[Great War] Autobiographies Anonymous

[Marilyne]

A consolidated list of all the books listed would be a most valuable tool,

As a 100th post, certainly... if you guys let me finish my staff course first, I'd do ne after, OK???

MM.

[WilliamRev]

David, I agree, but I think that Marilyne has her work cut out - on this thread Here people seem to be constamtly unearthing previously-unknown WW1 memoirs.

William

[Marilyne]

David, I agree, but I think that Marilyne has her work cut out - on this thread Here people seem to be constamtly unearthing previously-unknown WW1 memoirs.

William

85 days to go... exam for Log people is on the 12th May... starting on the 13th...

[Marilyne]

OK... started a bit earlier... we had our first two days of the final operation exam today, and after spending a whole day concocting a manoeuvre that looks very much as if it was created by the proverbial donkeys of the first war, and then the complete evening reviewing how I'm going to support the whole bazar tomorrow, I needed a break before going to sleep, so I started reviewing the topic and created an excel sheat.

Aim is to copy and complete the list as much as possible in order to offer: title and author, year of publishing and if it has been republished, when and by who.

We can than class the file by author or by year...

so... the wait won't be too long...

The actual and very temporary commander/COS/S2/S4/S6 etc of the 11 (ENG) Mec Bde , trying to kick out the Redlanders out of Bluland... please don't ask ...

MM.

[kenneth505]

Everyone of us with a connection has access to more information then any world leader in 1970 did. But it's still not enough. The world needs an online bibliography that easily searchable. Efforts in this direction are underway, google books for instance but it proceeds slowly due to lack of labor and attempts to monetize.

Your plan seems admirable but doomed to new additions, much like the poignant memorial walls in every town.

[Marilyne]

Everyone of us with a connection has access to more information then any world leader in 1970 did. But it's still not enough. The world needs an online bibliography that easily searchable. Efforts in this direction are underway, google books for instance but it proceeds slowly due to lack of labor and attempts to monetize.

Your plan seems admirable but doomed to new additions, much like the poignant memorial walls in every town.

do you mean my cunning plan for defeating REDland????

kidding... that one's doomed whatever...

I'll just take on those listed in this thread...

MM.

[kenneth505]

do you mean my cunning plan for defeating REDland????

Had not actually but was quite interested. I've always thought poorly of filthy Redlanders and hope they get what they deserve.

[MartinWills]

All these posts and no mention of

Avec une batterie de 75: Ma pièce, souvenirs d'un canonnier 1914 by Paul Lintier

You can also find it in english as My 75

A superb memoir of the opening of the war as seen by a franch "canonnier"

[WilliamRev]

All these posts and no mention of

Avec une batterie de 75: Ma pièce, souvenirs d'un canonnier 1914 by Paul Lintier

You can also find it in english as My 75

A superb memoir of the opening of the war as seen by a franch "canonnier"

Well I started this thread particularly because I had an addiction to specifically British WW1 autobiographies, but I feel a French and German phase coming on, so please feel free to post worthwhile autobiographies/memoirs of all nations. The sooner published after the war the better.

[i'm keen that this thread shouldn't just descend into the general chit-chat which spoils so many threads on this forum, though.]

William

[CaroleHope]

[standing up, staring at the floor] My name is William, and I am a Great War diary/memoir addict. Over the last 18 months I have read (or in several cases have bought and am about to read) the following British Great War diaries or memoirs, in just the random order they appear on my bookshelf:

Sidney Rogerson: "Twelve Days on the Somme"

Robert Graves: "Goodbye to All That"

Charles Carrington: "Soldier from the War Returning"

Charles Carrington alias Charles Edmonds: "A Subaltern's War"

Frank Richards: "Old Soldiers Never Die"

Charles Douie: "The Weary Road"

John Bickersteth: "The Bickersteth Diaries 1914-19"

John Glubb: "Into Battle"

Bernard Martin: "Poor Bloody Infantry"

G. Greenwell: "Infant in Arms"

Max Plowman: "A Subaltern on the Somme"

Cameron Stewart: "An Unimportant Officer"

J.C. Dunn: "The War the Infantry Knew"

John Reith: "Wearing Spurs"

Edmund Blundon: "Undertones of War"

Norman Collins: "Last Man Standing"

F.E. Noakes: "The Distant Drum"

Edwin Campion Vaughan: "Some Desperate Glory"

S. Sassoon: "Memoirs of an Infantry Officer"

Len Smith: "Drawing Fire"

I am beyond a cure, so can the group help me to feed my habit by recommending other similar books. British, first-person diaries and memoirs please, written during or as near to the Great War as possible. Please? [starts shaking - withdrawal symptoms are already close if help doesn't arrive soon in the shape of your recommendations...]

