Memorial volumes

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Some years ago there was a suggestion here that a list might be produced detailing those privately printed memoirs that many families had published to commemorate their fallen sons & daughters. As a peripatetic collector of such things I was wondering if any members had produced such a listing. I'm aware that a well known book dealer is in the process of compiling such a bibliography but as yet it hasn't come to press. My own collection only runs to some 20 volumes but I'm aware that many hundreds were produced. Without knowing the actual titles it's quite difficult to search for them either in libraries or on book sites as there are no generally accepted search terms which can be used.

I'd be happy to list my own modest holdings if that might start the ball rolling but I'll wait to see if there is any interest first.

[Black Maria]

I made a list a few years ago of some of the titles that appeared in the book catalogues I have=

Duty and Service letters from the front Capt L W Crouch

Edward J Shuttleworth Capt 7 R.B 1890-1917

Harold Parry 2nd Lieut K.R.R.C 1896-1917

William Howard Lister

Robert Palmer letters from Mespot 15-16

Cedrics letters during the Great War 14-19

War notes and Sketches by E Richardson 2 lieut 4 yorks K.I.A 1916

Letters from the Boy memoir of Capt Brooke

The War Letters of Leonard & Walter Ewbank 15-17

One Young Man

A life Well Lived memoir of J.W.C Taylor 1887-1915

Colwyn Philipps Capt Royal Horse Guards

An Australian in the R.F.A letters and diaries of A.C. Stephen

Verses and Letters of A.W St Clair Tindall V.C

Fredrick Goodyear letters and remains 1887-1917

Memoir of Arthur Raymond Marshall R.N.D

Life and Letters of N.C Lucas 2nd Royal Irish Rif

Letters of Major H.Bentick Cold Gds

Dennis Oliver Barnett in happy memory Oct 14-Aug 15

Arthur Innis Adam 1894-1916

Jim,Jottings and Letters J.E Whitehead

Letters,Essays and Verses of John Brown

A South African Student and Soldier H.E House 1894-1917

Two soldier brothers Bert (lt W.E.Wood) and Ted (2nd liet E.L.Wood)

