Cameron's Troop Lift

Donald Cameron Naval Thriller #12

by Philip McCutchan

The intrepid British naval officer Donald Cameron returns in Cameron's Troop Lift, perhaps the most exciting Cameron World War 11 adventure to date. A typhoon - a ferocious menace in the Bay of Bengal - inflicts damage and casualties on the destroyer Caithness, testing Lieutenant-Commander Cameron's seamanship to the full. Suddenly a lifeboat appears ahead and, by the vigour of the turbulent seas, a seaman is flung aboard the British ship to lie trapped by a cable. The costly rescue of this Japanese survivor yields documents and other information adding to what Cameron already knows: nearby there is probably a convoy carrying British prisoners-of-war from Singapore to Rangoon for use as slave labour in the Burmese jungle. Cameron decides to pursue the convoy, hoping to detach the transports from their escort. but when the Caithness does eventually sight an enemy, the ships close - and two captains face one another, each knowing the other's guns are trained upon his ship. And Cameron realizes his actions will not only risk the lives of his crew but of many hundreds of British POWs as well.

Genres: War, Military Fiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published August 31, 1988

About the author

aka Robert Conington Galway, Duncan MacNeil

Philip McCutchan (1920-1996) grew up in the naval atmosphere of Portsmouth Dockyard and developed a lifetime's interest in the sea. Military history was an early interest resulting in several fiction books, from amongst his large output, about the British Army and its campaigns, especially in the last 150 years.

Reviews

[Don Brenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting

More adventures of the Royal Navy. This time in the Pacific theater. Donald Cameron leads his ship and crew on another heroic mission. This one self designed as it went along.

[Brinn Colenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another exciting book from McCutchen.

[Mr Michael R Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short & Sweet

Number 12 and the action continues but now in the Pacific.
A good read, not as good as the preceding 11 but good enough.

[Robert W. · Rating 2 out of 5]

too wordy

Much too much sub plot with no relation to major plot.”
Had to skip much dialogue and got bored to death

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable light read.

[John Rosenberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our sea officers do the right thing. Orders be damned.

[Rob Markley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very enjoyable read. It is super fast paced and exciting all the way. It is the only McCutchan book I've read and a suitable light holiday piece it is, although I can't say if this typical fare. The style is to rapidly jump from character to character filling in their back story and emotions before events sweep them along - quite often enough to a grisly death. Curiously the only character who is merely brushed over is the hero, Cameron. Nevertheless everything happens so fast the reader can hardly become invested in any of the characters.

All this is reminiscent of the best kind of war comic - filled with action and identities, an excellent adventure with victory in the end. The action is a little bit over the top in its frenetic pace and remarkable results, but that makes for excitement and story. McCutchan knows his stuff and you learn a bit about Destroyers on the way too.

[7$MartyQ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read!

Absolute fiction, but still a book I couldn't put down, being an old destroyer man myself. Destroyers are the wolves of the sea, but as stated in this book, were expendable during wartime, to protect the capital ships.

[Cws]

A McC

[Chaplain Stanley Chapin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heroic

A tad over in the believable aspect. Though with my liking navel action it was able to carry the story.