The Sabre Squadron

"The Sabre Squadron" is Volume III of the novel sequence "Alms for Oblivion" by Simon Raven, published in 1966. It was the third novel to be published in The "Alms for Oblivion" sequence and is also the third novel chronologically. The story takes place in and around Göttingen in 1952.

Characters, in the order of appearance

Daniel Mond – Mathematician with Jewish and German roots.

Dirange – Colleague of Mond.

Roger Constable – Tutor of Lancaster College. Appeared in Fielding Gray and later in The Rich Pay Late.

Jacquiz Helmut – Historian.

Aeneas von Bremke – German scientist.

Earle Restarick – American historian.

Coronet Julian James – Old friend of Mond. Does his national service.

Captain Fielding Gray – Stationed in Göttingen. Protagonist of Fielding Gray.

Major Giles Glastonbury – Stationed in Göttingen. Appeared in Sound The Retreat.

Lieutenant Motley – Stationed in Göttingen. Doctor.

Jack Lamprey – Troop Commander.

Piers Dungan – Troop Commander.

Michael Lamb – Grey’s chauffeur

Leonard Percival – Officer.

Rupert Percival – Politician and uncle of Leonard. Just mentioned.

Pappenheim – German officer.

Von Augsburg – Antisemite. Hurt in a duel with Giles Montgomery.

Tuck – Member of the control commission. Maybe the same Tuck that appeared in Fielding Gray.

Captain Detterling – MP. Appeared in Fielding Gray.

Bunce – Soldier who protects Mond for some days.

Chead – Soldier who protects Mond for some days.

Mugger – Soldier who protects Mond for some days.

Ivan Blessington – Appeared earlier in Fielding Gray. Former schoolmate of Gray, Morrison and Lloyd-James.

Alfie Schroeder – Journalist on Billingsgate Press.

Max de Freville – Gambler. Visiting Captain Detterling in Baden-Baden.

Cantaloupe – Cousin of Detterling. Visiting him in Baden-Baden.

Plot summary

The story takes place in Göttingen in 1952. The young mathematician Daniel Mond (of Jewish German descent but born in England) arrives to study “The Dortmund papers” which is a collection of notes left by the german mathematician Dortmund (died 1938). Mond is a student of Lancaster College, that appeared in Fielding Gray. Early during his stay he gets to know the american historian Earle Restarick who is friendly for a while and then withdraws.

Mond meets a large number of soldiers from The Sabre Squadron in the Earl of Hamilton’s 10th Regiment, among them his comrade from Lancaster, Julian Gray. Fielding Gray is also in this group and the two men have many discussions. Monds follows the soldiers during a “night on the town” (the first of many) but goes on picnic with Gray and his chauffeur Michael Lamb the next day. Gray tells Mond about the reason for the army’s presence in the area: to handle a nuclear war. A big exercise called “Apocalypse” will be held in September in which the soldiers will practice what to do after a nuclear war.

Mond is present at several dinners with the squadron and meets a former German officer, Pappenheim, who is very curious about his Monds research. Also his german colleague, Dr von Bremke, is rather curious. Mond is trying to reveal the story about Fielding Gray and his failure to attend Lancaster but the rumours are to vague after seven years. During a meeting with the officer Leonard Percival and Pappenheim Mond is told that his friend Restarick and the US is supporting former nazis to secure West Germany from influence from the Soviet Union. They offer Mond protection if he reveals what he have found in the Dortmund papers.

During an evening on the town Mond is humiliated by the antisemite von Augsburg who is challenged to a duel by the officer Giles Glastonbury. This results in von Augsburg ending up in hospital and Glastonbury in jail. As a key witness, Mond is now prohibited from leaving Germany. The message about this is delivered by Tuck (from Fielding Gray) who is now a member of the controll committee. As Mond will later know the whole affair was arranged to keep Mond in Germany. Glastonbury is, however, freed when his friend captain Detterling (from Fielding Gray arrives on his way to Baden Baden. Detterling can’t prevent Glastonbury from being sent to Hong Kong and Fielding Gray is suddenly head of the Squadron.

During a visit to Dortmunds grave Mond is harassed by Restarick and a number of soldiers. Shaken, he tells the truth to Fielding Gray. In the papers, Mond have found a way to create chains reactions in atoms in way that is much worse than the chain reactions made by an atomic bomb. Mond is really scared about what this knowledge could lead to and will not tell one single person something of substance about how to achieve this.

Gray and his squadron shows a touching loyalty to Mond and promises that they will help him escape. Mond get a guard consisting of soldiers Lamb, Bunde, Chead and Mugger and he is dressed up as “trooper Lewis.” In this guise he will escape during the operation called “Apocalypse”, earlier mentioned by Gray. All goes well except for the fact that Mugger is severely beaten up in a fight with fusiliers. During the trip Mond also meets the genial journalist Alfie Schroeder who recognises him but is persuaded to keep quiet. Mond is handled over to captain Detterling who, after some hesitation, smuggles him out in an ambulance.

Mond is put in a costume against radiation but the zipper is broken and he is, for a while, afraid that he can’t get out of the suit before the oxygen expires. When he, after a long trip, steps out of the ambulance he finds himself face to face with Restarick and Percival. He faint but wakes up without the suite and in Strasbourg. Percival and Restarick are trying to threaten him into giving away what he knows. When Mond refuses they threaten to destroy the career of Mond and his squadron since they’ve broken a number of rules to get Mond out of Germany. Mond gives up and asks for his paper. When he is alone he thinks about the motto of the Squadron (Res Unius, Res Omnium – one for all and all for one) and, touched by the loyalty of Gray and his men, he cuts his throat with a penknife.