Essays,poems and letters by Bernarsd Pitt Lt Border Reg K.I.A 30-4-19

The letters of Ivor Campbell May15-Jan16

Memoirs and Letters R.C Hopkins

Diary of Private Fred Glover N.Z inf

Letters & Memories J.Lusk

On Active Service Letters of G.B Pollard

Geoffrey Watkins Smith a memoir

Robert Dunlop Smith 1892-1917

The life of Robert Poulton

The letters of a English boy Richard b Levett K.R.R.C K.I.A 10.3.17

Selection of letters of E.E Malins 2nd Lieut S.W.B

A memoir LT-Col E.A Steel R.H.A 1880-1919

Dan a memoir

B Mc Kinnell Diary 1.11.14-14.6.15 K.I.A

R.V Sutton a record of his life

A leader of men Maj H.Baker

A voice from far away E.J Bradley

With The Gordons at Ypres A.M McCloud

In loving Memory of three sons of Lord and Lady Cowley who fell in the Great War

Student and Sniper Sergeant memoir of J.K F orbes

George Fern Whidbourne M.C his life and surroundings 1890-1915

Reminiscences of a younger son Lt-Col North

Letters from Bob (Capt G.P Kay)Flight Commander 46 Squadron R.F.C

John Hugh Allen of the Gallant Company a memoir by his sister

A Subaltern's letters=letters of 2nd lieut J.S Engall Q.W.M.R 1915-16

A Young Borderer the memoir of A.D.Y.Herries Capt K.O.S.B

Poems of L.Penrose with a biography

Kenneth Gordon Garnett M.C R.F.A

Conway Morgan 1885-1915 a memoir by his mother

Harry Butters R.F.A life and war letters

Trem a short memoir of Lieut E. Tremlett 9th Devons and M.G.C

Letters and memorials of Capt W.A Douglas 6/ Royal Scots

In memoriam A.R Murray 2nd Lieut 17th H.L.I 1897-1917

William G.C Gladstone a memoir

Christopher a study in human personality

Life of Frederick Courtney Selous D.S.O Capt Royal Fus

Morris Bickersteth 1891-1916

Letters of A.G.Heath Lieut 6 R.W.K

Poems of Ivor Campbell with a memoir

Dennis Ely Capt D.L.I

Soldier dramatist being the letters of H.Chaplin K.I.A 26/9/15

Archibald Donn a memoir

A Subalterns share in the war letters of the late G.W Devenish R.A Att R.F.C

A memoir of his son K.J.B Addy 2nd Lieut K.R.R.C K.I.A OCT 15

Edward Wyndham Tennant a memoir

James Lusk Capt 6th Cameronians letters and memoir

Robert Keith McDermott Capt 3rd Seaforths

Private letters written by the late Private C.R Fowler H.A.C K.I.A 13.3 1915

Douglas Hyde-Thomas 1891-1918

A voice from far away poems by Eric J Bradley

George Elton Sedding =the life and work of an artist soldier

In loving memory of Lionel Edbrooke

Life of Major J.H.Whitworth D.S.O M.C

Keeling Letters and recollections

Diary of Hugh McNeill Fraser 1st London Scottish Sept 14-Jan 15

In memoriam=souvenir of a soldier Pte E Loxdale 15 Londons

Chapter from a soldier's life Maj C.G Campbell 11.8.87-24.9.1940

The making of an officer a boys life in his letters Capt A.C.Burnell 2nd R.B

Gilbert Walter Lyttelton Talbot K.I.A 30.7.1915

James Colin MacLehose 2nd Lieut R.B 1897-1917

D.R Brandt some of his letters

Letters written in the trenches near Ypres 5-9-1915 H.M Butterworth

A soldier a man life and work of Lieut-Col H.Storr D.S.O Middlesex Regt

Brydon Kinell Capt 10/ King's Nov 14-June 15

I don't collect memorial volumes as there are just so many and they are expensive,i have a few but my favourite is=

Alec Rowan Heron 2nd Lieut K.R.R.C K.I.A 10.3.1915

[MarkTurner]

One which I can't see listed is C K Scott Moncrieff memories and letters edited by J M Scott Moncrieff and L W Lunn

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Thanks Blackmaria, a superb list and one I'm hoping others will add to. I was in the middle of drawing up my own list when I saw your post. I've found 32 on the shelves so far but taking out the ones already in your list here are another 17 to add on :-

Frank Buggs : Memories of a Young Brother. Priv. Pr. 1943. Rifleman, 16th London Regiment

Harry, Schoolboy & Soldier. Elliot Stock 1919

Henry Dundas. A Memoir. Blackwood 1921. 1st Bt., Scots Guards.

Letters from Flanders by 2nd Lt. A. D. Gillespie. Smith Elder 1916. Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

Noel Waugh Hadwen. Priv. Pr. 1922. Capt., 2nd Duke of Wellington’s

Stephen Hewett : Scholars Letters from the Front. Longmans 1918. 11th Royal Warks

Paul Jones : War Letters of a Public Schoolboy. Cassell 1918. Lt., Tank Corps

Edward Francis Malins. Priv. Pr. 1919. 2nd Lt., 2nd South Wales Borderers

A Memoir of Rev. W. H. Norman. Priv. Pr. ? Sergeant, RAMC

Edmund Priestman : With a B. P. Scout in Gallipoli. Routledge 1916. Lt., 6th Yorks & Lancs

Two Brothers : Eric & Arnold Miall Smith. Priv. Pr. 1918. 2nd Lts. 8th Norfolk & 12th Fusiliers

John Savill Tatham : Letters Home. Priv. Pr. ? 2nd Lt., King’s Royal Rifles George W. Taylor – The Boy with the Guns. Bodley Head 1919. Lt., Royal Field Artillery

Capt. Claude Templer : Poems & Imaginings. Bossard, Paris 1920. 1st Gloucester’s

William Terrell : With Motor Transport in British East Africa. Priv. Pr. 1920

Capt. E. S. Underhill. Priv. Pr. 1924. 8th Loyal North Lancs.

