Battle/War Picture Library - Issue ID

[Lysithea]

Hi all,

Apologies for putting this in the COMMANDO section, however I figured that anyone likely to know would also be a collector of COMMANDO...

I'm trying (and have been doing for ages!) to identify the name of an issue of either a War Picture Library or a Battle Picture Library - I can't remember which, I can only remember that it was definitely NOT an issue of COMMANDO. It would also not have been released any later than 1986, but most likely much earlier than that (I started collecting in the 80s, but also picked up back issues where I could, and I highly suspect that this wasn't one that I bought new at the time).

I lost my collection when I left home many years ago, but have picked up many issues of COMMANDO, WAR and BATTLE over the years which I remembered having - this one eludes me somehow. I've tried looking at the issue titles to see if anything stands out, and I've tried looking on eBay to see whether any covers stand out. Despite a few confident punts none of my guesses have panned out so far. I've also used AI to try and ID it based on the scant plot details that I managed to remember - again, despite some very encouraging suggestions none of them have panned out. I do have a small list of issues to go after, but before I start splashing the £££ I wanted to see if anyone else could narrow the search down.

I apologize in advance as the details I'll outline are scant, but it's all I remember....

The story is set in WWII, and it was in the desert so I'm assuming the North Africa campaign. Other than that most of what I remember is from the end of the story - our group of soldiers (British) are tasked with making a rearguard action to slow down the enemy advance (I can't remember if this is to cover a retreat or whether it's to stall a general push). The climax comes in a rocky pass, with our soldiers taking up positions among the rocks, after which the action takes place. I "think" most of our soldiers end up being killed, but there are a few that survive long enough for reinforcements to arrive to save the day (these may or may not have been tanks).

As I said, I plugged all this into AI and it came up with some encouraging results, however the ones I've been able to check thus far are definitely not the story in question. These include:

Battle Picture Library #14 - The Quick and the Dead
Battle Picture Library #26 - To The Last Man
Battle Picture Library #169 - Rearguard
War Picture Library #154 - Road from Tobruk

Ones that I have on my list still to check out:

Battle Picture Library #12 - Blood on the Sand
Battle Picture Library #47 - The Burning Sand
Battle Picture Library #51 - Sentence of Death
Battle Picture Library #143 - Sentence Deferred
War Picture Library #25 - The Iron Fist
War Picture Library #119 - Thunder in the Desert

If anyone has these to check, it would be most appreciated. As would any other suggestions or pointers as to the correct title. Even just ruling any of these out would save me time and £££.

Many thanks chaps.

[rod2402]

I'm curious where AI is getting the synopsis of the comics. I'll have to check it out myself some time.

I have 4 of those


BPL 12. Blood on the sand. This is about the LRDG.

BPL 47. The burning sands. Does end up in a rocky pass. NCO and CO form a bond and like the life of fighting in the dessert. It's near the end of the war in the desert. Z patrol has to stop the Germans blowing up a pass. The co realising he doesn't want to give up his good life in the dessert hesitates until the Germans blow up one span of the bridge. When the British sappers start to repair the bridge, the CO fires on them. The sargent has to shoot the CO.


BPL 51 Sentence of death. Starts in North Africa but end in D-day in Europe. The commanding officer had lost the plot but comes good and saves the day but dies in the progress. Not before clearing the name of the falsely accused.

WPL 119. Thunder in the desert. The Fenshire light horse in crusaders initially loose all their tanks. Are rebuilt with infantry and become a success and win the admiration of their brigadier. The last panel had them off to assist in another battle.

Good luck with your search