Customer Reviews

You Only Blow Yourself Up Once: Confessions of a World War Two Bomb Disposaleer

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I started reading this book on Sunday and didn't put it down until two days later when I finished it. It is a great historical perspective of Navy bomb disposal experts and their role in the Pacific during World War II. Lots of personal insights on the battle for Iwo Jima. I strongly recommend it for history bluffs and those who enjoy reading a great biographical tale from a foot soldier (or foot sailor) of one of the greatest battles in our nation's history. Captain David E. Meadows, U.S. Navy and author of Sixth Fleet & Joint Task Force series. http://www.sixthfleet.com

J. Frank Durham and Doug Hay have put together a great personal account of Bomb Disposal (BD) operations in the Pacific during World War 2. BD became an exacting and unforgiving military science due to the experiences of the British BD Officers and their teams during the London Blitz. These early experiences of making large aircraft bombs safe so they could be safely removed from around vital infrastructure and safely disposed of commenced a 'tit for tat' exchange between the fuze makers and the BD personnel;as fuze design became more sophisticated and deadly. Also a fair few fuzes failed to function through mass production means and (possibly) poor quality control.

Since the Second World War, BD has continued to become more sophisticated and demanding on personnel as white phosphorous, chemical munitions and sophisticated rockets and missile systems have been added to the inventory of the BD operator. Some militaries refer to these personnel as EOD Technicians now. However the rules are the same and selection of personnel is based upon an exacting (and unforgiving)process.

The authors have related a great account of BD operations in the Pacific and trace the experience of J. Frank Durham from his induction into the US Navy through his BD training and on to operations in the South Pacific. He was subsequently transferred back to the United States and completed the war as a BD Instructor.

I liked this book because it gave an account of personal experiences of a person who saw a different perspective of the Second World War, while near the front line, BD work is another confrontation with the enemy and, as the title states, only allows you to make a mistake once and usually not live to experience another. This work also give an account of BD work in another theatre of war, distinct from the European theatre and its (probably) more familiar operational experiences.

The book gives an account of journey through training to the early Pacific battles and how the newly arrived BD operator was soon forced into attending to various confrontations with all types of ordnance ranging from naval torpedoes to landmines. In addition to rendering ordnance safe, he was also involved in gathering various examples of fuzes and ordnance for inerting and sending back to the BD school for instructional purposes. The author also goes on to relate his extra curricular activities of setting up a souvenir business with various items fashioned from ordnance like ashtrays, paperweights and lamps. I could relate to these activities personally as BD/EOD personnel tend to have very active minds that can not just 'shut off' and need to have a form of 'release' from their exacting and very stressful work.

In summary, a well written account of BD work in the Pacific during World War Two, the book also contains a number of humourous cartoons and photographs of the experience of the narrator. The book focuses more on personal experiences rather than a strictly historical account of factual data and the writing style should bring a smile to any reader. Some readers may be shocked or bemused by the experiences contained within, however a guaranteed 'good read'. Well done, J. Frank Durham and Doug Hay!

This book is simply fun to read. The author provides first person accounts of his training and service as a bomb disposal technician on Guadalcanal during World War II. It is a book filled with stories, humorous cartoons, and some pictures. From ducking for cover to building a still, this book is an enjoyable and enlightening experience.

This book catches your attention if by nothing else than its title. You Only Blow Yourself Up Once, is a first-hand account of a bomb disposal expert serving in the Pacific during World War Two.

Specifically, he arrives in Quadalcanal after the hostilities had quieted down considerably. He spends the remainder of his service time, taking apart unexploded bombs, torpedoes, and making recommendations on what type of explosive to present the Japanese military with. Interesting aspects of this book include a commando mission to defuse a bomb some island locals didn't appreciate.

The nice thing about this book is it really makes you appreciate what the early EOD servicemen were doing. They were a brand-new all-volunteer section of the Navy dealing with some of the most dangerous activities imaginable. After all, defusing a failed bomb that someone dropped on you must take real guts. It was interesting to note no one wanted this guy's job!

