Chenies

London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1943. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. First edition, first printing (March 1943). Buff colored cloth boards with black lettering on spine and front cover. Spine rolled. Minor blemish to lower right corner of front cover. Infrequent foxing, else interior clean and unmarked. Dust jacket shows some general rubbing and light soiling; slight chips around at spine ends and corners; not price clipped (8/6 net); in an archival mylar sleeve. 282, [2] pages. A novel of the Royal Navy's action during World War II. Published in March 1943, this was Taffrail's first novel dealing with the war that was at the time consuming Britain. The story tells of destroyer patrol and convoy duty on the winter seas, of action against U-Boats, of heroic rescues and torpedo-stricken ships. The author's first-hand experience and knowledge of the war lends an authentic feel to the novel. The story revolves around two men, Capt. Peter Chenies (whose experience of already having fought in the first world war mirrors that of the author) and his son, Tony Chenies, a naval cadet at time of the start of hostilities. Capt. Henry Taprell Dorling (1883-1968), who wrote under the pen-name Taffrail, was a British sailor, author, and journalist who served in the Royal Navy during both World War I and World War II.