Robert Barbour Whyte. Priv. Pr. 1918. 2nd Lt., 1st Black Watch

If I had to pick a favourite it would be the Underhill - large quarto, bound in leather, photographs with tissue guards & fold-out trench maps - must have cost a small fortune to produce.

[Black Maria]

Thanks DJC, I always wondered why the Underhill was so rare, I have a copy of the L.S.E reprint (A year on the Western Front) but have

never seen an original copy and now I can understand why.

Another book in my collection which I suppose one would class as a memorial volume is" Letters written from the English front in France

between September 1914 and March 1915" written by Captain Edward Hulse (2nd Scots Guards)privately printed in 1916,in which he leaves a

fascinating record of the Christmas truce of 1914.Hulse's family home was Breamore House in Hampshire,he was killed in action on March 15th

1915.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

I forgot to mention what is probably the best of the memorial volumes - The Role of Honour of the Empire's Heroes. This is an elaborately bound folio, sadly unpaginated but probably over 500 pages, which records the lives of some 200 or so fallen Officers (yes all the heroes seem to be Officers but I suspect the families had to pay a substantial amount for their sons to be included). Each entry covers 2 or 3 pages with a photograph, short biography, letters & condolences. I only have a single volume but the IWM list 5 altogether. It wasn't cheap either at 5 Guineas (£5.25 for younger members).

[stiletto_33853]

Of great interest to me, and although I find them so sad in knowing the outcome but they are a great resource and a fascinating insight into the men themselves. For example two of these memorial books I placed on the forum the men came from the same battalion until one was wounded and then placed into another battalion, comparing the two made the life of the battalion come alive in many respects.

Given my interests I have the following

D.R. Brandt - Some of his letters (1st Rifle Brigade officer killed in action 6/7/15)

The making of an officer or a boys life told in letters (Captain A.C. Burnell, 4th Rifle Brigade, killed in action near Bois Grenier 18/3/16)

Dan - A Memorial (Daniel Edward Bradby, 9th Rifle Brigade, Killed in action 9/4/17)

Andrew R. Buxton - A Memoir (3rd Rifle Brigade, killed in action 7/6/17)

Pages from a family Journal 1888 - 1915 (Memorial book by the Earl and Countess of Desborough in 1916 to their sons The Hon. Julian Grenfell, 1st Royal Dragoon Guards, died 26/5/15 and The Hon. Gerald (Billy) Grenfell, 8th Rifle Brigade, killed in action 30/7/15)

Edward James Kay-Shuttleworth (7th Rifle Brigade killed whilst Staff Captain to 218th Infantry Brigade)

James Colin MacLehose - 2nd Lieut. Rifle Brigade (16th Rifle Brigade, killed in action 14/2/17)

T.K. Rae - 2nd Lieut. 8th Rifle Brigade (killed in action 30/7/15) rare as rocking horse do do!!!

Geoffrey Watkins Smith (13th Rifle Brigade, killed in action 10/7/16)

Two Men A Memoir (Two Shrewsbury School teachers Evelyn Southwell, 13th Rifle Brigade, killed in action 15/9/16 & Malcolm White, 1st Rifle Brigade, killed in action 1/7/16, known as "The Men" at Shrewsbury)

Gilbert Walter Lyttelton Talbot (7th Rifle Brigade, killed in action 30/7/15) more a celebration of his life rather than his life at the front, gives a feeling of the immense loss the country suffered with his demise.

