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X2 Patrol (Hardback)
Long Range Desert Group September–November 1943
By
Capt John Olivey, Anthony Rogers
Pages: 224
Illustrations: 8 pages of colour, 8 pages of b/w plates
ISBN: 9781805001225
Published: 31st August 2025

Pages: 224
Illustrations: 8 pages of colour, 8 pages of b/w plates
ISBN: 9781805001225
Published: 31st August 2025
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'An extraordinary personal account of the LRDG commander of a Rhodesian Patrol on Leros. A poignant and gripping read.' — Brendan O’Carroll, author of The Long Range Desert Group in the Aegean
'Tony Rogers consistently reveals new material regarding WW2 operations, in this case with the captivating account of an LRDG hero.' — Ex-Lance-corporal X, QGM, author of The SAS and LRDG Roll of Honour, 1941–47
John Olivey, an officer in the Long Range Desert Group, saw action in the Western Desert, where he was awarded the Military Cross; he fought in the Dodecanese, for which he was decorated a second time; and saw active service on mainland Greece, and in Istria.
In autumn 1943, he was deployed to the Aegean and in October tasked with leading ‘Olforce’ in an ill-conceived operation to take the island of Levitha. Of some fifty LRDG, he was one of only seven to avoid capture. During the battle for Leros in November, he commanded X2 Patrol at Clidi, a key hilltop position. After British forces on Leros capitulated, Olivey was taken prisoner.
While being marched through Athens with hundreds of other prisoners of war, he escaped. Aided by local residents, Olivey remained in hiding in German-occupied Athens. It would be more than four months before he was at last able to return to Allied territory. During this time, he wrote a compelling, brutally honest and often amusing personal account, describing his involvement in what was an eventful and momentous chapter in the history of the LRDG. This is his story.
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About Capt John Olivey
John Olivey enlisted in The Sherwood Foresters at the outbreak of the Second World War. He was soon commissioned and then joined the Long Range Desert Group. He was awarded the Military Cross for an action behind enemy lines in North Africa in November 1941, and a Bar to the Military Cross for his role on Leros two years later.
About Anthony Rogers
Anthony Rogers is a military historian and author, known for his books detailing events in and around the Mediterranean during the Second World War.
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