More Lives Than a Ship's Cat: The Most Highly Decorated Midshipman in the Second World War

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Jeremy Stoke

More Lives Than a Ship's Cat

The Most Highly Decorated Midshipman in the Second World War

Jeremy Stoke

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Hardback

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English

Pen & Sword Maritime
01 July 2022

Diaries, letters & journals; Second World War; Naval forces & warfare

By any standards Mick Stoke's experiences in the Royal Navy during the Second World War were remarkable. Aged nineteen, he was 'Mentioned in Despatches' and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his courage during incessant bombing during the Siege of Tobruk. He survived multiple torpedo attacks, firstly serving on the cruiser Glasgow, which was hit twice; on the battleship Queen Elizabeth at sea and blown up by human torpedoes at Alexandria; and on HMS Hardy, struck in January 1944, while escorting Russian Arctic Convoy JW56B. In 1942, he was serving on HMS Carlisle during the fiercely fought Malta convoys and took part in the Battle of Sirte. Later that year he was awarded the MBE 'for outstanding bravery, resource and devotion to duty during very heavy bombing' at the port of Bone during Operation TORCH. He went on to serve at D-Day and later in the Pacific on HMS Rajah. It is a privilege to read Mick Stoke's graphic and modest memoir. Readers will appreciate and understand how he became 'The Most Highly Decorated Paymaster Midshipman in the Royal Navy'.

AUTHOR: G A (Mick) Stoke MBE DSC RN entered Dartmouth Royal Naval College in January 1940, completing his training on the cruiser HMS Glasgow. He describes his war service in this fascinating memoir which draws on his letters to his parents and Doreen Le Poidevin, whom he later married. They had three sons. After being invalided out of the Navy in 1947, he pursued wide-ranging commercial interests, winning the Queen's Award for Exports. In addition to his MBE and DSC, he was awarded the Atlantic Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, Arctic Star, Arctic Emblem, the Soviet Russian Convoy Medal and the Pacific Star. Mick died aged 70 in 1991.

Jeremy Stoke, the youngest of Mick's sons, retired after a successful business career and became the Family archivist and researcher. In 2020, reading his Father's carefully preserved letters and documents he decided that Mick's remarkable wartime exploits deserved to be published.

By: Jeremy Stoke
Imprint: Pen & Sword Maritime
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781399071369
ISBN 10: 139907136X
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 01 July 2022
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Unspecified

G A (Mick) Stoke MBE DSC RN entered Dartmouth Royal Naval College in January 1940, completing his training on the cruiser HMS Glasgow. His son describes his war service in this fascinating book which draws on his letters to his parents and Doreen Le Poidevin, whom he later married. They had three sons. After being invalided out of the Navy in 1947, he pursued wide-ranging commercial interests, winning the Queen's Award for Exports. In addition to his MBE and DSC, he was awarded the Atlantic Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, Arctic Star, Arctic Emblem, the Soviet Russian Convoy Medal and the Pacific Star. Mick died aged 70 in 1991. Jeremy Stoke, the youngest of Mick's sons, retired after a successful business career and became the Family archivist and researcher. In 2020, reading his Father's carefully preserved letters and documents he decided that Mick's remarkable wartime exploits deserved to be published.

Reviews for More Lives Than a Ship's Cat: The Most Highly Decorated Midshipman in the Second World War

"""The author's research presents an admirable account of duty, honor and resilience of a man at war.""-- ""Seapower"" ""Cleverly titled, well written, fast moving, More Lives Than a Ship's Cat is a riveting look at British naval history from an unusual, intimate point of view.""-- ""The Northern Mariner"""