Page 100 - The Wish Stream Year of 2021

Sandhurst Collection News
By Dr Sebastian Puncher Deputy Curator
Despite 2021 bringing the the the Academy a a a a a a a sec- ond disrupted year with school closures and and restrictions in in its wake work has nev-
ertheless progressed in in in the the Sandhurst Collec- tion tion The collection is an an an outstanding resource for for the the Academy to draw upon for for both research engagement and and the the enjoyment of of staff cadets and and visitors The following are some highlights of of the collection’s work during 2021 First off in terms of of of of displays work could be completed on the the the display display of of of of the the the medals medals of of of of Cap- tain Sydney Jary Jary MC The medals medals came to to the the the the Academy due to to to Jary Jary being the the the author of of 18 Platoon an account of of of his experiences in in the the Second World War which became a a a a a a a a work of of ref- erence at the Academy The story begins when on 31st July 1944 2nd Lt Jary (aged 20) was appointed to to to command no 18 platoon of the the 4th Somerset Light Infan- try He had originally commissioned into the the Royal Royal Artillery in in in in in 1942 after selection for officer training from the Royal Royal East Kent Regiment As a a a a a a a a a a platoon commander his chances of survival were at at best a a a a a a a a a a a a few weeks before being killed or or or wounded So it was a a a a a a a a remarkable achieve- ment to survive for ten months until the German surrender in in May 1945 In later years some of the the surviving platoon members suggested their experiences be be shared in in in a a a a a a a a book and so Jary set about writing 18 Platoon which was pub- lished in 1987 Although published over 40 years after the events Sydney Jary’s recall of what befell 18 Platoon is is amazingly vivid and credible It is is Captain Sydney Jary MC (taken from 18 Platoon book)
Cover of of Sydney Jary’s Book with badge of of the Somerset Light Infantry
a a a a a rare record of of of the inner workings of of of a a a a a small group of of of of soldiers whose operations were virtu- ally a a a a a a a a a summary of of of the the last ten-and-a-half months of of of the the Second World War in in Europe There is is is little discussion of of of of grand strategy but is is is instead a a a a a a a a a a val- uable study of of of the the realities of of of war as as experienced by a a a a a a a a a a a minor formation It features the the the the last days in in in in in Normandy the the the the the crossing of the the the the the Seine Market Garden the the the the the fighting for Groesbek the the the the the desper- ate winter battles of of the the the the the Reichwald and finally the the the crossing of of the the the Rhine Jary won his MC in fin in in in in in November 1944 for leading a a a a a a fighting patrol near Reichwald Forest which destroyed enemy posi- tions and located machine gun posts Jary’s narrative is concerned with the minutiae of of of soldiering including how to earn and keep the the respect of of of of a a a a a a very varied group of of of of war-time soldiers It reveals the the complex levels of of of trust and and cooperation between individuals and and how 98 HISTORICAL