Recollections of Rifleman Bowlby

by Alex Bowlby

In 1944, having distinguished itself in the North Africa campaign, Rifleman Bowlby's battalion of Greenjackets was sent to Italy. But instead of being used in the specialised role for which it had been trained, most of the battalion's vehicles were taken away on arrival, and the riflemen were told that they were to be used as ordinary infantry. Stripped of its hard core of regulars, the battalion suffered one disastrous defeat after another until its hard-won reputation fell in tatters. 'Quite extraordinary realism in this worm's eye view ... The sweating, slogging, frightened infantryman in conditions of extreme stress and horror. It is a book to bring a shiver to the most grizzled veteran.' Sunday Times

Genres: Nonfiction, Military History, World War II, Military Fiction, History, Italy, Memoir

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Joel Borden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written narrative that put me into the boots of a common soldier serving the King of England in WW2. Bowlby is neither hero nor coward. He is a man who puts his head down and does what must be done. At points the author issues corrections to his text. These are blunt reminders the work is nonfiction and the casualties and deaths he tells us about are real people. And these are actual events. I find this a work of great significance that relates a fuller more human story than the movies of WW2.

[Clarke Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the memoir of a rifleman in a green jackets unit that had distinguished itself in Africa and really struggled in Italy. The author was educated enough to be considered an officer, but avoided even becoming a lance corporal. He provides a view of the war at the infantry section level. Most of the combat he experienced seemed to involve creeping around, getting shelled or machine-gunned and then leaving. I honestly do not know if he ever fired his weapon in anger. He definitely did his job and came out it with PTSD, but he was not involved in a lot of firefights.

A couple of things really stuck out in his memoir. First, this unit was rather hit or miss. His battalion was nearly annihilated in a battle at the end of the war, which the author missed out on due to being off the line sick, but before then its performance was poor. The NCOs and officers varied in quality, and there was steady attrition due to combat, followed by a steady flow of replacements. There was regular desertion in his company, and it was not usually punished too severely. One soldier actually went out of his way to get court martialed to avoid combat. I have read a lot of unit histories, and while this sort of thing did happen everywhere, it sure seemed prevalent in this unit.

[Bernadette · Rating 4 out of 5]

The realism and anti-glamour of WW II seen through the eyes of a rifleman. Haunting ,shockingly honest and horrifying.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal account of upper class Brit who enlisted as a rifleman in a British unit in WWII and who served in Italy. He was considered officer material; his insistence on being a private soldier perplexed military bureaucracy.
He describes his continuing ptsd during the post-war years..

[Iain Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rail boots on the ground view from a common soldier… But not so common

Beautifully written, with searing honesty, the writer carries the reader through the largely non-glamorous part of the war up the Italian peninsula.

[Patience Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another look at war

Fear despair cynicism humor and bravery. Alex Bowlby isn’t afraid to report his own and others and the love they felt for each other. It is an amazing book.

[Wayne Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[TheIron Paw · Rating 3 out of 5]

WWII Italy. This book provides a realistic description of life as a rifleman in the Italian campaign - provides good insight into the feelings of a youth facing his fears. Not really for those looking for a tactical military history of battles, but more for a reader looking for a realistic description of soldiering from the perspective of a lowly private.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I swept through it. Easy to read. No pomp and circumstance, an honest portrayal with wit and grief side by side.

[Michal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Might be the best book of the genre I've read so far.