|
|
[GREGORY (John Bonar)]
France 1916-1917-1918. From A Soldier's Diary.
1st Ed., [xi]+43pp. Crewkerne: Frank N. Parsons.
1924
#70038
|
![[HLMainPic]](booksThumbs/70038.jpg "Click on the left or right of the image for more images")
Slim but informative & interesting memoirs: Gregory explains in his Foreword that "The reasons for reviving memories of the German War, are first, to do honour to the dead, and in the second place to give expression to the long-pent-up feelings of the living. With regard to the second reason, it may not generally be known that a method of treating shell-shock cases which met with great success, was to insist upon them going over their war experiences in detail with a thoroughly sympathetic listener." So perhaps the writer was one of these unfortunate survivors. He was commissioned in the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, attached to the London Scottish in France in October 1916 then posted to his own 7th (S) Bn. (in 51st Division) at the end of the year. Spent a year with them inc. Passchendaele &c., then transferred to MGC at Grantham & came out to France again in August 1918 with a MG Battalion, with which he participated in the Final Advance. Many interesting experiences are included & some evocative descriptions of locations, e.g., Laventie in winter of 1916: "Neglect and ill-usage had made the houses look ruinous and the roads were in a wretched state. La Gorgue in the rain was almost as bad, more militarised with red flags and great sign boards marking headquarters and motors and transports of every description rattling through..." Orig. wheat cloth, titled in black to front, VG & signed by author next to his printed initials at foot of Foreword.
£95
|
|
|