Once a Hussar

Ray Ellis was barely out of adolescence when the Second World War swept him into the deserts of North Africa, where he served as a gunner with the 107th Royal Horse Artillery. His memoir traces a remarkable journey from the chaos of the Western Desert Campaign to the brutal conditions of an Italian prisoner-of-war camp, and ultimately to a harrowing escape into the Apennine Mountains alongside partisan fighters. Ellis writes with the candor of someone who witnessed both the worst of war and the unexpected grace that survives it.

Derek Perkins brings a measured, authoritative quality to the narration that suits Ellis's understated, self-deprecating voice perfectly. The pacing allows the weight of each episode to settle without dwelling in melodrama, and the 11-hour runtime feels earned rather than padded. Perkins handles the shifts between battlefield tension and quieter moments of reflection with natural ease, making this a particularly rewarding listen for fans of firsthand military history.