Ferrey, Martin Soldier of Misfortune

Memoirs of an Army Commando, 1940-1945

These are the previously unpublished wartime memoirs of Martin Ferrey, who served as an officer with No. 9 Commando at the front during the Second World War. Ferrey, who had initially joined the Scots Guards reluctantly in 1940, underwent training at Sandhurst before volunteering for the Army Commandos. With this unit, he fought in Gibraltar, Italy, and Albaniathe scenes of some of the fiercest battles of the Mediterranean campaign. He completed his training at Achnacarry and Lochailort during the Commandos' early formative period and subsequently took part in various operations, including the raid on the Tremiti Islands, the Anzio landings, and the bitter fighting for Monte Ornito north of the Garigliano River, where he was severely wounded. He also participated in missions in Albania as the Allies attempted to disrupt the German retreat from the Balkans. With remarkable candor, humor, and introspection, Ferrey depicts both the absurdity and the brutality of a soldier's life in wartime. He vividly describes the rigors of training, the daily reality of Commando operations, the fear and confusion of combat, and the physical and psychological toll of the fighting. Along the way, he encounters a host of fascinating figures from the era, including Randolph Churchill, Evelyn Waugh, Lord Mountbatten, and many of Britain's most renowned special forces soldiers. Supplemented by family letters, photographs, and editorial notes, *Soldier of Misfortune* is not merely an account of service with the Commandos, but also an unusually profound portrayal of an officers struggle to reconcile courage, fear, a sense of duty, and the will to survive amidst the realities of war.