WWs 1&2

[PhilB]

I haven`t come across a book yet written by a veteran of both world wars who was able to draw comparisons between the two. A man who was 18 in 1914 would be 43 in 1939, so it`s quite possible. Are there any? Phil B

[Paul Reed]

Memoirs of Carton de Wiart VC and Philip Neame VC cover both world wars at a fairly senior level; M.L.Walkington's 'Twice in a Lifetime' covers his experiences as a Privte in the 16th Londons, officer in the MGC and company commander in the Royal Sussex in WW2. I am sure they are not the only ones, but they immediately come to mind.

[n cherry]

From memory how about Chalres Carrington, a book on his experiences in the pbi in the Great War and thne he served in the RAF in a staff capacity and wrote one on that too.......

[Staffsyeoman]

"From memory how about Charles Carrington, a book on his experiences in the pbi in the Great War and thne he served in the RAF in a staff capacity and wrote one on that too....... "

Yup, "A Subaltern's War" (as Charles Edmonds) and "A Soldier at Bomber Command" if I recall

[Paul Nixon]

Charles Carrington - Soldier From The Wars Returning

[Paul Hodges]

Edward Spears also wrote about his role in both wars - interestingly enough both times acting as high-level liaison between the British and French commands. The first time more or less by chance (recounted in Liaison 1914), the second time by Churchill personally (recounted in Assignment to Catastrophe). It would seem that performing such similar roles both times was very rare.

[Patrickneame]

A Full Life by Lt Gen Sir Michael Horrocks covers both although his first world war experiences are confined to his time as a prisoner of war. He was captured in 1914 at Ypres. It's all a good read though.

[Rob B]

There are also the biographies of Field marshalls Montgomery and Lord Birdwood of ANZAC fame.

I do agree with Patrick, Lt General Horrocks book is a good read but Lt General Carton de Wiart is still my favorite.

Rob

Edited 30 November , 2005 by Rob B

[PhilB]

Thanks, gents. Anybody who wasn`t commissioned? Phil B

[Rob B]

Sorry Phil,

The nearest I can get is "Great Uncle Fred's War" which covers Frederick Thomas Mills who served with the Royal Engineers in the Middle East in 1917 and went onto serve with the Home Guard during the last war.

It is his Diary put together by his family.

Will keep looking,

Rob

[George Armstrong Custer]

Ernst Junger famously recounted his Great War experiences as a junior officer in the trenches in 'Storm of Steel' and 'Copse 125'. In 1939 he was recalled as a captain in the infantry. In June 1940 he found himself part of an invading army in France for the second time, bringing up the rear of the blitzkrieg with his regiment. He described the experience in a diary which was published right away under the title 'Garten und Strassen', or 'Routes et jardins' in its French translation. In contrast to his experiences in the Great War, Junger sat out the Second on occupation duty in Paris. His diaries of his experiences of the occupation of Paris were published in two volumes under the title 'Strahlungen'. He was in real peril in July 1944, however, as he had many contacts amongst the protagonists of the 20th July plot on Hitler's life. Junger prudently retired from the army soon afterwards, and was laid low by the loss of his eldest son in action. Having survived the two world wars, involvement on the fringes of the July Plot, and experiments with mind-expanding drugs, Junger died aged 103 in 1998. I was lucky enough to obtain a personally inscribed copy of 'Storm of Steel' and signed Great War photograph from Junger in 1995, just prior to his 100th birthday! Extracts of Junger's WWII diary in English translation, as well as an extensive interview with him can be found in ' Paris in the Third Reich' (1981), by David Pryce-Jones.

Ciao,

GAC

[spike10764]

Herbert Sulzbach fought in the German Artillery in WW1 and the British Army in WW2. His book is called With The German Guns and includes a section on his time in WW2 where he also was on the staff of a POW camp for German prisoners.

[Halder]

Erwin Rommel wrote Infantry Attacks in the mid-30s, then there's his WW2 (posthumous) memoirs Krieg ohne Hass - The Rommel Papers.