John Birmingham
John Birmingham (born 7 August 1964) is a British-born Australian author, known for the 1994 memoir ''He Died with a Felafel in His Hand'', the ''Axis of Time'' trilogy, and the well-received space opera series, the ''Cruel Stars'' trilogy.
...
's
Axis of Time
The ''Axis of Time'' trilogy is an alternative history series of novels written by Australian journalist and author John Birmingham, from Macmillan Publishing.
The novels deal with the radical alteration of the history of World War II and the ...
trilogy features several major characters and many minor characters.
Admiral Phillip Kolhammer USN
Born in 1969,
Admiral Kolhammer served in the
First Gulf War
The Gulf War (1990–1991) was an armed conflict between Iraq and a multinational military coalition led by the United States, triggered by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990.
Persian Gulf War may also refer to:
* Shatt al-Arab conflict ...
and is the Commander of
UNPROFLEET. He is an American of German extraction and Jewish ethnicity. By the Transition Act of 1942, Admiral Kolhammer is the commandant of the "Special Administrative Zone".
Brigadier Michael Barnes
Head of the Australian Contingent and Commanding Officer of the Second Cavalry, and the highest-ranked Army officer mentioned so far, Brigadier Barnes' billet was possibly the overall command of UNPROFLEET's Land Forces.
Brigadier Barnes was named after a long-time friend of Birmingham
Captain Karen Halabi RN
Karen Halabi is the CO of HMS ''Trident'', Deputy Commander of UNPROFLEET and Head of the British Contingent. She is the daughter of a Pakistani father and a British mother. She joined the navy to escape from her abusive father. She is a strong-minded and skilled commander. During the events of the books, her mixed heritage and female gender cause problems with several people in the British high command who see her as unfit to command; however she gains the support of
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
and the
British Royal Family
The British royal family comprises Charles III and other members of his family. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is considere ...
.
General J. "Lonesome" Jones, USMC
CO of the 82nd
Marine Expeditionary Brigade
A Marine expeditionary brigade (MEB) is a formation of the United States Marine Corps, a Marine air-ground task force of approximately 14,500 Marines and sailors constructed around a reinforced infantry regiment, a composite Marine aircraft group ...
, Jones is a recipient of the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
for rescuing the crew of an incapacitated
M1A2 Abrams
The M1 Abrams () is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) and named for General Creighton Abrams. Conceived for modern armored ground warfare, it is one of the heaviest ...
tank. He was married to a Frenchwoman who worked for
Médecins Sans Frontières
(MSF; pronounced ), known in some English-speaking settings as Doctors Without Borders, is a charity that provides humanitarian medical care. It is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) of French origin known for its projects in conflict zo ...
named Monique Danton. Her brother was a seaman assigned to the ''Robert Dessaix'', and after it joined the German side, there was a backlash against Jones.
Captain Mike Judge USN
Executive Officer and later Captain of the USS ''Hillary Clinton'', the Texan's next assignment is to take over production of fighter planes in
The Zone.
After the Clinton's refit, Captain Judge was once again her Captain as she sailed into harm's way. During the interval between Designated Targets and Final Impact, Judge married the British Captain Karen Halabi.
Captain Jane Willet RAN
Captain Willet is the commander of HMAS ''Havoc'', the only submarine to come through with the fleet. She is known to have had a younger sister who was executed by Islamic Extremists in Indonesia whilst doing relief work.
Prince Henry
Colonel
Prince Henry Charles Albert David "Harry" Windsor is an officer of the British
22 SAS Regiment
The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling, and in 1950 it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terr ...
and also is third in
line to the throne, behind his older brother,
King William V and William's two unnamed children (presumably
Prince George and
Princess Charlotte Princess Charlotte may refer to:
People
* Charlotte of the United Kingdom (disambiguation), various princesses
** Princess Charlotte of Wales (born 2015), granddaughter of King Charles III and only daughter of William, Prince of Wales
* Charlott ...
