Boy Soldiers of the Great War

Boy Soldiers of the Great War written by Richard Van Emden and published by

Pen & Sword Books - £25 - Hardback - Pages 488

After the outbreak of the Great War, boys as young as twelve were caught up in a national wave of patriotism and, in huge numbers, volunteered to serve their country. The press, recruiting offices and the Government all contributed to the enlistment of hundreds of thousands of under-age soldiers in both Britain and the Empire. On joining up, these lads falsified their ages, often aided by parents who believed their sons’ obvious youth would make overseas service unlikely.

These boys frequently enlisted together, training for a year or more in the same battalions before they were sent abroad. Others joined up but were soon sent to units already fighting overseas and short of men: these lads might undergo as little as eight weeks’ training.

Boys served in the bloodiest battles of the war, fighting at Ypres, the Somme and on Gallipoli. Many broke down under the strain and were returned home once parents supplied birth certificates proving their youth. Other lads fought on bravely and were even awarded medals for gallantry: Jack Pouchot won the Distinguished Conduct Medal aged just fifteen. Others became highly efficient officers, such as Acting Captain Philip Lister and Second Lieutenant Reginald Battersby, both of whom were commissioned at fifteen and fought in France.

In this, the final update of his ground-breaking book, Richard van Emden reveals new hitherto unknown stories and adds many more unseen images. He also proves that far more boys enlisted in the British Army under age than originally estimated, providing compelling evidence that as many as 400,000 served.

This book looks like a corker just from the cover and the description. A fascinating book that looks at the lives, backgrounds and experiences of boys who had managed to get recruited for the British Army in various ways, many through lying, giving wrong information and some being allowed by officials looking the other way. As for the reasons for wanting to volunteer to go to war, some of the reasons might seem surprising, but the idealism of young people can often hide the reality of what might come. What was to come was often horrific as we know many men young and old died or suffered hellish consequences from what was an unimaginable war. The work, research and writing by the author Richard Van Emden is splendid and very well done. I of course would highly recommend this book to anyone new or old to the subject, certainly in the running for book of the year.

The Somme 1916 - Martinpuich & Le Sars

The Somme 1916 - Martinpuich & Le Sars written by Bob Paterson and published by Pen & Sword Books - £14.99 - Softcover - Pages 240

Much of the popular attention on the Battle of the Somme 1916 is focussed on the first day of the infantry assault, 1st July, when such high hopes were dashed and British casualties ran into the tens of thousands. However, the Somme was a battle that lasted over twenty weeks, running well into the autumn.

This book is concerned with fighting south of the famous Albert-Bapaume road from mid-September to the official end of the battle. The coverage includes Martinpuich, the hamlet of Eaucourt l'Abbaye, Le Sars and that strange topographical feature the Butte de Warlencourt.

The action started with the major British attack of 15 September 1916, which enjoyed some success and which included the first use of tanks. The book takes up the story from the fall of Martinpuich and follows the British as they inched their way north-eastwards to Le Sars and Eaucourt l'Abbaye. This was gruelling warfare, fought in fast deteriorating weather conditions and in the face of ever-increasing volumes of artillery fire: the mud was almost as much the enemy of both sides as the weight of lead and iron fired at them.

The Butte de Warlencourt has come to have an almost iconic status. This rather insignificant hillock, almost certainly a burial mound of the Romano-Gallic period, marks the point at which the battle officially ceased along the Albert-Bapaume road. For days before the battle ended both sides tussled to secure its possession, numerous limited attacks taking place over the devastated, utterly waterlogged and featureless ground. Indeed it was the 'emptiness' of the area that made the Butte of such significance, a fearsome, solitary landmark standing out against a backdrop of desolation. It was the focus of the fighting in the area for almost six weeks.

As well as the customary walks, essential to an understanding of the confused fighting in the area, there is a long car tour, covering many less visited parts of the battlefield to the east and north of the Butte and which places it firmly in the context of the battle. Charles Carrington, who wrote one of the classic memoirs of the war, was not alone amongst those who fought here when he commented that, 'the Butte de Warlencourt terrified us'.

Another nice book added to the series looks good and feels good with the excellently written history, supported by great photos, maps, diagrams and information. This particular book focuses on the end of the Battle of the Somme and is a handy guide to have with you whilst travelling around those battlegrounds. Another excellent book for the Battleground series.