Gordon Williamson Books

A unique collection of items that between them reveal the story and development of the German U-boat service during the Second World War

This single volume provides the collector, uniformologist and military historian with an in-depth reference work covering every known German military cuffband worn from 1784 to present. A careful twining of history, unit involvement, and descriptive text will give the reader a firm grasp of the purpose and use of each cuffband and its historical context. Many never-before published photographs of the bands in wear are an added bonus. Cuffbands of the following formations are The Hanoverian Army, Freikorps, Heer, Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS/SS-VT, Bundeswehr and the Nationale Volksarmee der DDR.

Osprey's examination of the recipients of the Knight's Cross with Diamonds award of World War II (1939-1945). On 1 September 1939, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was created by Hitler. It could be distributed to all ranks within any branch of the Wehrmacht, Waffen-SS or the auxiliary services, and it was the highest award that the Third Reich could offer. During the war, new grades of Knight's Cross were added. The Diamonds were introduced on 28 September 1941, and were the next highest grade above the Oakleaves and Swords. Only 27 awards of Diamonds were made during the war creating an elite echelon of war heroes and many of the awards were made for acts of extreme bravery which are detailed in this volume.

Bob Tanem brings all of his gardening know-how to this valuable new tool for the Northern California gardener. Gardening Month by Month in Northern California is a beautiful perpetual calendar and month-by-month guide you can use year after year to keep track of your garden's progress. With 265 brilliant, color photographs this book is an absolute delight. This easy-to-use, sturdy book with its lay-flat binding contains great features, on garden design, sprouting plants from seeds, container gardening, creating wildlife habitat, composting, house plants, pest control and many, many references and resources for the Northern California gardener.

In almost every army in the world, the military police rank amongst those who are least liked by other soldiers despite the essential duties that they carry out, often being amongst the first in and last out in any theatre of war. In the German armed forces, opinions of the military police were those of fear and distrust, so great were the powers held by these troops. Germany created a plethora of different branches of what were termed 'Ordnungstruppe' ('Troops for Maintaining Order'). Many wore a distinctive metal plate around the neck, leading to their nickname 'Kettenhund' or 'Chain Dogs'. Despite being involved in the brutal treatment of partisans, their skills were so much appreciated by the Allies that on Germany's surrender, Wehrmacht military police units were allowed to remain in post to assist in controlling the vast number of disarmed German troops. Supplemented with previously unpublished photographs, Kettenhund! - The German Military Police in the Second World provides a detailed study of the organisation of these units and the distinctive uniforms and insignia they wore.

The SS: Hitler’s Instrument of Terroris an authoritative account of Hitler’s private army. Every aspect of the SS is examined in full: its units and their battles, the foreign legions, the various non-military departments, and the key figures who led formations in the field and oversaw internal affairs within Nazi Germany, such as Heinrich Himmler, ‘Sepp’ Dietrich and Kurt Meyer. In addition, the questions of atrocities committed against prisoners and civilians, and the SS’s role in the concentration camp system, are addressed in full.  The appendix includes biographies of some of the more notorious SS members, such as Adolf Eichmann, and Reinhard Heydrich. Ranging from its post-World War I origins to the fall of Berlin, the book will be of interest to both the student of military history and the general reader. Illustrated with 270 colorr and black and white photographs, many from private collections and seldom seen, as well as 25 color artworks, The SS: Hitler’s Instrument of Terroris the definitive account of Nazi Germany’s most notorious organization.

With this beautiful book at your fingertips, you can select, plant and care for the trees and shrubs that suit the conditions present in your garden: * Detailed listings for 71 different species of trees and shrubs, along with information on more than 600 recommended varieties and cultivars best suited for Alberta gardens * Size, shape and growing zone * Notes on the best features of each species or variety * What tree or shrub to select for a specific location * How to plant, prune and propagate * Soil, moisture and sunlight requirements * Year-round maintenance * Tips for solving pest and disease problems * More than 500 colour photographs and illustrations.

The security units of the Third Reich were many and diverse, yet often an oversimplified view is projected of these organisations. This title provides a detailed and informed picture of the variety of operations and duties, as well as the motivation and behaviour of the men involved. It charts the experiences of typical World War II security forces and police soldiers - from the routine of military traffic duty, to combating partisans and resistance fighters. It covers the military police of the Armed Forces proper and the Waffen-SS, the combat units of the German State Police, the SD Sicherheitsdienst, the Schutzmannschaft' units, and the extreme and dreaded anti-partisan units 'Dirlewanger' and 'Kaminski'.--Provided by publisher

A complete illustrated study of the German Kriegsmarine throughout World War II. Hamstrung at first by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, during the 1930s, the German Navy underwent a program of rearmament in defiance of the restrictions, building modern warships under limitations which forced technological innovation. Submarines were strictly prohibited by the treaty, and yet, following years of covert development, they became one of the Kriegsmarine's most deadly weapons. Blooded in the Spanish Civil War, the surface ships of the Kriegsmarine went on to play a crucial role in the opening salvoes of World War II during the invasions of Poland and Norway, although serious losses here set back plans for the invasion of Britain, and by the end of the war, only a handful of surface vessels remained to be divided up among the Allies. From the beginning of the war, but especially after the fall of France, the dreaded and extraordinarily successful U-boats stalked the Atlantic, threatening vital British shipping convoys and choking off the lifeline of munitions and supply from the US. Once Italy and Japan entered the war, German naval operations expanded to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. This highly illustrated volume is a comprehensive study of the German Navy throughout the war, from pocket battleships to torpedo boats.

The wartime Police were headed by Himmler as chief of the SS; and throughout the occupied nations the regional SS commanders were specifically termed 'Higher SS and Police Leaders'. Hitler's police was not a single service, but a vast machinery which included many special categories ranging from conventional criminal detectives, and municipal and rural police to combat battalions sent to Russia, and from border and customs police to special railway and waterway departments, fire brigades and emergency engineer squads, and even a colonial service for North Africa. The author explains the origins, the complex organization and the particular duties of the many different police branches that formed such a critical part of the Nazi apparatus and ensured that control was maintained inside Hitler's Fortress Europe. His painstaking research has unearthed fascinating new information about the German police services and their many different uniforms and insignia, which are recreated in the meticulously detailed color artwork.