Face with Fortitude A Chronicle of my war... by James Ian Johnston

"The author, James Ian Johnston had been a member of the N.Z.R.N.V.R. for almost nine years at the outbreak of World War II. He held the rank of Petty Officer and within a week of war being declared in September 1939 received papers notifying him to be ready for active service. When just newly married, he sailed overseas as part of the Second Echelon aboard the Aquitania, fulfilling duties as a N.C.O.P.O. After an initial few weeks at H.M.S. St.Vincent Portsmouth he was assigned to the Cruiser Alynbank and spent a year and a half based at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. He served initially as a Petty Officer in charge of the aft magazine, and later transferring to watch PO. In 1942 he was advised to report to Aberdeen, his new ship the minesweeper Inchkeith would be sailing for New Zealand after sea trials. He sailed as a Chief Petty Officer, and maintained this rank while on shore duties for several months, both in Auckland and wellington. Recalled to active service for Officer training, he sailed on the H.T. Nieuw Amsterdam to San Fransisco, and from there by train across Canada, before sailing on the Queen Mary to the United Kingdom. He gained his Commission from H.M.S.King Alfred Hove and was appointed to the Mediterranean Minesweeping Fleet as a Lieutenant. The small minesweepers were allocated numbers and he served on H.M.M.S.46. These ships continued sweeping for mines after Germany surrendered on 8th May and Japan in August 1945. It was some months before discharge from the Royal Navy was obtained, and a passage arranged back to New Zealand, arriving home to at last take up normal family life in April 1946. This is his chronicle of 'his' war. "

Hardback, 2005 , 192 pages, tears in jacket, contents in very good condition

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