Taffrail
Taffrail was the pseudonym used by Captain Henry Taprell Dorling, D.S.O, R.N. (8 September 1883 - 1 July 1968.)
He was born the son of an army officer in Berwick, his birth recorded as Taprell Henry Dorling, later being changed to Henry Taprell Dorling (1908) and H. Taprell Dorling (1910.)
After entering the Royal Navy (HMS Britannia, 1897), he served as a Midshipman in H.M.S. Terrible (South Africa, China and Peking.) He was promoted Sub-Lieutenant in 1902, Lieutenant on 31 December 1904, Lieutenant-Commander on 31 December 1912, Commander on 31 December 1916. He retired with the rank of Captain on 8 September 1929. He variously held command of HMS Lynx, Fairy, Leven, Murray and Telemachus, serving mostly in the North Sea, being mentioned in dispatches, and in 1918, receiving the D.S.O. During World War Two, he returned to service with the Ministry of Information and the Press Bureau, was gazetted on 24 October 1944 and appointed Officer of Legion of Merit for Distinguished Service in the Allied Cause in North Africa, retiring for the second time 30 August 1946.
He was the author of a number of books during the inter-war period, including well acepted historical works and some fiction obviously oriented to encouraging youngsters to join the Royal Navy.
He was thanked by Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Cunningham for a role with his autobiography A sailor's odyssey which may have amounted to ghost-writing.
| Year |
Title |
Illustrator |
Publisher |
Description |
| 1912 |
All about ships: a book for boys |
|
Cassell & Co, London |
xii, 371 pages, 4 col plates, drawings, photos, (octavo) |
| 1915 |
The Boy Castaways; or, Endeavour Island |
William Rainey |
Blackie & Son, London |
vi, 360 pages, (octavo) |
| 1916 |
Carry on!: naval sketches and stories |
|
C. A. Pearson, London |
[6], 122 p., 19 cm. |
| 1916 |
Pincher Martin, O.D.: a story of the inner life of the Royal Navy. By 'Taffrail |
Clifford Fleming-Williams |
W. & R. Chambers, London |
340 p., 20 cm. |
| 1916 |
Service medals, ribbons, badges and flags |
|
George Philip & Son, London |
In 4 parts: [6], 86, 48, 48, 45 p., ill..(some col.), 18 cm. |
| 1916 |
Stand By!: naval sketches and stories |
|
C. A. Pearson, London |
120 pages, (octavo) |
| 1916 |
The secret submarine: a story of fighting by sea and land |
C. M. Padday |
Blackie & Son, London |
352 pages, (octavo) |
| 1917 |
Minor Operations |
|
C. A. Pearson, London |
120 p., 20 cm. |
| 1917 |
Off Shore |
|
C. A. Pearson, London |
121 p., 18 cm. |
| 1917 |
Sea, Spray and Spindrift: naval yarns |
W. Edward Wigfull, Neville Southeby Pitcher |
C. A. Pearson, London |
159 pages, illustrations, (octavo) |
| 1917 |
The sub: being the autobiography of David Munro, sub-lieutenant, Royal Navy |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
356 p., 5 leaves of plates, 20 cm. |
| 1918 |
A Little Ship |
|
W. & R. Chambers, London |
337 pages, (octavo) |
| 1918 |
The watch below: naval sketches and stories |
|
C. A. Pearson, London |
121 p., 18 cm. |
| 1920 |
H.M.S. anonymous |
|
H. Jenkins, London |
320 p., 19 cm. |
| 1920 |
Oh, Joshua! |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
318, [2]p., 19cm. |
| 1925 |
Sea venturers of Britain |
|
W. Collins, London |
xix, 316 p., plates, ports., maps (part. fold.), 19 cm. |
| 1927 |
Sea Escapes and Adventures |
|
P. Allan & Co, London |
286 pages, (octavo) |
| 1929 |
Men o' war: St. Vincent, Cochrane, Marryat, Fisher, Beresford |
|
P. Allan & Co, London |
308 p., ill., maps., 22cm. |
| 1929 |
Pirates |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
311 pages, (octavo) |
| 1929 |
Shipmates |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
316 pages, (octavo) |
| 1930 |
The lonely bungalow |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
320 p., 19 cm. |
| 1931 |
Endless story: being an account of the work of the destroyers, flotilla-leaders, torpedo-boats and patrol boats in the great war |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
451 p, illus, 25 cm. |
| 1931 |
Kerrell |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
319 p., ill., 19 cm. |
| 1932 |
Cypher K |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
315 pages, (octavo) |
| 1932 |
The scarlet stripe: being the adventures of a naval surgeon |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
310 p., plan, 18 cm |
| 1933 |
Dover-Ostend: a cross channel thriller |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
351 p., 1 map, 19 cm. |
| 1933 |
The man from Scapa Flow |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
320 p., (octavo) |
| 1934 |
Seventy North (70(octavo) N) |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
319 p., 20 cm. |
| 1935 |
Second Officer |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
310 p., 20 cm. |
| 1935 |
Swept channels: being an account of the work of the minesweepers in the Great War. |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
388 pages, (octavo) |
| 1935 |
Second Officer |
|
Hodder & Stroughton, London |
|
| 1936 |
Mid-Atlantic |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
318, [1] p., 20 cm. |
| 1936 |
Mystery at Milford Haven |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
319 pages, (octavo) |
| 1937 |
Mystery Cruise |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
320 p., 20 cm. |
| 1938 |
Operation 'M.O.' |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
288 pages, (octavo) |
| 1938 |
Micheal Bray |
|
Hodder & Stroughton, London |
|
| 1939 |
Fred Travis, A.B. |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
336 p., 20 cm. |
| 1939 |
The Shetland plan |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
256 p., maps, 19 cm |
| 1940 |
The navy in action |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
224 p., 19 cm. |
| 1940 |
The Navy is here: a convoy of naval novels |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
753 p., (octavo). |
| 1943 |
Chenies |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
282 p., 20 cm. |
| 1943 |
White Ensigns |
|
G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York |
280 p. |
| 1946 |
Ribbons and medals, naval, military, air force and civil |
|
George Philip & Son, London |
viii, 208 p., illus., xvi col. pl. on 9 l.; 19 cm |
| 1947 |
Western Mediterranean, 1942-1945 |
|
Hodder & Stroughton, London |
461 p., ill.., 8vo. |
| 1949 |
Toby Shad |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
317 p., 20 cm. |
| 1951 |
The jade lizard |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
256 p., 19 cm. |
| 1952 |
Salt water quiz |
|
Hodder and Stoughton, London |
157 p., illus. 20 cm |
| 1952 |
The new moon |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
254 p., 19 cm. |
| 1953 |
The Hurlingham Club, 1869-1953 |
|
Hurlingham Club, London |
69p., ill., 21cm. |
| 1953 |
Euridice |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
286 p., 19x13cm, red cloth hardcover, original price 12/6 |
| 1956 |
Arctic convoy |
|
Hodder & Stoughton, London |
315 p., 21cm. |
| 1973 |
Blue Star Line at war, 1939-1945 |
|
Foulsham, Slough |
159,xiii p.,: ill, maps(1 col), ports, 23cm. |
| 1974 |
Ribbons and medals: the world's military and civil awards |
|
George Philip & Son, London |
359 p., illustrations (some colour), 23 cm |
|
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