Whilst recently researching the WW1 diary of the 6th Dorsetshire Regiment I was amazed to find a document mentioning my Grandfather, 20652 Private Herman Alfred Pike. He had been responsible for delivering two prisoners to the Brigade Prisoners Cage as the attached Prisoner Receipt shows. His Battalion captured the stronghold of Quentin Redoubt near Gouzeaucourt, taking many prisoners. This the only document pertaining to my Grandfather's war that I've found. Sergeant J.G. Andrews who signed for them was part of the Mounted Military Police, responsible for prisoner interrogation.

My Grandfather fought with 'A' Company of the 6th Dorsetshire Regiment from April to November 1918. I have been researching the battles his Regiment, and consequently he, were involved in and there are several bloody encounters. Imagine a hot summer night on the Somme in 1918. You put on your primitive and restrictive gas mask, and wade across a river, sweating and unable to see clearly, whilst being shelled by high explosives and poisonous gas and targeted by machine guns from the hill above. Sounds like a movie score doesn't it?  But this actually occurred on the night of 21/22 August 1918, crossing the River Ancre and attacking the German strong hold of Thiepval Ridge. And my Grandfather, aged 18 was in the lead Platoon when they crossed. This is but one of several such bloody battles.

​The picture shows British Troops along the devastated River Ancre.

If you have read a copy of my WW2 spy thriller, Break in Communication, thank you, I hope you enjoyed it. Please do add a review on Amazon if you'd like to. Just click on ​http://amzn.to/2hECA58

​Happy new year to you all.
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If you'd like a great autumn / winter night read, you could try WW2 spy thriller Break in Communication. If you're not sure, please click on   http://amzn.to/2g6luYT   to  'Look inside' on Amazon Kindle.

The Bottom Line: A globetrotting World War II historical thriller that will have you up way past your bedtime.
Jon Gliddon’s A Break in Communication takes us back to December 1941, focusing on a two-week period leading up to the Nazi attempt to destroy a crucial communication center at Porthcurno Telegraph Station in Cornwall.
Simultaneously, the Allied forces have a naval threat to worry about. Tirpitz is the new Nazi Battleship, sister ship to the Bismarck. Will President Roosevelt lend them the support that they need to destroy the Tirpitz before it controls the seas?
Gliddon masterfully recreates the era of World War II-era intelligence and counter-espionage. He leverages decoding and misinformation tactics to great effect, bringing alive the very real stakes for the outcome of the war. Colonel Julian Bonham-Johns from the Special Operations Executive is a focal point among a huge cast of characters located throughout Europe. Gliddon’s characters are well-drawn overall, and he juggles them with a deft hand, ranging from the cold and calculating Stranger to the multi-generational Chenoweth family. Camaraderie amongst the Allied community feels believable and genuine, as does the sense of genuine terror.
Overall, Gliddon’s use of real-life characters and historical events deliver the goods, providing a fascinating and captivating backdrop to unfolding developments. The result is a satisfying and enjoyable read for any thriller fan, and one that fans of Word War II-era fiction will particularly love.

It's been a busy time since my WW2 spy thriller Break in Communication was published a year ago. ​I've been writing my next novel 'The Forbidden Zone' which is about diamond smuggling in Africa at the start of WW2. It's another action spy thriller and I plan to have that published next year. Another book has come to the fore in the last few months. I have been researching the WW1 exploits of my maternal Grandfather Private Herman Alfred Pike 20652 of "A" Company, 6th Battalion The Dorsetshire Regiment. I have his Service Record and cross referencing this with  the Regimental Diary I have created a factual story of his exploits. It's so detailed and so hair-raising that I plan to publish it next year with the title of 'Mud, Blood and Bayonet'. His war ended when he was shot in the head, but happily he survived. If he hadn't I wouldn't be writing this!

In my WW2 spy thriller, Break in Communication, the first chapter introduces the Nazi Agent at Bristol Temple Meads Station. This iconic station designed by British engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel opened on 31 August 1840 as the western terminus of the Great Western Railway from London Paddington. Being strategically located it soon became a hub for railway lines to the Midlands, South Wales and Southwest England.
Today Temple Meads Station is among the busiest and fastest g...rowing rail interchanges in the country. The line from Paddington is being electrified and by 2020 it is projected to handle some 15 million passengers a year.
The remodelled Temple Meads Station will be the at the centre of a new £800 million Bristol Enterprise Zone, which will include a 12,000 seat arena, retail outlets, hotels and housing. What a difference to when the Nazi Agent caught the 4.15 pm to Penzance on a bitterly cold Monday 15th December 1941!
If you want to read the first chapter on line go to:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Break-Communication-…/…/1910864064…
and double click the book cover. Enjoy.

For me one of the most enjoyable aspects of writing is the back ground research. With my next novel focussing on diamond smuggling I am learning about all things diamonds and came across a photo of this ultra rare violet diamond. 

More than 90 per cent of the world’s rare pink diamonds come from the Argyle Mine in Western Australia and it is the only source of hydrogen-rich violet diamonds. Violet diamonds are seldom seen and in 32 years Argyle has produced only 12 carats of polished violet diamonds.

In 2015 they discovered a 9.17 carat rough diamond that has been cut to produce the 2.83 carat polished oval shaped gem, known as The Argyle Violet. It will be the centrepiece of the 2016 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender.

If you want it you'll need to break out the piggy bank!!! The value per carat will likely be close to a world record.

Thank you to 'My Cornwall Magazine' for their review of my spy thriller Break in Communication. It's in the February / March 2016 edition.

I'm delighted to say that my spy thriller Break in Communication is now on sale at the Porthcurno Telegraph Museum book shop. Thanks to Sue Chappell for her help and support in making this happen.
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The main plot is set around a Nazi raid on the Telegraph Station so hopefully visitors will get inspired by their visit to the underground museum (I certainly did) and then see the book on sale!