Douglas Reeman / Alexander Kent

Novelist Douglas Reeman was born in Thames Ditton, Surrey, England, in 1924. Although he came from an army family, when WWII broke out, Reeman decided to join the navy. He was only 16 years old at the time, but managed to enlist and start out as a midshipman on destroyers, a fete that was not to be scoffed at. Eventually he would transfer to work on motor torpedo boats, and was mentioned in two dispatches. His service took him to the Atlantic and Mediterranean campaigns, as well as the North Sea and Arctic campaigns. Eventually, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant.