Mark Hone Posted 15 June , 2005 Share Posted 15 June , 2005 About 20 years ago the BBC screened a moving drama called 'Wilfred and Eileen' about a Great War soldier who recovered from terrible injuries to marry his sweetheart. As I recall Christopher Guard played Wilfred. It was based on a true story. Can anyone enlighten me as to the details of the real characters involved? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 15 June , 2005 Share Posted 15 June , 2005 'Wilfred and Eileen' was a novel by Jonathan Smith. Details given on Abebooks show that it is the same story. Why not get hold of the book and see if it mentions who, if anyone, the novel is based upon? Here is the front cover from the "Radio Times" when the piece was broadcast. It was actually 1981, and it made the cover! http://www.tvradiobits.co.uk/tellyyears/november1981.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john w. Posted 15 June , 2005 Share Posted 15 June , 2005 His book should be a prescribed text for paedagogues and I can also recommend his Wilfred and Eileen, dedicated to Marjory Seldon, which is an imaginative reconstruction of the life of Dr Seldon’s grandfather, nearly killed by a skull wound in 1914. Website to follow... have no idea who he was though John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john w. Posted 15 June , 2005 Share Posted 15 June , 2005 http://www.oldbrightonians.com/page_02.htm John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john w. Posted 15 June , 2005 Share Posted 15 June , 2005 Jonathan Smith Radio Plays Jonathan Smith was born in 1942, was Head of English at Tonbridge School for 17 years, and is now writing full time. He has been writing novels since 1975 and radio drama since 1980. His novels are The English Lover (1977), Wilfrid & Eileen (1978), Come Back (1985), Summer in February (1995) and The Learning Game (2000), part of which was read by Jonathan on radio 4 during 2000. His sixth novel, Night Windows, has just been published. The books in print are 'Summer in February' and 'The Learning Game' (Abacus pbk). 'Night Windows' is out now, published by Little, Brown - then Abacus pbk - and is being read from Aug 30 2004 for a fortnight as Book at Bedtime, Radio 4, 10.45, by Christian Rodska. One other interesting bit of news is that Jonathan's son Ed is in the England cricket team. His BBC radio plays: The World Walk*, 1980 Wilfrid and Eileen, 1981 John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john w. Posted 15 June , 2005 Share Posted 15 June , 2005 http://www.tvradiobits.co.uk/tellyyears/november1981.htm Final one John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Seymour Posted 15 June , 2005 Share Posted 15 June , 2005 Mark, I have a paperback edition, 1981, brought out to accompany the TV series. Its afterword reads thus: "I never met Wilfred and Eileen, I regret to say, but they lived. The framework of events in this novel, an imaginative re-creation of their lives during the momentous years of 1913 - 1915, is substantially true. Because it is based on truth I dedicate this book to Marjorie Seldon and Anne Stevens, in memory of their parents, Wifred and Eileen Willett." Hope this helps. Best Wishes, David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hone Posted 16 June , 2005 Author Share Posted 16 June , 2005 Good grief-I have read 'The Learning Game' and did not realise that the same Jonathan Smith was the author of 'Wilfred and Eileen'. Thanks for the information, folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfaulder Posted 5 January , 2009 Share Posted 5 January , 2009 Mark, I have a paperback edition, 1981, brought out to accompany the TV series. Its afterword reads thus: "I never met Wilfred and Eileen, I regret to say, but they lived. The framework of events in this novel, an imaginative re-creation of their lives during the momentous years of 1913 - 1915, is substantially true. Because it is based on truth I dedicate this book to Marjorie Seldon and Anne Stevens, in memory of their parents, Wifred and Eileen Willett." Hope this helps. Best Wishes, David Found this thread a little bit late(!) when researching a cousin. I would add that Marjorie Seldon wrote a family biography "Poppies and Roses" (currently available second-hand through Amazon at £1.53) that carried the story forward, covering the wartime story (which is remarkable in itself), through his recovery and his work as a naturalist, union organiser (agricultural workers) and communist (again remarkable considering his background - the Willett family was the family that built many of the posh bits of London and Hove - to name two areas - and included William Willett (jnr), the advocate of daylight saving.) Reading his service file it is remarkable how the War Office found difficulty in getting its mind around the fact that having a considerable portion of your skull blown away and a serious brain injury (such that the hospitals of the time were in effect waiting for him to vacate his bed by dying), would not make you permanently unable to serve and how they were constantly calling him before medical boards! David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanhemmings Posted 5 January , 2009 Share Posted 5 January , 2009 I am so pleased I looked at this post. Have ordered both books via Amazon and look forward to reading this remarkable chap's