). After returning to the regiment "at the reduced rank of Captain", Prince Harry is billeted to HMAS ''Havoc'', where he is captured by the Transition. He has the least bumpy switch of the Multinational Taskforce, due to being a royal. Additionally, he was placed on the
Civil List
A civil list is a list of individuals to whom money is paid by the government, typically for service to the state or as honorary pensions. It is a term especially associated with the United Kingdom, and its former colonies and dominions. It was ori ...
as soon as his identity comes to light. He used that money to fund a tab at the local pub near his Regimental HQ for his officers and men who could run there and back under a certain time.
Other characters
21st Century Personnel
Multinational Force
*Major Margorie Francois USMC -
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
*Captain Colin Steele USN — Captain,
JDS ''Siranui''
*Colonel Michael Toohey — Australian 2nd Cavalry Regiment
*Lt Colonel Nancy Viviani USMC — Production Chief to Admiral Kolhammer
*Captain Maria O'Brien USMC, retired
*Lt Commander James McTeale RN — Executive Officer HMS Trident
*Lieutenant Willy Liao USN —
Yeoman
Yeoman is a noun originally referring either to one who owns and cultivates land or to the middle ranks of Serfdom, servants in an Peerage of England, English royal or noble household. The term was first documented in Kingdom of England, mid-1 ...
to Admiral Kolhammer
*Sergeant-Major Vivian St Clair —
Regimental Sergeant-Major
Regimental sergeant major (RSM) is an appointment that may be held by a warrant officer (WO) in the British Army, the Royal Marines, and the armies of many other Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations. It is also an actual rank in the Irish ...
22nd Regiment, British Army
*Sergeant-Major Aubrey Harrison —
Sergeant Major
Sergeant major is a senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned Military rank, rank or appointment in many militaries around the world.
History
In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's ...
, 82nd MEU
*Chief Petty Officer Vincente Rogas — US
Navy SEALs
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main funct ...
*Chief Petty Officer Roy Flemming RAN — CPO HMAS Havoc
*Admiral Tony Kevin -
Commander-in-Chief,
United States Pacific Command
The United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is the unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific, Indo-Pacific region.
It is the oldest and largest of the unified combatant commands. Lead ...
*Sub-Lieutenant Phillipe Danton - Ranking Officer on ''Robert Dessaix''
*Lt Commander Conrad Gray RAN - Executive Officer, HMAS Havoc
*Major Pavel Ivanov -
Russian Federation
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
Spetsnaz
SpetsnazThe term is borrowed from rus, спецназ, p=spʲɪtsˈnas; abbreviation for or 'Special Purpose Military Units'; or () are special forces in many post-Soviet states. Historically, this term referred to the Soviet Union's Spet ...
. On secondment to US Navy SEALS
*Lieutenant Amanda Lohrey RAN - Intelligence Officer, HMAS Havoc
Civilians
*Julia Duffy - Feature Writer, ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' embedded with the 82nd MEU
*Rosanna Natoli - CNN Producer
Contemporary Personnel
Allied Powers
*General
Henry Arnold US Army- Commander,
US Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...
*
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
-
British Prime Minister
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet, and selects its ministers. Modern pri ...
*
John Curtin
John Curtin (8 January 1885 – 5 July 1945) was an Australian politician who served as the 14th prime minister of Australia from 1941 until his death in 1945. He held office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), having been most ...
-
Australian Prime Minister
The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister is the chair of the Cabinet of Australia and thus the head of the federal executive government. Under the principles of responsibl ...
*Brigadier General US Army
Dwight Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...
- Commander-in-Chief, US Forces in the European Theater
*Admiral
Ernest King
Ernest Joseph King (23 November 1878 – 25 June 1956) was a Fleet admiral (United States), fleet admiral in the United States Navy who served as Commander in Chief, United States Fleet (COMINCH) and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) during Worl ...
USN -
Chief of Naval Operations
The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an Admiral (United States), admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the United States Secretary ...
*General
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...
