Charlie Trumpess is a military historian, author, and Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, specialising in Britain’s elite Guards regiments during the Second World War. He holds a Master’s degree in Military History by Research from the University of Buckingham and is a member of the Historical Writers’ Association, the Society for Army Historical Research, the Army Records Society, and the 29th Division Association.
His research focuses on the causes, actions, and consequences of armed conflict, with particular expertise in military adaptation, elite unit culture, and the institutional factors that shaped Britain’s wartime fighting forces.
Published Works
A History of the Guards Armoured Formations 1941–1945 (Pen & Sword Military) examines how the five regiments of Foot Guards, the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish, and Welsh Guards, transitioned from elite infantry to armoured warfare. Drawing on original archival material and veteran testimonies, the book traces the Guards Armoured Division and 6th Guards (Tank) Brigade from formation through to the Northwest Europe campaign, covering operations including D-Day, Operation Goodwood, and Market Garden. The work addresses a significant gap in Second World War historiography by providing a critical analysis of why the official history of the Guards Armoured Division took over a decade to reach publication.
The Birth of British Special Forces: How the Guards Regiments Helped Forge the SAS, Commandos and Paras (Fonthill Media) is now available. This is the first systematic investigation into the disproportionate influence of Guards officers in the creation of Britain’s special forces. Set against the crisis of 1940, the book documents how figures including Bill and David Stirling, Robert Laycock, and Frederick ‘Boy’ Browning translated the Guards’ values of discipline, leadership, and institutional excellence into the founding structures of the Commandos, SAS, Long Range Desert Group, and Parachute Regiment. Where earlier histories treated this connection as incidental, The Birth of British Special Forces demonstrates it was fundamental.
Both titles combine scholarly rigour with accessible narrative, making them essential reading for students of British military history, Second World War operations, and the evolution of special forces.
Why These Books Matter
If you are researching the Guards regiments in the Second World War, the origins of the SAS, the formation of the Commandos, or British airborne operations, these works offer primary-source-grounded analysis unavailable elsewhere. They address questions that mainstream Second World War histories have largely overlooked: how elite infantry culture directly shaped modern special forces doctrine, and how institutional identity survived—and drove—radical military transformation.
Media and Collaboration
Charlie Trumpess is available for interviews, book signings, podcast appearances, radio, television, and webinar contributions. He also manages The War Years (thewaryears.co.uk), a platform dedicated to accessible military history through articles, video content, and community engagement.
To discuss his work, request a review copy, or explore collaboration opportunities, please use the contact details below.
