"The Pirate of Tobruk, a Sailor's Life on the Seven Seas, 1916-1948"
By Alfred B. Palmer

    This is the fascinating story of a young man who joins the Australian merchant marine at the age of 16 in 1916 and boards one of the last of the great sailing ships and sails to France. After leaving France, his ship is shelled by a German submarine. The ship is sank and he is set adrift with his crew by the sub. After several days the crew is rescued and he is taken to England. With little money, Palmer joins the British Navy. Amazingly, he survives being torpedoed and mined. After the war he returns home to Australia where there is little work and ends up working in China where he has experiences with the Japanese invasion. He is recalled to active service in Hong Kong and due to his master's papers, is commissioned. He is assigned to a submarine tender and eventually ends up in North Africa where he leads commando attacks; captains supply barges and a captured Italian sailing ship. He is bombed, shelled, and strafed, but his ships fight back, downing several enemy aircraft. He earns great respect and is given the honor of flying the pirate flag. He is captured and spends time in prison camps throughout Europe. He escapes many times and is finally critically injured. Near the End of the war, he is repatriated. After the war, Palmer eventually moved to the United Stated where he worked as an engineer. Palmer lived the ripe old age of 94. He passed away in 1993. This book reads like good fiction.

Review by Ken Smith, June 25th, 1997

Available from:
Naval Institute Press
Blue Jacket Books
Reviewed By Ken Smith, June 25th, 1997

www.usni.org

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