Wings But No Angel

Wings But No Angel details Ken Smith's remarkable journey from choirboy on HMS Victory to the Royal Marines and then the Special Air Service/ Special Boat Service.

Ken saw action on the North Atlantic, Arctic and Mediterranean convoys before volunteering for the SAS and being involved in some of its most celebrated battles of WW2. During the Villa Punta raid in Yugoslavia, he was wounded and carried a bullet in his shoulder for the rest of his life. Five weeks later, he was part of a specially selected 18-man force in Operation Fry, during which the regiment's sole Victoria Cross was posthumously awarded to his officer, Anders Lassen.

Wings But No Angel is not just a story about the SAS. It is about Ken's formative years that enabled him to become part of a legendary fighting force and the lasting impact WW2 had on him. It charts his tough transition from a special forces soldier to civilian life.

Written by one of his ten children this book is informative, entertaining and at times darkly humorous as it highlights the personal story behind the action.