Please....

William

If you can get hold of a copy - but it is very rare - would recommend "Personal Experiences of the Great War, An Unfinished Manuscript" Frank M. Laird, privately published 1925, Eason and Son, Dublin. Frank Laird served with Royal Dublin Fusiliers in Gallipoli and the Western Front and was taken POW in the Spring Offensive. Don't know if anyone has mentioned "There's a Devil in the Drum" John F. Lucy, a pre-war Regular with Royal Irish Rifles, served with his brother who was killed but John survived from August 1914 onwards - used to be available from Naval and Military Press. My own biography of a military chaplain who was killed in the front lines contains 89,000 words of letters written home to his father. Fr Willie Doyle, MC, MID and recommended VC but MID again instead.

Carole

[kenneth505]

While googling a bit for the Laird title above I came across 73 titles, topic = World War, 1914-1918 Personal narratives, Irish at the World Cat

http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=su%3AWorld+War%2C+1914-1918+Personal+narratives%2C+Irish.&qt=hot_subject

Of course then I changed the term from Irish to English, 1219 titles

American 3669 titles (a self-absorbed lot seemingly)

Scottish 101

Yes, a lot! Here's an active link to the first group

[Dust Jacket Collector]

If you can get hold of a copy - but it is very rare - would recommend "Personal Experiences of the Great War, An Unfinished Manuscript" Frank M. Laird, privately published 1925, Eason and Son, Dublin.

There's a copy available through ABE from an Irish bookseller for a mere £360 for those of you with very deep pockets.

[CaroleHope]

While googling a bit for the Laird title above I came across 73 titles, topic = World War, 1914-1918 Personal narratives, Irish at the World Cat

http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=su%3AWorld+War%2C+1914-1918+Personal+narratives%2C+Irish.&qt=hot_subject

Of course then I changed the term from Irish to English, 1219 titles

American 3669 titles (a self-absorbed lot seemingly)

Scottish 101

Yes, a lot! Here's an active link to the first group

There are several titles by Alfred O'Rahilly on Fr Willie Doyle in this list, all of which are variants of the original biography. O'Rahilly's biography contains excerpts from letters/diaries/spiritual notes written by Fr Doyle throughout his life. The biography leans heavily towards the religious and is thematic in nature. My biography is mostly chronological and three-quarters relates to Fr Doyle's war service. I have transcribed 89,000 words written by Fr Doyle in letters home from the front before he was killed, much of which had never been in the public domain before. These engaging letters are uncensored - who is going to dare censor the priest's letters - although he does stick to the rules by not naming locations etc. The letters are by turns informative and amusing. When the VC recommendation was turned down he was MID instead because no other posthumous gallantry award was available.

Carole

There's a copy available through ABE from an Irish bookseller for a mere £360 for those of you with very deep pockets.

I am very lucky to have a copy.

[WilliamRev]

.............. Don't know if anyone has mentioned "There's a Devil in the Drum" John F. Lucy, a pre-war Regular with Royal Irish Rifles, served with his brother who was killed but John survived from August 1914 onwards - used to be available from Naval and Military Press. My own biography of a military chaplain who was killed in the front lines contains 89,000 words of letters written home to his father. Fr Willie Doyle, MC, MID and recommended VC but MID again instead.

In post 60 of this thread I mentioned The Devil in the Drum, if you scroll back - awful green cover and lots of typos, but a wonderfully readable book. I have added "Worshipper and Worshipped" to my Amazon wish-list because it is a bit of an investment, and I have already spent £25 on books this week....eek!

William

[CaroleHope]

In post 60 of this thread I mentioned The Devil in the Drum, if you scroll back - awful green cover and lots of typos, but a wonderfully readable book. I have added "Worshipper and Worshipped" to my Amazon wish-list because it is a bit of an investment, and I have already spent £25 on books this week....eek!

William

Well, I hope your wish comes true William! Lots of quotes in my book also from John Lucy (been in touch with his family - last I heard they had plans to relaunch the book) and Frank Laird.

Happy reading in general!

Carole

[CaroleHope]

In post 60 of this thread I mentioned The Devil in the Drum, if you scroll back - awful green cover and lots of typos, but a wonderfully readable book. I have added "Worshipper and Worshipped" to my Amazon wish-list because it is a bit of an investment, and I have already spent £25 on books this week....eek!

