John Harris ( October 18th, 1916 - March 7th, 1991 ) was born in Rotherham ( South Yorkshire, England ). On leaving Rotherham Grammar School at the age of 16, he worked for the Rotherham Advertiser ( from late 1932 or early 1933 ) as a reporter, graduating to feature writing on the Sheffield Telegraph. Six months later he gave up the job and made his way to Cornwall ( England ).
At the outbreak of war, John Harris volunteered to the R.A.F. and after a spell of flying ( which ended with six months in hospital ), he returned as a Corporal to active service on the sea in high speed launches ( Air Sea Rescue ), remaining with them until the end of the war, and serving in Africa and in the Channel.
After the war, he rejoined the Sheffield Telegraph as a political and comedy cartoonist, and stayed until the mid - 1950's when, following the outstanding success of his 1953 novel The Sea Shall Not Have Them - later, in 1954, made into a film of the same name - he became a full - time author. He went on to write more than 80 works of fiction and non - fiction. He also wrote as Max Hennessy and Mark Hebden.
Here are some of John Harris' books : The Lonely Voyage ( 1951 ), Road to the Coast ( 1959 ), The Unforgiving Wind ( 1963 ), The Errant Knights ( as Mark Hebden, 1968 ), Army of Shadows ( 1977 ), Soldier of the Queen ( as Max Hennessy, 1980 ), Pel and the Missing Persons ( as Mark hebden, 1990 ).
( sources : Wikipedia, The Mustering of the Hawks )