Letters to His Wife (Robert Ernest Vernede, War Poet, 12th Rifle Brigade, killed in action 9/4/17)

Miles Christi (Cecil Francis Wegg-Prosser, Rifle Brigade, killed in action 1916)

Arthur Franklin Willmer (9th Rifle Brigade, died of wounds 20/9/16)

Andy

By the way DJC, that book you were referring to, Tom has virtually finished now, he is hoping to put the final touch's to it after meeting two gentlemen that have massive collections of these memorial books.

[Charles Fair]

I can add one from my own family. Much of the contents were republished in my book last year.

R.H.S. Reginald Herbert Secretan (1/1 Hertfordshire, kia 31 July 1917) published privately in 1921

[stiletto_33853]

Forgot to add

"Letters" written in the trenches near Ypres between May and September 1915, by H.M. Butterworth, 9th Rifle Brigade, who fell in action on September 25th, 1915.

These letters were edited by Jon Cooksey in a book called "Blood & Iron" which is excellent and goes way beyond the letters, detailing his life, family and Rifle Brigade life.

Andy

[barkalotloudly]

I managed to obtain a copy of "Christopher Richard Fowler Honourable Artillery Company" a very interesting book almost entirely consisting of his letters written {"from the BEF" between September 1914 and march 1915.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Let me attempt to kick start this topic again by mentioning a volume I picked up recently.

'Jim' Jottings & Letters of James Edward Whitehead. 2nd Lt., 4/7th Middlesex Reg.

There is a memorial window to him in Holy Innocents' Church, Hornsey & some of the parishioners there recently made a pilgrimage to France to visit his grave. The book is a fascinating collection of his letters & diary from the front. As a result of getting in touch with the church I've scanned the whole book so if anyone is interested I have it saved (at nearly 170 pages it's rather a large set of files).

By the way Tom Donovan is proof-reading his bibliography so hopefully it'll be out in the not too distant future!

[Black Maria]

When the book is published will you be trying to collect them all DJC ?

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Judging by the prices they're fetching on Ebay I'd probably need to sell my house and take up camping. Tom's promising to put a small collection of memorials for sale with the bibliography. I used to find the odd one for sale in bookshops for a few pounds but those days seem to be long gone.

[Black Maria]

I must say that the memorial volumes do tempt me because of the rarity value , but with my collectors hat on, i am put off by the sheer number of them to collect , there are
one or two i would try and buy if i ever saw them, but like you say i may have to take out a mortgage to afford them. I noticed that a book you mentioned a while ago came up
for sale on E-Bay ( A Cameronian Officer ) and i was tempted to put in a bid , but on further reading it looked more like a memorial volume than a proper memoir , so i didn't
bother in the end. It was strange that no one put a bid in for it , considering the seller of the other memorial volumes has had lots of bids on their books and it was listed on
the same page.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

I think Tom has identified just short of 400 volumes, although more will surely come to light as soon as the book is published. It'll be interesting to see how widely he casts his net. The first collection of Isaac Rosenberg's Poems, which includes Gordon Bottomley's memoir of the poet, will be in there for instance.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

In the continuing absence of Tom's bibliography & as I now seem to have accumulated quite a few more of these books I thought I'd add an updated list for any of you still interested in these things.

The Roll of Honour of the Empires Heroes. Priv, Pr. 1918. Askew to Wragg

Kenneth James Balguy Addy. Priv, Pr. 1916. 2nd Lt. 1st KRRC

John Hugh Allen of the Gallant Company. Arnold 1919. Lt., 13th Worcestershires

Arthur Innes Adam. Bowes & Bowes 1920. 1st Bn., Cambridgeshire Regiment

Letters of Major Henry Bentinck. Robert Scott 1919. 2nd Coldstream Guards.

Dan.A Memorial (Daniel Edward Bradby). Privately Printed 1918. Lt., Rifle Brigade

Frank Buggs : Memories of a Young Brother. Priv. Pr. 1943. Rifleman, 16th London Regiment

Edward Teshmaker Busk. Maclehose 1917. Lt., Royal Engineers

Andrew R. Buxton : The Rifle Brigade. Robert Scott 1918 in d.w. Lt., 3rd Batt., RFA

George Calderon by Percy Lubbock. Grant Richards 1921. Lt., Ox & Bucks Light Inf.

