THE JOCK MITCHELL ADVENTURES
Captured at Dunkirk, Richard ‘Jock’ Mitchell must endure the rest of the war imprisoned by the Nazis in a prisoner of war camp far from home. But his war is far from over!
Two thrilling adventures see Jock continue the fight against the odds.
Book One
TRIUMPHANT WHERE IT DARES DEFY
THEIR WAR IS OVER BUT NOT THE FIGHT
It’s 1941. Europe lies at the mercy of the victorious Nazi war machine. For some in the British army the war is already over. Or is it?
Jock Mitchell has paid the price for being a territorial soldier in the Royal West Kent Regiment. His battalion, ill-equipped and unprepared, has been sacrificed in France against the all-conquering Wehrmacht, holding the line while the bulk of the British army retreats to Dunkirk to fight another day.
A prisoner of war camp awaits Jock for the remainder of the conflict, far from home and his loved ones, under the watchful eye of a brutal regime. Food is scarce, the work hard, the news grim.
But what if the prisoners could still contribute to the war effort? What if they could land a blow against Hitler? When an opportunity arises, Jock reluctantly finds himself at the centre of the scheme. If they fail and get caught, it means death for Jock and many others. Thankfully, Jock has the perfect alibi: he’s locked in a prisoner of war camp!
“... a breath taking military story set in a World War II prison camp in Poland.”
“A Place More Dark is a work of literary brilliance.”
Book Two
A PLACE MORE DARK
FIVE YEARS OF HELL AND IT’S ABOUT TO GET WORSE!
It's 1945. Jock Mitchell has endured five long years of captivity a thousand kilometres from home in Stalag XXA, Poland. Fortunately, the war is going better for the Allies. The American, British and Commonwealth armies have landed in Normandy and the Russians are moving at speed westward. The day’s of the Third Reich appear numbered. Hope finally has a place in the POWs’ life as their nightmare looks to be nearing its end.
However, the Nazis haven’t done with them yet. Requiring a bargaining chip with the Americans and British and to keep them out of the hands of the Russians, the Nazis decide to march their POWs across Europe: one final ‘battle’ for the starved and disease-ridden prisoners through the depths of winter. Will Jock and his friends survive against the brutality of their captives and nature?
Hey, Wrey! What’s With The Pretentious Titles?
That’s a very good question and thank you for asking. ‘Triumphant where it dares defy’ is a line from Lord Byron’s poem, Prometheus. The mythical titan, of whom the poem is in honour, stole fire from the gods to give to humanity and was punished with an eternity of torment. Some believe the poem is about rising up against tyranny, making a sacrifice for the greater good. Here is the last part of the poem. I hope when you read the novella you’ll appreciate the connection.
Thou art a symbol and a sign
To Mortals of their fate and force;
Like thee, Man is in part divine,
A troubled stream from a pure source;
And Man in portions can foresee
His own funereal destiny;
His wretchedness, and his resistance,
And his sad unallied existence:
To which his Spirit may oppose
Itself—and equal to all woes,
And a firm will, and a deep sense,
Which even in torture can descry
Its own concenter’d recompense,
Triumphant where it dares defy,
And making Death a Victory.
‘A Place More Dark’ is a term borrowed from Dante’s poem, Inferno, the first part of his epic work, The Divine Comedy, and refers to the third circle of hell. While a medieval concept, the idea of hell having levels, where things gets progressively worse, perfectly captured the essence of my second novella. Though the third circle, as depicted by Dante, features icy hail and rain and muddy ground, it does not have any direct association with the suffering of Jock, being a place for the torment of gluttons. But that one line was too good to let go!
We are in the third circle, a place more dark.
What’s Next?
I hope to wrap up the tales of Jock Mitchell with one final novella, set in the post-war years. Once complete, I plan to release all of them in one paperback edition. Stay tuned!