story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanhemmings Posted 10 January , 2009 Share Posted 10 January , 2009 Both books have arrived and I cannot wait to read them. Susan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfaulder Posted 10 January , 2009 Share Posted 10 January , 2009 Both books have arrived and I cannot wait to read them. Susan. Glad to see this is not just a family interest! I would suggest that you start with the Jonathan Smith book (slightly fictionalised) - it will raise various "what if .., what next .." type questions, which Marjorie Seldon's book then answers. (Then if really interested read his service file!) David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanhemmings Posted 1 February , 2009 Share Posted 1 February , 2009 Finished the first book - (read in sequence!) very interesting read. (they say behind every good man is a good .......) Will be starting on Marjorie's book later this evening hopefully... thanks for the pointer -am very glad I have the books Susan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrrip Posted 31 July , 2009 Share Posted 31 July , 2009 just come across this thread looking for one about Willett. The book is based on a memoir written by 2 Lt Wilfred Willett LRB who was badly wounded in late 1914. I believe he was shot in the head by a sniper whilst helping a wounded rifleman. The memoir was written in the late 30s and can be accessed at the IWM; Dept of Documents ref 82/1/1. The IWM holds a subsntial LRB collection mostly acquired in the 80s where this gem no doubt originated. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfaulder Posted 31 July , 2009 Share Posted 31 July , 2009 Chris, Thanks for the reference to the IWM archive - I was wondering where that document might be. The story of how this tale emerged is found in: Sheldon, Marjorie, (1985), Poppies and Roses, Sevenoaks, Economic and Literary Books. An annex to this book describes how Jonathan Smith, a history teacher, was teaching WW1 to his class, "when a very able pupil, Anthony Seldon, told me a little of his grandparents, Wilfred and Eileen Willett. He told me the outline ... In no time I was on the 'phone to Marjorie Seldon. ..." He then wrote "Wilfred and Eileen". From that followed the radio play and the TV mini-series (anyone got a copy?). Marjorie then wrote "Poppies and Roses" to help answer the clamour of "what happened next?" questions. The author's note in "Poppies and Roses", refers to using her father's unpublished autobiographical material. The book itself also refers to Wilfred trying (unsuccessfully) around 1930 to get a wartime novel published. Wilfred (in civilian life, a medical student) was injured on 13 December 1914 at Ploegsteert by a snipers bullet, whilst attending to Sergeant Moore (also LRB) in No Man's Land. (p17 of Poppies and Roses). He received a "mention in despatches" for his act. (More detail in my family website) David Faulder (very distant cousin of Wilfred) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 7 November , 2013 Share Posted 7 November , 2013 ...The story of how this tale emerged is found in: Sheldon, Marjorie, (1985), Poppies and Roses, Sevenoaks, Economic and Literary Books. An annex to this book describes how Jonathan Smith, a history teacher, was teaching WW1 to his class, "when a very able pupil, Anthony Seldon, told me a little of his grandparents, Wilfred and Eileen Willett. He told me the outline ... In no time I was on the 'phone to Marjorie Seldon. ..." He then wrote "Wilfred and Eileen". From that followed the radio play and the TV mini-series (anyone got a copy?). Marjorie then wrote "Poppies and Roses" to help answer the clamour of "what happened next?" questions. The author's note in "Poppies and Roses", refers to using her father's unpublished autobiographical material. The book itself also refers to Wilfred trying (unsuccessfully) around 1930 to get a wartime novel published. An article in yesterday's Telegraph (6th November '13) 'The enduring agony of one who survived' reveals that the 'very able pupil, Anthony Seldon' must be none other than Dr Anthony Seldon, Master of Wellington College and author. The article briefly re tells the story of Wilfred & Eileen, how events post Willett's war Injury affected family life and resulted in Sheldon's self admitted 'lifelong obsession' with the war. I haven't read 'Wilfred & Eileen' or 'Poppies and Roses' so don't know whether details given by Sheldon in the article about Wilfred's close friendship with Henry Willamson (the writer probably best known for Tarka the Otter) which had started during their days with the LRB at Ploegstreet Wood, is covered in those; Sheldon relates that, according to one of his inscriptions, Williamson said he'd based Phillip Maddison, the hero of his 'A Chronicle of Ancient Sunlight' (more I haven't read!), on Wilfred, but commented 'how much more Wilfred had suffered than the book's hero'. Sheldon concludes his article with the telling and apt comment: 'The war might have ended 100 years ago. But for many people in Britain today, it is still far from over' NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBully Posted 14 May , 2014 Share Posted 14 May , 2014 Persephone Books have republished 'Wilfred and Eileen' : http://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/wilfred-and-eileen.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now