Harold Chapin : Soldier & Dramatist. Bodley Head 1916. RAMC

From Dug-Out and Billet by Major Chota. Hurst & Blackett 1916. (Fiction??)

George Bleazard Cowpe. Priv. Pr. 1918. Lt., 6th Batt., Cheshire Regt.

Duty & Service : Letters of Captain Lionel Crouch. Priv. Pr. 1917. Ox & Bucks Light Inf.

Frank Leonard Cunningham : From Ypres to Loos. Priv. Pr. 1915. Northumberland Hussars.

Kingsley Darling : A Mothers Tribute. Priv.Pr. 1919. Capt., 5th Batt., Royal Scots.

Henry Doughty. An Actor Soldier. Hutchinson 1926. Lt., Horse Transport, RASC.

Henry Dundas. A Memoir. Blackwood 1921. 1st Bt., Scots Guards.

Fragments by a Schoolboy : Poems by 2nd Lt. E. B. Flenley. Kings (Liverpool) Regiment. Liverpool 1920

J. K. Forbes : Student & Sniper-Sergeant. Hodder 1916. 4th Gordon Highlanders

Kenneth Gordon Garnett. Priv. Pr. 1917. 2nd Lt., Royal Field Artillery

Letters from Flanders by 2nd Lt. A. D. Gillespie. Smith Elder 1916. Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

William G. C. Gladstone by Viscount Gladstone. Nisbet 1918. Lt., RWF

Noel Waugh Hadwen. Priv. Pr. 1922. Capt., 2nd Duke of Wellingtons

Frederick Vincent Hall. Priv. Pr. 1919? Flt. Lt. 210 Sq. RAF

Rev. Arthur Percival Hatfield. Priv. Pr. 1919? Army Chaplain. 10th Div., EEF.

Ivan Heald. Hero & Humorist. Pearson 1917. Lt., Hood Batt., Royal Naval Div.

A Young Borderer : Alex Young-Herries. Blackwood 1928. Capt., KOSB

Stephen Hewett : Scholars Letters from the Front. Longmans 1918. 11th Royal Warks

Robert Horn : a sketch by his mother. Priv.Pr. 1933. Lt. Col. 1st Seaforth Highlanders

Paul Jones : War Letters of a Public Schoolboy. Cassell 1918. Lt., Tank Corps

Letters of an English Boy. Richard Byrd Levett. Eton College 1917. 2nd Lt. 1st KRRC.

Charles Lister : Letters & Recollections. Fisher Unwin 1917. Lt., Hood Batt., Royal Naval Division

William Howard Lister by Walter Seton. Priv. Pr. Medici 1919. Capt., RAMC

James Lusk : Letters & Memories. Blackwell 1916. Capt., 6th Cameronians

Edward Francis Malins. Priv. Pr. 1919. 2nd Lt., 2nd South Wales Borderers

Letters of John Harold M'Ervel. Priv. Pr. (1917)., Major, 1st Batt. Kings (Liverpool) Regt.

Conway Morgan. Longmans 1926. Lt., Royal Field Artillery

A Memoir of Rev. W. H. Norman. Priv. Pr. ? Sergeant, RAMC

Harold Parry. Priv. Pr. 1918. 2nd Lt., KRRC

Roland Erasmus Philipps. Curwen Press 1920. Capt., 9th Batt., Royal Fusiliers

Edmund Priestman : With a B. P. Scout in Gallipoli. Routledge 1916. Lt., 6th Yorks & Lancs

Alfred John Sansom : Letters from France. Melrose (1921). Col., 7th Royal Sussex.

George Elton Sedding. Priv. Pr. 1917. L. Cpl., 7th Norfolks

Two Brothers : Eric & Arnold Miall Smith. Priv. Pr. 1918. 2nd Lts. 8th Norfolk & 12th Fusiliers

Two Men : Evelyn Southwell & Malcolm White. Priv. Pr. Oxford 1919. 15th & 6th Rifles.