US Army - Supreme Allied Commander,
Southwest Pacific Area
South West Pacific Area (SWPA) was the name given to the Allied supreme military command in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands in the Pacific War. SWPA included the Philippines, Borneo, the ...
*General
George Marshall
George Catlett Marshall Jr. (31 December 1880 – 16 October 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army under pres ...
US Army - Chairman,
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, which advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and ...
*Admiral
Chester Nimitz
Chester William Nimitz (; 24 February 1885 – 20 February 1966) was a Fleet admiral (United States), fleet admiral in the United States Navy. He played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Co ...
USN - Commander-in-Chief US Pacific Command, Commander-in-Chief, US Pacific Fleet
*
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
Franklin Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
- 32nd President of the United States
*Rear Admiral
Ray Spruance USN - Commander, Combined Pacific Task Force
*Rear Admiral Sir Leslie Murray RN - Royal Navy Liaison to the US Pacific Fleet
*General
Leslie Groves
Leslie Richard Groves Jr. (17 August 1896 – 13 July 1970) was a United States Army Corps of Engineers officer who oversaw the construction of the Pentagon and directed the Manhattan Project, a Classified information#Top_Secret_(TS), top sec ...
- Director,
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program undertaken during World War II to produce the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States in collaboration with the United Kingdom and Canada.
From 1942 to 1946, the ...
*Lieutenant
John F Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until Assassination of John F. Kennedy, his assassination in 1963. He was the first Catholic Chur ...
USN - Commander,
PT101
*Leading Seaman Michael 'Moose' Molloy - PT101
*Sub-Lieutenant
Philip Mountbatten
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from ...
RN - HMS Javelin
*Lieutenant
Jens Poulsson - Norwegian Commando
*Commander Daniel Black USN (Contemporary) —
Chiefs of Staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...
Liaison
Liaison or Liaisons may refer to:
General usage
* Affair, an unfaithful sexual relationship
* Collaboration
* Co-operation
* Liaison, an egg-based thickening used in cooking
Arts and entertainment
* Liaisons (''Desperate Housewives''), a 2007 ...
to Admiral Kolhammer
*Chief Petty Officer Dave Rollins USN - CPO, PT101
*Lieutenant George Ross USN - Commander, PT 59
*Sergeant Arthur Snider USMC -
1st Marine Division
The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine (military), Marine Division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine E ...
*Squadron Leader
Jan Zumbach
Jan Eugeniusz Ludwik Zumbach (14 April 1915, Ursynów, Congress Poland, Russian Empire – 3 January 1986, France) was a Poland, Polish-Switzerland, Swiss fighter pilot who became an fighter ace, ace and squadron commander during the World War I ...
RAF -
303 Squadron
*
Henry Stimson
Henry Lewis Stimson (September 21, 1867 – October 20, 1950) was an American statesman, lawyer, and Republican Party politician. Over his long career, he emerged as a leading figure in U.S. foreign policy by serving in both Republican and Demo ...
-
Secretary of War
The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
*Lieutenant Wally Curtis USN - Training Publications Officer, Liaison Division, Us Navy
The Axis
*Reichsmarschall
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician, aviator, military leader, and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which gov ...
- Commander,
Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
*Reichsführer SS
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and military leader who was the 4th of the (Protection Squadron; SS), a leading member of the Nazi Party, and one of the most powerful p ...
- Commander,
SS, Later Führer of the Third Reich
*Reichschancellor
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
*
Albert Speer
Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer (; ; 19 March 1905 – 1 September 1981) was a German architect who served as Reich Ministry of Armaments and War Production, Minister of Armaments and War Production in Nazi Germany during most of W ...
- German Minister of Armaments
*
Standartenführer
__NOTOC__
''Standartenführer'' (short: ''Staf'', , ) was a Nazi Party (NSDAP) paramilitary rank that was used in several NSDAP organizations, such as the SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK. First founded as a title in 1925, in 1928 it became one of ...
