Billy MacLeod MBE, founder of Veterans In Action near Andover, has published a historical novel following the Royal Engineers through the retreat to Dunkirk.
A Sapper’s Story: 1940 – Retreat to Dunkirk was published on 1 October 2026. It draws on Billy’s own background in the Corps to tell the story of the soldiers who cleared routes, prepared bridges for demolition and helped keep the British Army moving during the retreat through France and Belgium.
The novel follows fictional Glasgow Sapper Donald ‘Donnie’ MacIver and the men of Two Section, serving with the 59th Field Company, Royal Engineers. Their story combines imagined characters with real units and historical settings, bringing the practical work, friendships and pressures of soldiering into the foreground.
Billy joined the Royal Engineers in 1977 at the age of sixteen. He trained as a Class 1 Combat Engineer and later qualified as an Amphibious Engineer. His service took him to Northern Ireland and Belize before he was discharged through injury in 1986.
In 2008, he founded Veterans In Action to support veterans struggling with the effects of war or the transition to civilian life. The charity’s walks and expeditions have helped hundreds of veterans. Billy was appointed MBE in 2020 for services to veterans.
His novel puts the Sapper at the centre of a wartime story, drawing on his experience of the Corps for the working detail and relationships between soldiers. It is the first in a planned six-book Second World War series.
Lieutenant General Sir Mark Mans KCB CBE DL, former Chief Royal Engineer, has written the foreword. Eleven maps created for the book follow the journey from the Dyle Line to the beaches at Dunkirk.
Signed first-edition hardbacks are available directly from Billy’s website at £27.99, including UK delivery. Readers can find book information, ordering details and links to the other editions at https://billymacleodmbe.com/.