Commanding Canadians

There is nothing in print anywhere that captures a sense of the whole war at sea like this book. It is a remarkable document, revealing the routine of daily life for a naval officer and providing unique insight into the later stages of anti-submarine warfare. -- Marc Milner, author of Battle of the Atlantic A unique and unparalleled naval diary. Its immediacy, directness, and honesty provide a vivid and uncontrived counterpoint to postwar published memoirs by writers trying to create a heroic public image. In his self-effacing manner the diarist emerges as a representative of that great number of middle-rank wartime officers who never gained stardom but were 'the salt of the earth.' -- Michael L. Hadley, author of U-Boats against Canada: German Submarines in Canadian Waters

Commander A.F.C. Layard, RN, wrote almost daily in his diary from 1913 until 1947. The pivotal 1943-45 years of this edited volume offer an extraordinarily full and honest chronicle, revealing Layard’s preoccupations, both with the daily details and with the strain and responsibility of wartime command at sea.

Commander A.F.C. Layard, RN, wrote almost daily in his diary, in bold, neat script, from the time he entered the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1913 until his retirement in 1947. The pivotal 1943-45 years of this edited volume offer an extraordinarily full and honest chronicle, revealing Layard’s preoccupations, both with the daily details and with the strain and responsibility of wartime command at sea.

Enhanced by Michael Whitby’s explanatory essays, the diary sheds light on the inshore anti-submarine campaign in British waters; discusses pivotal events such as the invasions of North Africa and Normandy and convoys to Russia; describes encounters with important personalities; and records the final surrender of German U-boats. It is a highly personal piece of history that greatly enhances our understanding of the Canadian naval experience and the Atlantic war as a whole.

A consummately well-researched work, Commanding Canadians will appeal to both naval scholars, as well as to general readers interested in military history.