SLINGER
Slinger is a recollection of what happened to a regular boy from England in extraordinary times. From 1937 to 1946. From Atlantic convoys to the jungles of Burma with the secret 14th regimen, and the battle of Ramree Island. Written from the Navy Commando's own words and recollections, this story is for those who read real stories from World War 2.
Synopsis
I was known as Slinger in the Navy. I was a pretty good shot, you see, and when I came back from the North Atlantic convoy, I had nightmares almost every night from what I had seen. I saw the floating dead bodies, heard the screaming and oh god, I could feel that cold water. “Thank God it’s all over for you, my son,” my mother said. “What an end!” Oh no it wasn’t, the War was still on and so we were fit and able to fight on.
How was I to know that I would land at the beaches of Normandie, sail through the Mediterranean and end up in Burma on a secret mission. Looking back now I was very naive. After all, I was only a regular man from Dartford. But there I was, on a beach with only a few bullets left in my chamber, staring at a Japanese officer who was coming at me with a samurai sword lifted and the look of death in his eyes.
About The Book
This book is a memoir. It reflects Cyril Wood’s recollections of experiences from his time in the British Royal Navy during World War II. He passed away before the memoir was written down and it thus represents a collection of notes, photos and video transcripts put together by his granddaughter. Nothing has been removed from the original content or changed, although some adaptations have been made to keep the timeline as accurate as possible.
It was important to his granddaughter that this book convey a true picture of who the man Cyril Wood truly was, not just in speech, but also in action. The writing is therefore in the same style as his spoken word and some of his language might occasionally be hard to understand as he uses contemporary slang. This book was written so that a unique story about a normal young man in a unique time was not lost to the ever-moving pendulum of time.
