For Two Sovereigns by Julian Leigh
290 pages; Perfect bound; catalogue #04-
Discount Price per copy (paperback): £7.00 (RRP £12.15).
Experience the thrill of flying a Hawker Hunter Fighter. Witness hypnotic regression. Learn of Cornish smuggling, the disaster of the evacuation of Toulon and of Nelson's victory at Aboukir. Survive in the Malayan Jungle. Fight for Two Sovereigns!
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Read more! about the book about the author sample excerpts
For Two Sovereigns is an historical adventure novel. It intertwines the historical
accuracy of 18th century naval action with the training of a young RAF fast-
We accurately witness Peter learning to fly, progressing from the Chipmunk, through
the Jet Provost and Gnat, to the Hawker Hunter and a 'posting' to the Far East. We
learn the aircraft cockpit drills, witness the thrill of going solo, experience sea
survival training, decompression training and jungle survival training. We witness
Peter flying anti-
Julian Leigh was born and raised in South Yorkshire. As a child he was always keen
on flying and joined the RAF in 1965 to train as a pilot. After completing his Day
Fighter Ground Attack course on the single seat Hawker Hunter, he was posted to the
Far East in the late 1960s. In 1979, after an extensive period as an instructor on
the Hunter, he converted to the single seat Jaguar ground attack aircraft and was
posted to Germany. By 1990 he was flying the Jaguar at RAF Coltishall, in Norfolk,
where he was involved in a supporting role during the first Gulf War and flew operational
reconnaissance missions over North Iraq after it. His interest in sailing began during
his tour in the Far East. He subsequently qualified as a Commercial Offshore Yachtmaster
and took novice servicemen and women on adventurous sailing courses. Julian retired
from the RAF in 1996 after 31 years service and sailed his classic Hillyard wooden
yacht, which he has skippered commercially for 10 years. He has also been actively
involved in the sailing of the replica eighteenth century frigate, Grand Turk and
the topsail schooner Julia of Gibraltar, both of which starred in the TV 'Hornblower'
series. He recently captained the replica ancient Greek man-
Introductory Note by the Author
For Two Sovereigns is a historical novel based on fact but the names of the central
characters are fictitious as are some of the events, including 20 Squadron's Action
'Up Country'. Much friendly assistance was given to me during my research by the
most helpful staff at the Lostwithiel Public Library and the Lostwithiel Museum.
During my researches, I have delved into The Royal Navy A History From the Earliest
Times to the Present by William Laird Clowes, A Short History of the Royal Navy 1217-
I have endeavoured to make the 'flying' chapters as realistic as possible, based on my own experiences as a budding ground attack pilot in the 1960s, and have tried to reduce the number of acronyms and the use of technical jargon to the minimum. The references to experimentation with regression under hypnosis, carried out at RAF South Cerney, are mainly taken from fact and have left me puzzling ever since, though I have not been brave enough to become involved in further experimentation in case there is something in it!
I have been fortunate to be involved in a small way with the full-
This book begins a series of 'aero-
From Chapter 2 Hypnotic Interlude,
Peter and Frank were in a jovial mood as they walked the few hundred yards to the station medical centre. The beer they had drunk was sufficient to enhance their merry mood and they had enjoyed their first brief flirtation with flying.
The SMC was a two-
They walked back to the stairs and went up to see Paul.
'Evening, Paul,' said Frank. 'Stand by your beds for inspection. How're you doing, old chap?' he asked.
'Hi, guys,' replied Paul. 'They say I've got to stay in for another week. Something about a lung infection. Anyway they'll let me out for next weekend and I'm allowed to spend most of the day out of bed, anyway. Though I must say, I'm getting a bit pissed off hearing you lot flying about all day long. I'm thinking of making a noise complaint. What's it like, anyway?' 'Well, if you don't mind getting even more pissed off,' began Peter.
'Don't listen to him, he's a natural,' interrupted Frank. 'It's bloody hard work and incredibly difficult to do anything the instructors say. I've had three trips so far. I can't fly straight and level, I can't land it and I don't have a clue where we are most of the time. He (he indicated towards Peter) can land it, do stall turns and God knows what else besides. He even gets to talk about women's chests whilst he's flying downwind in the circuit.'
'What's this about women?' Paul perked up.
Peter explained his instructor's way of remembering the checks. 'Old Hamer's really good,' he continued. 'He just seems to know when to let me get on with it and when to bollock me for not doing what I should be.'
