Edward Jerrard Tickell (14 February 1905 – 27 March 1966) was an Irish writer, known for his novels and historical books on the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Biography

Jerrard Tickell was born in Dublin and educated in Tipperary and, from 1919 until 1922 at

Highgate School Highgate School, formally Sir Roger Cholmeley's School at Highgate, is a co-educational, fee-charging, private day school, founded in 1565 in Highgate, London, England. It educates over 1,400 pupils in three sections – Highgate Pre-Preparato ...

in London. He joined the

Royal Army Service Corps The Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) was a corps of the British Army responsible for land, coastal and lake transport, air despatch, barracks administration, the Army Fire Service, staffing headquarters' units, supply of food, water, fuel and do ...

in 1940 and was commissioned in 1941, when he was appointed to the War Office. Between 1943 and 1945 his official duties took him to Africa, the Middle East, Washington DC, Canada, the West Indies and Europe. He was appointed to the General Staff in 1945. He was married to the author and psychical researcher Renée Haynes, the daughter of the eminent English social moralist E. S. P. Haynes and Oriana Huxley Waller (a granddaughter of

Thomas Henry Huxley Thomas Henry Huxley (4 May 1825 – 29 June 1895) was an English biologist and anthropologist who specialized in comparative anatomy. He has become known as "Darwin's Bulldog" for his advocacy of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. The stor ...

) and they had three sons:

Crispin Saints Crispin and Crispinian are the Christian patron saints of Shoemaking, cobblers, curriers, Tanning (leather), tanners, and leather workers. They were beheaded during the reign of Diocletian; the date of their execution is given as 25 Octob ...

, Patrick, and Tom. Tickell wrote 21 novels, including the bestselling '' Appointment with Venus'' (1951), which was made into a film of the same name starring

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was an English actor, soldier, raconteur, memoirist and novelist. Niven was known as a handsome and debonair leading man in Classic Hollywood films. His accolades include an Academ ...

and a 1962 Danish film '' Venus fra Vestø''. His non-fiction work includes a memoir of SOE agent Odette Hallowes, an account of

No. 138 Squadron RAF No. 138 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force that served in a variety of roles during its career, last disbanded in 1962. It was the first 'V-bomber' squadron of the RAF, flying the Vickers Valiant between 1955 and 1962. History ...

(the "moon squadron"), and a history of "Ascalon", Winston Churchill's personal

Avro York The Avro York was a British transport aircraft developed by Avro during the World War II, Second World War. The design was derived from the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber, several sections of the York and Lancaster being identical. Due to the impo ...

transport aircraft.

Scandal

A book, ''The West End Front'' (published in 2011) by

Matthew Sweet Sidney Matthew Sweet (born October 6, 1964) is an American alternative rock/power pop singer-songwriter and musician who was part of the burgeoning music scene in Athens, Georgia, during the 1980s before gaining commercial success in the 1990 ...

, gives details of a forgotten family incident in London during WW2 which resulted in Jerrard facing trial at the Old Bailey for a charge for which he was acquitted. Sweet recounts how he broke the news of this rediscovered chapter of family history to Jerrard's two surviving son's Sir Crispin, formerly Britain's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Tom Tickell, former ''Guardian'' newspaper columnist.

Publications

Non-fiction

*''Odette: The Story of a British Agent'' (1949) *''Moon Squadron'' (1956) *''Ascalon: The Story of Sir Winston Churchill's Wartime Flights from 1943 to 1945'' (1964) *''Wings on My Suitcase - Personal Adventures of Air Hostesses'' (1958). Introduced and edited by Jerrard Tickell.

Fiction

*''Yolan of the Plains'' (1928) *''See How They Run'' (1936) *''Fly Away Blackbird'' (1936) *''Silk Purse'' (1937) *''Jill Fell Down'' (1938) *''Gentlewomen Aim to Please'' (1938) *''At Dusk All Cats Are Grey'' (1940) *''Soldier from the Wars Returning'' (1942) *'' Appointment with Venus'' (1951) *''The Hand and Flower'' (1952) *''Dark Adventure'' (1952) *''The Dart Players'' (1953) *''The Hero of Saint Roger'' (1954) *''Miss May: The Story of an Englishwoman'' (1958) *''Whither Do You Wander?'' (1959) *''The Hunt for Richard Thorpe'' (1960) *''Villa Mimosa'' (1960) *''Hussar Honeymoon'' (1963) *''High Water at Four'' (1965)

References