I also enjoyed the humor in this book. It's a nice easy read. An ambitious person could finish it in a weekend. But it has a lot of additional sources for further information. Most of all it does a nice job in describing the birth of this unique form of service.

Just a wonderful book by one of Indiana WW2 hero's. Serious content but lightfully written.

Wayne Brewer

I thoroughly enjoyed reading, You Only Blow Yourself up Once - Confessions of a World War Two Bomb Disposaleer, by J. Frank Durham as told to Doug Hay. The author dedicated his book to the members of World War II U.S. Navy Bomb Disposal, Mine Disposal and Explosive Ordnance Units past and present. The book is a first person account by an early member of the Navy's Bomb Disposal (BD) School during WWII and his assignment on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Following the Pearl Harbor attack, J. Frank Durham, a lawyer from Greencastle, Indiana volunteered for the Navy and the newly established Navy Bomb Disposal School. Frank graduated from the first all-enlisted class, Class #4, on 4 July 1942 at the Washington Naval Yard.

Aviation Ordnance Man (AOM) first class petty officer (1/c) Frank Durham arrived in Guadalcanal in December of 1942 and was assigned to the U.S. Naval Advanced Base (NAB), 145th Bomb Disposal Unit. The two-man unit consisted of Lt. (jg) Homer S. Anderson and Frank. They established their shop next to Henderson Field. At the time a Navy Bomb Disposal unit consisted of one officer and one petty officer. Frank's honest account tells how he and some other enlisted guys got involved in the Japanese war souvenir trade and an alcohol distillery business on the island. He also tells of being on a ship that was torpedoed and having to abandon ship. In November 1943, Frank received a field commission to ensign and joined the ranks of other "mustangs," enlisted men earning commissions. Frank departed Guadalcanal on 25 November 1943 for stateside duty until war's end and returning to civilian life. The book describes life on Guadalcanal from December 1942 to November 1943 and the many bomb disposal missions that Frank participated in.

John D. Bartleson Jr., CWO4, USN (Retired), and former Historian for the Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Association wrote the Forward to the book. Appendix A in the book recalls the stories of three Japanese soldiers on Guadalcanal from their captured diaries. Appendix B is a collection of bomb disposal stories called Stories Told Out of School. Bartleson wrote an account of Lord Charles Henry George "Wild Jack" Howard, 20th Earl of Suffolk and 13th Earl of Berkshire who became Britain's Chief Field Research and Experimental Officer at the Directorate of Scientific Research and was posthumously awarded the George Cross for his bravery in France and his early work in British Bomb Disposal. Edwin R. "Ed" Gropp tells about his accident on Guadalcanal on 15 April 1943 and his postwar treatment when he returned to civilian life. There's a story about Robert W. "Ike" Eigell, Commander, USN (Retired) entitled, A Legend in Explosive Ordnance Disposal. There is an excerpt from Eigell's book Recollections of a Mustang, entitled Monkeys of Guam. And About That Brass Monkey, a story that was printed in the August 2001 issue of The Disposaleer tells of the origin of a very famous phrase. Lieutenant William "Bill" Shriner's story entitled William Shriner - A Strong Voice on D-Day and Afterwards recalls the first German plane shot down by a surface vessel the USS ANCON (AGC-4) at Omaha Beach. Draper Kauffman and His Bomb Disposal School -the Aftermath tells about Rear Admiral Draper L. Kauffman and the birth of the Navy Bomb Disposal School. Mark Rivinus, Commander, USN (Retired) wrote The Final Disposal Job of BD School. The school was disbanded on 31 October 1945.

By the end of the war, after running 78 classes, 1,050 officers and enlisted men out of 1,559 students graduated from the U.S. Navy Bomb Disposal School. Seven Navy Bomb Disposal officers and two enlisted men were killed performing bomb disposal duties in WWII.

The 156 page paperback book is well illustrated with bomb disposal cartoon humor, 15 pages of photos, and an index.

The reviewer Mike R. Vining is a retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major who served in the army from 1968 to 1999 in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Special Operations field.