WW2 US / Allied Commando Hand-to-Hand Fighting handbook "Get Tough" - Commando Knife - by Major W.E. Fairbairn-Sykes - MI6 - OSS - First Edition! - 1942

VERY RARE FIRST EDITION (with the rank ''Captain'' on the cover instead of Major, this is the only difference with later editions) book ''Get Tough'', Hand-to-hand fighting, as taught to the British Commandos by Captain W.E, Fairbairn. Extremely nice OSS-MI6 related handbook. . It was printed in 1942. The book is in certainly issued condition, see attached photo's for a good impression - the last 2-3 pages have a bottom part of the page missing, but no pages misising. Overall a great book.

Fairbairn was a British Royal Marine officer. He developed hand-to-hand combat methods for the allied special forces during World War II. He developed innovative pistol shooting and fighting techniques and the development of the Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife.

During WW2, he was recruited by the British Secret Service as an Army officer. Together with fellow close-combat instructor Sykes, Fairbairn was commissioned on the General List in 1941. He trained British, American and Canadian Commando and No. 2 Dutch Troop 10th Inter-Allied Commando forces, along with Ranger candidates in close-combat, pistol-shooting and knife-fighting techniques.