Renowned author and former RAF flight lieutenant John Nichol is our latest intrepid Time Traveller. A respected military commentator, his newest release – Arnhem: The Battle for Survival - focuses on the true story of this fateful WW2 clash. We caught up with him to chat about the most interesting historic destinations he’s visited and his mercy towards even the most infamous English Queen…
Q: What’s your favourite historic site in the world and why?
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A: I think I’d choose any number of military cemeteries. Perhaps one of the less well known like Etaples south of Boulogne? It’s a truly beautiful and moving location with around 11,000 graves. During the First World War, the area was the site of huge concentrations of camps and hospitals.
The scale of what was needed to support the war is staggering and the row upon row of stone headstones tells its own story. In 1917, 100,000 troops were based in the area which had fifteen hospitals and a convalescent depot which could deal with 22,000 wounded or sick.
A more well known memorial is at The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France - the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II. It covers a staggering 172 acres and contains the graves of nearly 10,000 military dead, most of whom lost their lives on the D-Day landings and subsequent operation to liberate Europe . There is a semicircular garden on the east side of the memorial where the 1557 names of those who were never found are inscribed. Rosettes mark the names of those remains since recovered and identified.
The losses in the recent military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan are appalling, but cemeteries like these show the truly staggering sacrifice of the two world wars.
Q: If you could go anywhere on the planet tomorrow where would it be?
A: What fun! Probably somewhere simple and sunny with no historic links or cultural sites requiring exploration so I could just enjoy a break away from it all. I love reading and am quite happy to lie on a beach or sun-lounger and read books for 12 hours a day! I’ll ready anything from trashy novels to military history. I’d try to find an uninhabited island in the Caribbean somewhere – give me some cold beer, a dozen books, and a packed lunch and I’m in my element.
Q: What’s the most interesting city break you’ve been on?
A: I know it’s old hat, but I really love London. It’s on my doorstep and there are just so many historical sites in London to visit. You can do posh by going to the plethora of Royal palaces, cultural at places like the RAF Museum at Hendon or the Imperial War Museum. Or one of my personal favourites is to visit the tourist traps like the London Dungeons. Whilst it’s not exactly high-brow, it’s great fun and slightly educational – the terror we humans have managed to inflict on each other over the last millennium is somewhat gory!
Q: What’s the most eye-opening ‘hidden historic site’ you’ve visited?
A: I was lucky enough to have a friend who served as a ’Beefeater’ in The Tower Of London. The places the public can tour and visit are really interesting, but it was the private nooks and crannies that interested me. It was a real privilege to take a private tour then witness the ceremony of the keys at close quarters and then retire to the Yeoman Warders’ bar for a beer or four!
Q: If you could meet one person from history who would it be?
A: I think I’d quite like to meet Adolf Hitler. I’ve read so much about him and seen so many documentaries, but I’d still like to ask him ‘why?’ To try to understand his mindset and perhaps in some way explain the ramifications of his actions and beliefs. I wonder if confronted by the reality of his legacy, he could be reasoned with and dissuaded.
Q: What tips would you give for someone seeking sites on a budget?
A: Simple – the internet. If you are going to visit somewhere, and perhaps stay in the area, you can be assured that someone has done it all before and most people are happy to pass on their experience. Whether that’s the best places to visit, the best times to go, or the cheapest way of doing it – someone’s been there before!
Q: Beachside reading: historical fiction or historic fact?
A: Historical fact. I do love fiction but have never really got on with historical fiction. I love reading about the ‘way we were’ and why we have ‘arrived at where we are at now’!
Q: What’s your favourite period of history?
A: I’m going to have to say World War 2 – because it’s living history. Many of the men and women who shaped our world, who sacrificed so much for us, are still alive and can relate ‘history’ in their own words. I think it’s incredibly important to utilise this fantastic ‘resource’ whilst we still have the chance.
Q: Have you ever dressed up as a Roman?
A: Er…..no. Why would I? Come to think of it, of course I have! I’ve been to quite a few toga parties!
Q: And finally…Florence Nightingale / Anne Boleyn / Jane Austen: Kiss, Marry, Kill?
A: Despite 16 years in the military, at heart I’m a peaceful kind of chap. So I’ll duck the question and say “Kiss em all!”
John Nichol is a former RAF flight lieutenant whose Tornado bomber was shot down on a mission over Iraq during the first Gulf War in 1991. He was captured and became a prisoner of war. He is the bestselling co-author of Tornado Down and, with Tony Rennell, The Last Escape, Tail-End Charlies, Home Run and Medic, and author of five novels. He is also a journalist and widely quoted military commentator.
Arnhem: The Battle for Survival
By John Nichol and Tony Rennell
Published in hardback by Viking at £20.00 on 29th September 2011
This book is an account of what really took place at Arnhem, and tells the story of what didn’t happen at the bridge…
In September 1944, a mighty shock force of battle-hardened Allied troops dropped from the skies into enemy-occupied Holland in what was hoped would be the decisive final battle of World War II. Landing miles behind the German lines, their daring mission was to secure bridges across the Rhine so that ground forces could make a rapid dash into Nazi Germany. If all went well, the war could be over by Christmas.
But what many trusted would be a simple operation turned into a brutal losing battle. Of 12,000 British airborne soldiers, 1,500 died and 6,000 were taken prisoner. The vital bridge at Arnhem they had come to capture stayed resolutely in German hands.
But though this was a bitter military defeat for the Allies, beneath the humiliation was another story - of heroism and self-sacrifice, gallantry and survival, guts and determination unbroken in the face of impossible odds.
In the two-thirds of a century that have passed since then, historians have endlessly analysed what went wrong and squabbled over who was to blame. Lost in the process was that other Arnhem story - the triumph of the human spirit, as seen through the dramatic first-hand accounts of those who were there, in the cauldron, fighting for their lives, fighting for their comrades, fighting for their honour, a battle they won hands down. Here, in this new book, John Nichol and Tony Rennell tell the story of what really happened at Arnhem, as told by those who took part in the battle on the ground. Based on freshly discovered new material, these are the unknown stories of heroism and courage, from where the real action was taking place.
The views and opinions expressed in Time Travellers are those of the interviewee concerned and do not necessarily reflect those held by Historvius.