Otto Skorzeny
Otto Johann Anton Skorzeny (12 June 1908 – 5 July 1975) was an Austrian-born German SS-''Standartenführer'' in the ''Waffen-SS'' during World War II. During the war, he was involved in a number of operations, including the removal from power ...
— Personal Bodyguard to Adolf Hitler
*General
Kurt Zeitzler
Kurt Zeitzler (9 June 1895 – 25 September 1963) was a Chief of the Army General Staff in the ''Wehrmacht'' of Nazi Germany during World War II.
Zeitzler was almost exclusively a staff officer, serving as chief of staff in a corps, army, and ...
-
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
Chief of Staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...
*Major-General Paul Brasch - Deputy Minister, Reichministery of Armaments
*Commander Jisaku Hidaka
IJN - Interim Military Governor of Hawaii
*General
Masaharu Homma
was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. Homma commanded the Japanese 14th Army, which invaded the Philippines and perpetrated the Bataan Death March. After the war, Homma was convicted of war crimes relating ...
- Commander, Japanese Land Forces in Australia
*General Hiroshi Oskima - Japanese
Ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...
to
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
*Lieutenant Masahisa Uemura - Commander, Special Attack Squadron, Sapporo
*Grand Admiral
Isoroku Yamamoto
was a Marshal Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet during World War II. He commanded the fleet from 1939 until his death in 1943, overseeing the start of the Pacific War in 1941 and J ...
IJN - Commander,
Japanese Combined Fleet
The was the main sea-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Until 1933, the Combined Fleet was not a permanent organization, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units norm ...
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
*
Lavrenty Pavlovich Beria - Director,
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...
*
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev - Prisoner
*
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
-
General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
*
Vyacheslav Molotov
Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov (; – 8 November 1986) was a Soviet politician, diplomat, and revolutionary who was a leading figure in the government of the Soviet Union from the 1920s to the 1950s, as one of Joseph Stalin's closest allies. ...
- Foreign Minister
Civilians
*Graeme Blundell - Chief of Staff,
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
*Detective Sergeant Lou 'Buster' Cherry - Homicide Squad, Honolulu PD
*Dr Michael Cooper MD - Doctor in
Bundaberg
Bundaberg () is the major regional city in the Wide Bay-Burnett region of the state of Queensland, Australia. It is the List of cities in Australia by population, ninth largest city in the state. The Bundaberg central business district is situa ...
,
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
*James 'Slim Jim' Davidson -
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization.
CEOs find roles in variou ...
and Principal Shareholder, Slim Jim Enterprises. Formerly, Able Seaman, USS Astoria
*Colonel
William Joseph Donovan
William Joseph "Wild Bill" Donovan (January 1, 1883 – February 8, 1959) was an American soldier, lawyer, intelligence officer and diplomat. He is best known for serving as the head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to ...
- Director,
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the first intelligence agency of the United States, formed during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines ...
*
Lord Halifax
Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax (16 April 1881 – 23 December 1959), known as the Lord Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and the Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was a British Conservative politician of the 1930s. He h ...
- British Ambassador to the United States
*
J Edgar Hoover - Director,
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
*Special Agent Dave Hurly - Federal Bureau of Investigation
*Paul Robertson - Principal Private Secretary to John Curtin
*
William Stephenson
Sir William Samuel Stephenson (born William Samuel Clouston Stanger, 23 January 1897 – 31 January 1989) was a Canadian soldier, fighter pilot, businessman and spymaster who served as the senior representative of the British Security Coord ...
- Winston Churchill's personal representative in the United States
*Mitch Taverner -
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the first intelligence agency of the United States, formed during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines ...
*Clyde Toland - Assistant Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation
{{Axis of Time
Alternate history characters
Characters
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to Theoph ...
Axis of Time
The ''Axis of Time'' trilogy is an alternative history series of novels written by Australian journalist and author John Birmingham, from Macmillan Publishing.
The novels deal with the radical alteration of the history of World War II and the ...