Gilbert Talbot. Priv. Pr. 1916. Lt., 7th Rifle Brigade

John Savill Tatham : Letters Home. Priv. Pr. ? 2nd Lt., Kings Royal Rifles George W. Taylor The Boy with the Guns. Bodley Head 1919. Lt., Royal Field Artillery

James Wood Colin Taylor : A Life Well Lived. Partridge 1916. Lt., 2nd Sherwood Foresters

Capt. Claude Templer : Poems & Imaginings. Bossard, Paris 1920. 1st Gloucesters

William Terrell : With Motor Transport in British East Africa. Priv. Pr. 1920

Edward Wyndham Tennant. Bodley Head 1919. Lt., 4th Grenadier Guards

Capt. E. S. Underhill. Priv. Pr. 1924. 8th Loyal North Lancs.

Letters of Algernon Hyde Villiers. SPCK 1919. Lt., Lothian & Border Horse attd. 121st MGC

Frank West. Priv. Pr. 1921. Lt. Col., 4th South Midland Brigade (How.) RFA

The Diary of a Dead Officer. Arthur Graeme West. Allen & Unwin 1919. Public Schools Batt.

George Ferris Whidborne. Pr. Print. 1917. Lt., 2nd Coldstream Guards.

Jim. Letters of James Edward Whitehead. Pr. Print. 1917. 2nd Lt., 4/7th Middlesex

John Haworth Whitworth. Sherratt & Hughes 1918. Major, 2/6th Manchesters

Robert Barbour Whyte. Priv. Pr. 1918. 2nd Lt., 1st Black Watch

Harry, Schoolboy & Soldier. Henry Foss Wilson. Elliot Stock 1919. 48th. Machine Gun Company.

Two Soldier Brothers Bertram & Edwin Wood. Jarrolds 1919. RSF, Hampshires & RFC.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Just a quick update for those of you eagerly awaiting the publication of Tom Donovan's bibliography of WW1 Memorial volumes. We finally have a date for the book's appearance - it's definitely coming out on October 12th 2015......I hope!

[barkalotloudly]

Regarding Tom`s book, a lot of the books listed are very "slight" being almost pamphlets and therefore i would suggest having a very very low survival rate,but the beauty is that nobody does know of all the books of this nature printed and you never know what you are going to stumble across!

[barkalotloudly]

"An Australian in the R.F.A" Adrian Consett Stephen M.C. although not a particularly scarce book, quite hard to find in a good condition at a reasonable price, it consists entirely of his letters and diary from 1915 until the time of his death {March 1918} approx 200 pages, so one of the longer memorial volumes printed.

[Dust Jacket Collector]

This volume, which came in today's post, seems to have gone unrecorded, even in the recent Tom Donovan bibliography. The only copy I can find is in Yale where so much British material seems to end up.

It's a collection of letters from the front by the poet Edward Wyndham Tennant of the 4th Grenadiers & his brother Christopher, aboard HMS Lord Nelson. It was privately printed in 1916 by his mother, Lady Pamela Glenconner, in what must have been a very small number. In 1919 she wrote a full biography of Edward, published by Bodley Head, which ran to several editions. 

[Guest]

I appreciate that I am adding to an old thread but if anyone has a copy of a book mentioned above, Christopher Richard Fowler Honourable Artillery Company, for sale I would be very interested in owning one.  Failing that, does anyone know how many were produced - so that I can get an idea of whether I might ever be able to afford one? I'm thinking that perhaps they were numbered. Thanks.

[Black Maria]

14 hours ago, hac1418 said:

I appreciate that I am adding to an old thread but if anyone has a copy of a book mentioned above, Christopher Richard Fowler Honourable Artillery Company, for sale I would be very interested in owning one.  Failing that, does anyone know how many were produced - so that I can get an idea of whether I might ever be able to afford one? I'm thinking that perhaps they were numbered. Thanks.

