In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Dr. John McCrae (1872-1918)
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
In Flanders Fields, ‘Ypres Salient’
In August 1914, Lord Kitchener, the war minister, began a recruiting campaign calling for men aged between 19 and 30 to join the British Army.
Harry Williams was born in 1896 and as you will discover from reading his story he volunteered for the army before his 19th birthday.
Men could volunteer at age 18, but were not allowed to serve abroad until they were 19 years old. This did not deter Harry!
The Grimsby Evening Telegraph described it as “a very emotional and sentimental read”.
Grimsby Evening Telegraph
Harry’s book is not an encyclopaedic record, but it is a true account of his army exploits. Despite his claim to be uneducated his writing has a colourful style, punctuated by his unique humour and descriptive narrative of the often pitiful conditions he was subjected to.
Read a summary of Harry’s story by browsing the chapters below.
This war, like the next war,
David Lloyd George (1863-1945)
is a war to end war.
The book “Trenches and Trees” is available from Amazon, and many online book stores.
The Channel 4 TV web site described it as a “Moving narrative history”
Channel 4 TV web site (Archived page)