'Watson is forever yattering at me,' complained Frank. 'I'm sure that's why I'm finding it hard to do anything right. I really can't see me landing it. He's forever taking control before I've had a chance to show I can get it right.
'Maybe he's just got a good sense of self preservation.' joked Paul not really understanding what the problem was. He began to feel thoroughly depressed that these two friends of his had started before him and would always be ahead of him in the flying training system.
'Anyway, we all reckon Peter's going to go solo first,' confided Frank. 'Who said that?' Peter asked.
'Oh, it's just common knowledge that you're doing the best so far. First to get airborne, first to do a stall turn, first to get it on the ground without the instructor touching the pole. Seems pretty obvious to me that you'll go solo first as well. Anyway Neil overheard Hamer talking to the Flight Commander about you and how he thought he could get you solo early'
'All right. OK, I get the message,' laughed Peter. 'I thought Bill Cliff was ahead of me. I know he's a nutter, but he has flown in his Father's Cessna before.' He felt rather pleased that the others had been talking about him, including Hamer. He really had had no way of judging his progress so early on and had thought he wasn't doing all that well.
Corporal Brown came in. He was wearing a white orderly's jacket over his uniform. 'Right then, sirs, are you ready to witness my hypnotic powers and the reality of reincarnation?'
'Ready when you are,' replied Frank. 'APO Moore has brought his portable tape recorder. Is it OK to record what happens?'
'That'll be OK,' answered the orderly. 'But don't record before he's under. I wouldn't want you to be able to hypnotise people with your tape recorder'.
(Later in Chapter 2)
'I'm there,' said Peter after a few seconds. 'I'm on board the Diamond. We've just hoisted the French colours and we're about to hail a French ship of the line anchored off St. Mathieu Point. My Captain can speak perfect French. If they are not deceived by him I fear we will be blown out of the water as there are other Frenchies around us.'
'What year is it?' asked Brown.
'It's the 4th of January seventeen ninety five,' replied Peter. 'We arrived yesterday from Falmouth to look for signs of the French fleet in Brest.'
'What's your name and rank?' asked Brown.
'I'm Lieutenant Jack Wilbraham, third lieutenant to Captain Sir William Sydney Smith.' He had a slight West Country accent and spoke in a very confident and authoritative manner.
From Chapter 3 For King and Country
Jack had been sailing with his father for as long as he could remember. He, too, knew the coastline down the Channel from Penzance and up past Plymouth and knew his home coastline by day and night.
They arrived safely in just over an hour, stowed their sails and anchored fifty yards from the beach. The Cornishmen began to unload the barrels. There would be two journeys each from the boat to the hidden cave where they would leave them hidden until a more convenient time to move them to a closer cache. The cave would be cut off well before the high tide, which was coming in fast. They needed to hurry.
As the last load reached the shore there was a flash, then a crack, followed by others as the militia opened fire without warning. The eight soldiers were soon upon them. They were outnumbered. John shouted to his son to get away as he was pinioned by two soldiers and subdued with a musket butt from a third. One of the fishermen fell with a groan from a lucky shot in the dark, another was wounded by a sharp blow to the head from a discharged and unloaded musket. Two soldiers were wading into the water. They were some way off but Jack would have to hurry as he would need to set a head sail to catch what there was of the easterly breeze before raising the anchor. He only had time to raise half of the sail. He frantically secured the halyard and grabbed the anchor rope to haul in the lightweight anchor that they had used for their short stop. The boat was picking up speed and he was in danger of running past the anchor and snubbing round on it before he had it aweigh.
From Chapter 6 Per Ardua Ad Astra
'Come on, Peter. Wake up. The bar's been open for ages.' shouted Frank who was wearing his Wednesday evening sports jacket and twills and looking very dapper.
'Oh God, I was well away off Toulon on Romney's quarterdeck,' said Peter. 'I don't know how long I can cope with this dual life. I hope to hell it doesn't come on when I'm flying.'
'You'll be OK,' Frank replied without much conviction. 'Come on. Get your kit on,
mine's a beer. It's time to celebrate the end of ground school. Oh, by the way. The
flying programme's up for tomorrow on the notice board. We are all to go to Met.
brief at seven thirty and then report to the squadron for flying. You and I are on
the first wave. Oh nine hundred take-
'Why didn't you tell me!' exclaimed Peter, jumping up excitedly and charging around looking for some clothes. 'We'd better not get pissed tonight. We should test each other on our Checks.'
'First things first. Let's go and have a beer and some food.' Frank calmed Peter down and they went for their celebratory beer.