Nine Lives of a Soldier and Sailor by Kelvin Davies

If this had been published as a novel, anyone reading it would shake their heads in disbelief, saying it was too far-fetched. However, as they say, 'truth is stranger than fiction', and this remarkable memoir clearly demonstrates this. It is incredibly well-written, with short, sharp paragraphs that create a pacy and engrossing read, and are interspersed with some genuine humour. Please be warned, there are some pretty harrowing pictures of wounded soldiers.

His story takes us on a roller coaster ride from joining the Navy and the various roles he had throughout. Starting out as a medic and patrolling with NZ troops in Vietnam, having to perform medical procedures with limited instruments and getting shot in the chest, receiving life-threatening wounds. Beyond the physical scars were ones that went much deeper as he struggled to come to terms emotionally with the loss of 40 American soldiers he served with.

Beyond the battlefield, we discover his unique Navy training and career as a diver. Once again, he seems to have a charmed life, surviving running out of air while working inside a pipeline in total darkness. This was offset by some amazing dives, discovering a sunken plane, and, in some free time, managing to capture a number of crayfish.

After leaving the Navy, he moved to work as a commercial diver, and this career ended with a nasty accident. This led him to set up his own business. In 1999, the company won the North Shore Westpac Business Enterprise Award, but the story doesn’t finish here.

Reviewer: Chris Casey

IMRI Publishing