William

Sorry, should have put this on earlier - forgot that I put the following on another thread about Royal Irish Fusiliers:-

Worshipper and Worshipped - you'll find it on Amazon. It's a biography of a Military Chaplain Fr William Doyle, SJ, MC who served first with 49th Infantry Brigade and then 48th Infantry Brigade of 16th (Irish) Division and was revered by the men of that division and also 36th (Ulster) Division. He was nominally attached to 8th Royal Irish Fusiliers Nov 1915-Dec 1916 and was awarded MC and MID whilst serving with 49th Inf Brig. Then attached to 8th Royal Dublin Fusiliers Dec 1916-Aug 1917 when he died 16/8/17 beyond the Front Lines in front of Frezenberg Ridge. He was recommended VC but not granted and MID instead as no other posthumous award available. It's a big book because I had a lot of original primary source material available which I wanted to use. About a quarter of the book focuses on his childhood/early life/training for Jesuits and the remainder his military career. Whilst at Loos Feb 1916-Aug 1916 he was caught up in the gas attack launched by Germans from Hulluch in April which claimed over 500 16th (Irish) Division lives (over 1,000 other casualties) - either via gas or artillery shelling or hand to hand fighting which supported the attack; August 1916 en route to the Somme he gave the last rites to Joseph Carey (National Archives court martial file WO 71/500) before he was shot at dawn; September 1916 with his troops as far forward as he was allowed, under shell fire, and helping the doctor in RAP at Ginchy; October 1916 - May 1917 in the Messines area, including a period of training in the Pas de Calais to prepare for June attack; Battle of Messines he was again manning RAP and helped a sergeant dig out men buried by shell-fire, for which CSM Tait got the DCM; July 1917 back in Pas de Calais for more training; August 1917 Third Ypres took charge of all 4 battalions of 48th Inf Brig when two battalions lost their chaplain and a replacement failed to arrive; constantly in the front line with one battalion or another under gas shell and artillery shell fire; 16/8/17 Battle of Langemarck manning RAP, ordered back to HQ with doctor because too dangerous, only stayed a short while at HQ and returned, killed whilst rescuing a wounded officer from battle zone. Book is based on 61 letters home (89,000 words) - uncensored because who is going to censor the priest's letters? Also the relevant war diaries, personal accounts, regimental histories, official history. It's a tad expensive, but it is a big book about an epic man.

Carole

[Uncle George]

Apologies if this has already been mentioned: the diary of Captain F Hitchcock of the Leinster Regiment, describing conditions in the Ypres salient in the summer of 1915. Alan Clark's inspiration for 'The Donkeys': extracts are included in the book as an appendix.

[WilliamRev]

Apologies if this has already been mentioned: the diary of Captain F Hitchcock of the Leinster Regiment, describing conditions in the Ypres salient in the summer of 1915. Alan Clark's inspiration for 'The Donkeys': extracts are included in the book as an appendix.

"Stand To" was mentioned in post 6 of this thread, but I didn't know the detail about Alan Clark's (poorly-researched) book. Although not published until 1936, Hitchcock must have written Stand To during/soon-after the war because he is sure of his details, and it is blessedly free of the dull futility stuff that starts to creep into memoirs written by veterans in older age.

William

[Uncle George]

"Poorly-researched". You are being charitable.

[Uncle George]

As you no doubt know, Lloyd George, in the foreword to the New Edition (1938) of his 'War Memoirs', adds an appendix to his chapter on Passchendaele, extracts of letters which "poured in" to him from "...men who took part in the Passchendaele Campaign, who actually fought in and through the mud, and witnessed the protracted horror..." Some of these letters give fine accounts of conditions. Of course, Ll.G had an axe to grind. Indeed, the appendix is titled 'Corroborative Evidence'.

[Black Maria]

A few later memoirs/ Diaries from my collection=

Remembrances of Hell, N. Ellison, Airlife 1997

A Saturday Night Soldiers War , N.Tennant, Kylin Press 1983

The Diary of a World War One Cavalry Officer, Brig-Gen Sir A Holme , Costello 1985

From Emmanuel to the Somme, M.Copp, Lutterworh Press 1997

Staff Officer: The Diaries of Lord Moyne 1914-18, Leo Cooper 1987

Subalterns of the Foot: Three WW1 diaries of officers of the Cheshire Regt , Anne Wolff , Square One Publishing 1992

From Vimy Ridge to the Somme: The Great War letters of Christopher Stone, Crowood Press 1989

