The Volunteers

Reeman (a.k.a. Alexander Kent) has penned a seeming multitude of nautical yarns. The Volunteers concerns a group of men and women who work in the Special Forces, Navy, during the period 1943-45. Using motor torpedo boats, on which Reeman himself served, as their conveyance, the men are in action in Sicily, the Mediterranean, and in the Channel. When not shooting up Germans or Italians, our two main characters, Lt. Richard Allenby of the Royal Navy reserve and Lt. Keith Fraser of the Royal Canadian Navy, a mines disposal expert and a first-rate skipper, respectively, interact with the R.N. women and their families back home. This particular tale has a great deal of tragedy, a somber mood splendidly conveyed by David Rintoul. His deep voice and deceptively nuanced narration very much befit this dark story; his performance of the dialog is marvelous.