Captain Henry Taprell Dorling (1883–1968) was a British sailor, author, and journalist who served in the Royal Navy during both World War One and World War Two, giving his marine fact and fiction a notable authenticity. His Pincher Martin, O.D. (1916) is widely referenced as the source for Pincher Martin (1956) by Nobel prizewinner William Golding. He wrote under the name Taffrail.[1]
Dorling was born in Berwick, the second son of Colonel Francis Dorling, and named Taprell Henry, but later changed the order of his names. He entered HMS Britannia in August 1897, his 1113 marks placing him fifty-eighth in merit among the sixty-three candidates accepted as naval cadets.[2] By then an acting sub-lieutenant, he was in late September 1902 transferred to the seagoing training brig .[3]
He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on 31 December 1904, and commander on 31 December 1916. The following year he was appointed in command of the new in her first commission.
In addition to his novels, novelettes, and non-fiction books, Dorling also wrote short stories for magazines such as The Royal Magazine.[4]
Dorling wrote three types of books:[5]
The following list is drawn from the Jisc Library Hub Discover catalogue. This is an online database that collates 161 UK and Irish academic, national & specialist library catalogues. Nevertheless, this catalogue is not exhaustive, and three titles drawn from searches on Abe Books, a site for the used-book trade, are included.
1 | 1912 | All about ships: a book for boys | Cassell & Co, London | xii, 371 pages, 4 col plates, drawings, photos, (8º) | |||
2 | 1915 | The Boy Castaways; or, Endeavour Island | Blackie & Son, London | vi, 360 pages, (8º) | |||
4 | 1916 | Carry on!: naval sketches and stories | C. A. Pearson, London | [6], 122 p., 19 cm. | |||
7 | 1916 | Pincher Martin, O.D.: a story of the inner life of the Royal Navy. By 'Taffrail | Clifford Fleming-Williams | W. & R. Chambers, London | 340 p., 20 cm. | ||
3 | 1916 | Service medals, ribbons, badges and flags | George Philip & Son, London | In 4 parts: [6], 86, 48, 48, 45 p. : illustrations (some color), 18 cm. | [6] | ||
5 | 1916 | Stand By!: naval sketches and stories | C. A. Pearson, London | 120 pages, (8º) | |||
6 | 1916 | The secret submarine: a story of fighting by sea and land | Blackie & Son, London | 352 pages, (8º) | |||
10 | 1917 | Minor Operations | C. A. Pearson, London | 120 p., 20 cm. | |||
9 | 1917 | Off Shore | C. A. Pearson, London | 121 p., 18 cm. | |||
11 | 1917 | Sea, Spray and Spindrift: naval yarns | W. Edward Wigfull, Neville Southeby Pitcher | C. A. Pearson, London | 159 pages : illustrations, (8º) | ||
8 | 1917 | The sub: being the autobiography of David Munro, sub-lieutenant, Royal Navy | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 356 p. : 5 leaves of plates, 20 cm. | |||
13 | 1918 | A Little Ship | W. & R. Chambers, London | 337 pages, (8º) | |||
12 | 1918 | The watch below: naval sketches and stories | C. A. Pearson, London | 121 p., 18 cm. | |||
14 | 1920 | H.M.S. anonymous | H. Jenkins, London | 320 p., 19 cm. | |||
15 | 1920 | Oh, Joshua! | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 318, [2]p., 19cm. | |||
16 | 1925 | Sea venturers of Britain | W. Collins, London | xix, 316 p. : plates, ports., maps (part. fold.), 19 cm. | |||
17 | 1927 | Sea Escapes and Adventures | P. Allan & Co, London | 286 pages, (8º) | |||
20 | 1929 | Men o' war: St. Vincent, Cochrane, Marryat, Fisher, Beresford | P. Allan & Co, London | 308 p. : illustrations, maps., 22cm. | |||
19 | 1929 | Pirates | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 311 pages, (8º) | |||
18 | 1929 | Shipmates | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 316 pages, (8º) | |||
21 | 1930 | The lonely bungalow | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 320 p., 19 cm. | |||
23 | 1931 | Endless story: being an account of the work of the destroyers, flotilla-leaders, torpedo-boats and patrol boats in the great war | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 451 p : illus, 25 cm. | |||
22 | 1931 | Kerrell | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 319 p. : illustrations, 19 cm. | |||
24 | 1932 | Cypher K | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 315 pages, (8º) | |||
25 | 1932 | The scarlet stripe: being the adventures of a naval surgeon | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 310 p. : plan, 18 cm | |||
26 | 1933 | Dover-Ostend: a cross channel thriller | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 351 p. : 1 map, 19 cm. | |||
27 | 1933 | The man from Scapa Flow | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 320 pages, (8º) | |||
28 | 1934 | Seventy North (70º N) | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 319 p., 20 cm. | |||
29 | 1935 | Second Officer | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 310 p., 20 cm. | |||
30 | 1935 | Swept channels: being an account of the work of the minesweepers in the Great War. | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 388 pages, (8º) | |||
31 | 1935 | Second Officer | Hodder & Stroughton, London | [7] | |||
32 | 1936 | Mid-Atlantic | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 318, [1] p., 20 cm. | |||
33 | 1936 | Mystery at Milford Haven | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 319 pages, (8º) | |||
34 | 1937 | Mystery Cruise | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 320 p., 20 cm. | |||
35 | 1938 | Operation 'M.O.' | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 288 pages, (8º) | |||
36 | 1938 | Micheal Bray | Hodder & Stroughton, London | [8] | |||
37 | 1939 | Fred Travis, A.B. | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 336 p., 20 cm. | |||
38 | 1939 | The Shetland plan | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 256 p. : maps, 19 cm | |||
39 | 1940 | The navy in action | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 224 p., 19 cm. | |||
40 | 1940 | The Navy is here: a convoy of naval novels | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 753 p., 8º. | |||
41 | 1943 | Chenies | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 282 p., 20 cm. | |||
42 | 1943 | White Ensigns | G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York | 280 p. | [9] | ||
43 | 1946 | Ribbons and medals, naval, military, air force and civil | George Philip & Son, London | viii, 208 p., illustrated, xvi color plates on 9 leaves; 19 cm | |||
44 | 1947 | Western Mediterranean, 1942-1945 | Hodder & Stroughton, London | 461p. : illustrations, 8 volumes | |||
45 | 1949 | Toby Shad | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 317 p., 20 cm. | |||
46 | 1951 | The jade lizard | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 256 p., 19 cm. | |||
47 | 1952 | Salt water quiz | Hodder and Stoughton, London | 157 p., illustrated, 20 cm | |||
48 | 1952 | The new moon | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 254 p., 19 cm. | |||
49 | 1953 | The Hurlingham Club, 1869-1953 | Hurlingham Club, London | 69 p., illustrated, 21cm. | |||
50 | 1953 | Euridice | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 286 pages, (12º) 19x13cm, red cloth hardcover, original price 12/6 | |||
51 | 1956 | Arctic convoy | Hodder & Stoughton, London | 315 p., 21cm. | |||
52 | 1973 | Blue Star Line at war, 1939-1945 | Foulsham, Slough | 159,xiii p, : illustrated, maps (1 color), ports, 23cm. | |||
53 | 1974 | Ribbons and medals: the world's military and civil awards | George Philip & Son, London | 359 pages : illustrations (some colour), 23 cm | [10] |