No Easy Hopes or Lies :WW1 letters of Lt A.P White, London Stamp Exchange 1991

Gone for a Soldier, A .French , Roundwood Press 1972

Grandfather's Adventures in the Great war , C.M Slack, Stockwell 1977

Make me a Soldier: A Platoon Commander at Gallipoli, A Behrend, Eyre & Spottiswoode 1961

A Subaltern's Odyssey , R.B Talbot Kelly , Kimber 1980

Honour Satisfied: A Rifleman at war , Ed: A Bird , Crowood Press 1990

From Somme to Armistice : Memoirs of Capt Stormont-Gibbs M.C , Kimber 1986

The Laughter goes from Life , T Penrose Marks, Kimber 1977

Not for Glory: A personal History of the 14-18 War, R.H Haigh & P.W Turner , Robert Maxwell 1969

Schoolboy into War, H.E.L Mellersh, Kimber 1978

Johnny get your Gun , John F. Tucker , Kimber 1978

A Surgeon with the Kaiser's Army , S Westman, Kimber 1968

March to Armistice 1918, C.Haworth, Kimber 1968

Gallipoli to the Somme: Recollections of a New Zealand Infantryman , A.Aitken, O.U.P 1963

Try Anything Twice , D.Young ,Hamish Hamilton 1963

Saving the Channel Ports, W.D Joynt V.C ,Wren Publishing 1975

Let the Boy win his Spurs, E.C Barton, Research Publishing Co 1976

East & West : An Irish Doctor's memoirs , C.S.P Hamilton , Christopher Johnson 1955

We Who Knew: Journal of an Infantry Officer during the Great war , The Book Guild 1994

Letters from France , L.D Spicer , Robert York , 1979

The Bottom of the Barrel, F.A.J Taylor, Regency Press , 1978

Fifteen Rounds a Minute, J.M Craster , Macmillan Press, 1977

Long'Un a Damn Bad Soldier , B.Livermore, Harry Hayes 1974 (Salonika front)

A Man at Arms, F.Law, Collins 1983

Memoirs of an Academic Old Contemptible , D.Portway, Leo Cooper 1971

Indian Cavalry Officer, Capt R.Grimshaw , Costello 1986

My Sapper Venture, V.F Eberle , Pitman Press 1973

[WilliamRev]

Thanks - that's a fantastic list - I don't think that I have heard of, let alone read any of them. But.... as far as my finances go, I rather wish you hadn't posted it, because I have just been on Amazon (using the forum's money-raising link of course ) and found, and ordered, cheap second-hand copies of four of them.....

William

[Black Maria]

Thanks - that's a fantastic list - I don't think that I have heard of, let alone read any of them. But.... as far as my finances go, I rather wish you hadn't posted it, because I have just been on Amazon (using the forum's money-raising link of course ) and found, and ordered, cheap second-hand copies of four of them.....

William

Your Welcome, I know it may break the bank but I thought I might post a few more ( just in case we ever make a definitive list).

The Bells of Hell go Ting a Ling a Ling , E. Hiscock Arlington Books 1976

The Ordeal of Alfred M. Hale, Leo Cooper 1975

Adventures of an Ancient Warrior , Brig-Gen K.P Smith, Stones Printers (for author) 1984

In Flanders Fields : The WW1 diary of Private M. Ingram , David Ling Publishers 2006

George Vanier Soldier : War time letters and diaries , Ed : D.Cowley, Dundurn Press 2000

Anzac: a retrospective , C. Malthus , Whitcombe & Tombs Ltd 1965

A French Soldier's War Diary , H.Desagneaux , Elmfield Press 1975

Scarlet Fever : A life with Horses ,John Cusack M.M & Ivor Herbert , Cassell 1972

My Warrior Sons : The Borton Family Diary 1914-18, Ed: G.Slater , Military Book Society n.d

The Picnic Basket , Maj-Gen E. Spears , Secker & Warburg 1967

Old Contemptible , H. Beaumont, The Adventures Club , 1968

Signal Corporal, E.May, Johnson 1972

A Dear and Noble Boy :Life and letters of Louis Stokes 1897-1916, ed: R.A Barlow & H.V Bowen , Leo Cooper 1995

The Immortal First , F.Gaunt, Ray Westlake Books n.d (100 numbered copies)

The Diaries of Horace Bruckshaw R.M.L.I 1915-1916, ed: M.Middlebrook , Scolar Press 1979

The Burgoyne Diaries, Thomas Harmsworth Publishers , 1985

I Survived Didn't I ?: Great war reminiscences of Pte Ginger Byrne, ed : J.Cave, Leo Cooper 1993

