Destination Unknown - W Percy Withers

[Yorkshire Dragoon]

Destination Unknown  The memoires of a Somerset farmer and First World War Soldier 1894-1970

 

 

Destination Unknown came to my attention via Twitter, the granddaughter of Percy Withers mentioned that Percy had been a member of the NSY. I messaged her and she sent details of the book which I promptly bought.

Within hours of the book arriving I was engrossed, Percy starts with telling of his pre war life on a farm in rural Somerset, his life in the local community and how he joined the local Yeomanry troop in Wells. 

With the arrival of mobilization he tells of his journey to Forrest Row where the regiment trained and came together to form a 3 Squadron unit, its pre war 4th Sqdn being split to bring the others up to full strength.

He tells of his arrival in France and the journey to the Ypres area and the trials of moving a squadron to billets and feeding the horses and themselves. He talks about the baptism of fire that  A and B Squadrons suffered at Zillebeck on 17th November 1914 whilst his own C Squadron were held in reserve.

Whilst Percy tells the story of his squadron through the war it is not a dry procession of facts, battles and such but a tale of all the people he served with turning them into real people. 

I have been researching the NSY for the past five years, compiling a Roll of Honour of the regiment and for me this book made these names come alive, he made the history of area in which I live appear in colour in my mind. His style of writing is colloquial and far from academic (Percy wrote his memoirs for his grandchildren).

I can thoroughly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the daily life of a private soldier

 

Destination Unknown - WITHERS W. Percy 2015 FeedARead Publishing ISBN 978-1-78510-820-4