire story, and also save on delivery costs - the book is called Bayonets and Blue Flames. Tom Barker enlisted in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1938 seeing action in Palestine, the Western Desert and as a sniper on Crete. In later life Tom became an electrician, an artist, musician, interpreter (when a prisoner of war), engineer, carpenter and most importantly of all, a prolific writer, documenting his life in this series of three books. Commencing with this book, Tom takes the reader on a real life journey mixed with humour, action, turmoil and lots of sand. It begins when he was a small boy growing up in countryside England in the 1920's. He describes his school days and the start of his working life when he turned fourteen. Joining a road crew he travelled to Scotland where, in an effort to better his living conditions, he decided to join the Navy. Tom headed to the nearest government recruiting building and ended up enlisting in the 1st Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Tom then describes his basic training through to his service in Palestine from 1939 to 1940. Tom's memoirs provide an insight into the life of a young British soldier during the Arab revolt and the Jewish unrest in Palestine, at a time when nearly 20,000 British troops had been sent to aid the civilian authorities. It also provides a detailed history of the 1st Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders just before they were committed to the Western Desert to fight the Italians, and then on to Crete, to fight the Germans - which is covered in Book 2: Sand Storms and Sniping.