In Good Company : WW1 diary of Hon W.Fraser Gordon Highlanders , ed D.Fraser, Michael Russell Publishing 1990

A Tale of Two Captains , J.Baynes & H.Maclean , Pentland Press 1990

Sergeant Lawrence goes to France , ed: P.Yule, Melbourne Uni press 1987

The Gallipoli Diary of Sergeant Lawrence , ed: R.East , Melbourne Uni Press 1981

Soldier Boy: Letters and memoir of Gunner W.J Duffell 1915-18, Spa Books 1992

With the German Guns : Four years on the Western Front , H.Sulzbach, Leo Cooper 1998

The First World War letters of 2nd Lieut Bernard Wilfred Long 1896-1917, ed : V.A Hawgood , D.Hawgood 1995

I Want One Volunteer, E.G Black , Ryerson Press 1965

The Best of Good Fellows : Diaries and memoirs of Rev C.E Doudney 1871-1915, J.Home 1995

A Year on the Western Front, E.S Underhill (N.Lancs ) , London Stamp Exchange 1988

Once a Cameron Highlander , R.Burns , Woodfield Publications 2000

Billie the Neville Letters 1914-16, ed:R.E Harris, Julia Macrae Books 1991

The First World War remembered by a Yorkshire Territorial , G.B Howcroft , P.P 1986

Letters from the Front :Great War correspondence of Lieut B.Lawrence 1916-17, I.Fletcher , Parapress Ltd 1993

My Bit: A Lancashire Fusilier at War 1914-18, G.Ashurst, Crowood Press 1987

The Fateful Battle Line : The Great War journal & sketches of Capt H. Ogle M.C , ed: M.Glover , Leo Cooper 1993

A Sergeant Major's War : From Hill 60 to the Somme , E.Shephard , ed: B.Rossor , Crowood Press 1987

Guns, Kites and Horses :Three diaries from the Western Front , ed:S.Gifford, Radcliffe Press 2003

Into Battle : A Seventeen year old joins Kitchener's Army , E.W Parker , Leo Cooper 1994

Empson's War : A collection of letters , C.C Empson , Pentland Press 1995

The Somme , N.Gladden , Kimber 1974

Ypres 1917, N.Gladden, Kimber 1967

Armageddon Road: A V.C's Diary Billy Congreve ,ed T.Norman , Kimber 1982

Unversed in Arms : The First World War Diary of P.D Ravenscroft M.C, ed A.Bird , Crowood Press 1990

Answering the Call : Letters from the Somerset Light Infantry 1914-19 , ed J.H.F Mackie , Raby Books 2002 ( mostly non- Western Front)

Poor Bloody Infantry , W.H.A Groom , Kimber 1976

Machine Gunner , A Russell, The Roundwood Press 1977

And a few of my paperbacks=

The Lousier War , W.A Tucker, N.E.L 1974 (P.O.W memoir)

Frank Turner's war , F.Turner , Merlin Books 1974

To Hell and Back with the Guards , N.D Cliff , Merlin Books 1988

From Mons to Messines and beyond : The Great War experiences of Sgt C.Arnold , S.Royle , Brewin Books 1985

Somewhere in France : The collected letters of Lewis Windemere Nott , D.Nott, Harper Perennial 1996

Messages : The Trench diaries of L/Cpl J.E Ward Apr-Aug 1915, Bradford Mechanics Institute Library 2001

Love & War : A London Terriers Tale 1915-16 , Peter Trafford P.P 1998

The Tale of a Boy Soldier , G.Parker , Queen Spark Books 40 ,n.d

Vignettes of the Western Front : Recollections of an Infantry Subaltern in France & Belgium 1917-18, H.Lawson, Postif Press 1979

[David Ridgus]

Your Welcome, I know it may break the bank but I thought I might post a few more ( just in case we ever make a definitive list).

Get thee behind me Satan

(Great lists! Two already on order from Amazon sellers. I was particularly taken by the title "Memoirs of an Academic Old Contempible" and I have a decent sounding copy turning up for a fiver)

But please stop, I don't want my wife to divorce me!

David

[Dust Jacket Collector]

Get thee behind me Satan

(Great lists! Two already on order from Amazon sellers. I was particularly taken by the title "Memoirs of an Academic Old Contempible" and I have a decent sounding copy turning up for a fiver)

But please stop, I don't want my wife to divorce me!

David

I used to have most of these but when I moved house recently I decided to concentrate on pre-2nd War so I sold them all to Tom Donovan. He's probably still got most of them!