Just had a look through my old Turner Donovan book catalogues and found the entry for this book =

 Private Letters Written by the Late Private Christopher Richard Fowler H.A.C (infantry) to his parents , brothers , sisters & friends. Also letters from his 

officers & companions in the trenches . He was killed in action in Flanders on March 13 , 1915 & buried in Lochre (sic) 9 miles from Ypres.

128pp , 3 plates no imprint /date c1915 ( " These letters have been collected & printed to meet the wishes of relatives & friends of the deceased " )

 

It appears ( like most memorial volumes) to have been printed in a small number just for a selective few people and therefore will be very rare . If you were lucky 

enough to find a copy i expect it will be quite expensive . This particular copy appeared in the 2004 catalogue and was priced then at £175 

 

 

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Just looked in Tom’s Memorials volume and it is listed but no further details on how many were printed. He provides a nice quote from the book :-

‘Letters keep us alive when we come out of the trenches wet through, miserable and depressed. Letters and parcels - goodness knows how we long for them. How we eat them. Read them through again and again... We had a particularly rotten time last time in the trenches....It rained unceasingly. Waist deep in mud and water. We stuck it well for the two days and nights, and just as we were expecting relief we were told that we would have to stick it for another day and night. Oh! What a disappointment. Whew! Can you imagine it? It was almost like a death sentence... The greatest writer of the day cannot describe the wretchedness of the trenches...’

I found I now have 120 of these but sadly not this one.

[Black Maria]

22 minutes ago, Dust Jacket Collector said:

Just looked in Tom’s Memorials volume and it is listed but no further details on how many were printed. He provides a nice quote from the book :-

‘Letters keep us alive when we come out of the trenches wet through, miserable and depressed. Letters and parcels - goodness knows how we long for them. How we eat them. Read them through again and again... We had a particularly rotten time last time in the trenches....It rained unceasingly. Waist deep in mud and water. We stuck it well for the two days and nights, and just as we were expecting relief we were told that we would have to stick it for another day and night. Oh! What a disappointment. Whew! Can you imagine it? It was almost like a death sentence... The greatest writer of the day cannot describe the wretchedness of the trenches...’

I found I now have 120 of these but sadly not this one.

Yes , it's a nice quote ( from Dec14) and probably sums up the terrible condition of the trenches during that first winter . Tom uses it in his book description , 

also adding " Privately printed memorial consisting of Fowler's appealing & folksy letters ( " I like the army life but i'm jiggered if i like the food " ) written from 

 France Sept 1914 ( a month after enlisting ) until shortly before his death , hit by a German MG whilst giving covering fire to an attack at Spanbroekmoelen . 

Also letters of condolence &c , portrait photo in uniform , snapshot in trench K2 near Kemmel & one wooden grave marker . " 

 

120 is a great collection , iv'e probably only got about a dozen but not being a collector of them i only get tempted when i see one that's very inexpensive ,

which is quite rarely !

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 22 March , 2020 by Black Maria

[Dust Jacket Collector]

7 hours ago, Black Maria said:

 

120 is a great collection , iv'e probably only got about a dozen but not being a collector of them i only get tempted when i see one that's very inexpensive ,

which is quite rarely !

Coincidentally I’ve just bought one of the nicest memorial volumes I’ve ever come across - Letters to Edward : Albert Edward George Arnold Keppel of the 2nd Batt., The Rifle Brigade, the youngest son of the Earl of Albemarle. Not in Donovan and I can’t find it listed anywhere. Lots of letters from the front & signed by his mother, Lady Albemarle. By one of those spooky coincidences, I was reading it and noticed some of the letters mentioned the family seat, Quidenham Hall in Norfolk. My wife was watching one of those Michael Portillo train journeys : I look up and where is he - Quidenham Hall, now a Carmelite nunnery. Clearly I was meant to have it!