Great and Little Broughton, The First World War 1914-1918, by Ray Dobie

Great and Little Broughton, The First World War 1914-1918, by Ray Dobie

Published in 2015, 200 pages. Large A4 size paperback (A51N12)

From the introduction: This account tells the story of the men of Great and Little Broughton who fought in the First World War. It also gives a flavour of how village life continued during these years; how the people rallied behind 'their boys' ; how village institutions supported the wider war effort.

Foremost this account concentrates on the twenty two (22) men who died during the war and are remembered on the War Memorial in the grounds of Christ Church, Great Broughton. It is their letters from the war front that are the backbone narrative of this account. The letters reproduced here are from our village men; men whose surnames are instantly recognisable, whose relations still live in the village. Their descriptions of trench warfare are probably not bettered; Lance-Corporal Joe Cavanagh writes home (see Chapter 3) about the battle of the Somme. " ..... about twenty-past seven word was passed along the line to fix bayonets. At half-past seven prompt, we dashed over the top and right into the German trenches ... ". The letters are graphic and direct; tell of exhaustion and cold, wet conditions; of the lottery of who lives and who dies; of narrow escapes. Yet they can still be humorous and none ever doubt that the cause they are fighting for is right and just.

The condition of the book is generally very good. The covers have one or two minor scuffs, and some light wear along the edges and corners, but the spine is intact and all pages are clean, intact, unblemished and tightly bound.