Kitchener's Men - The Kings Own Royal Lancasters on the Western Front 1915-1918, by John Hutton
Kitchener's Men - The Kings Own Royal Lancasters on the Western Front 1915-1918, by John Hutton
Published by Pen & Sword in 2008, 246 pages. Hardback with Dust Jacket (N5699)
Brand New Book
Published by Pen & Sword in 2008, 246 pages. Hardback with Dust Jacket (N5699)
Brand New Book
From the front inside fly leaf: In Kitchener's Men John Hutton provides an absorbing account of the raising, training and fighting experiences of the Service and Territorial battalions of the King's Own Royal Lancasters in France during the Great War. His book gives a graphic insight into the daily routine and grim reality of warfare on the Western Front for men who were mostly recruited from the Furness area of the North West. They came from the steel mills, shipyards and engineering workshops of this heavily industrialised part of Britain. They responded to the call to defend their country and its values at a critical moment in the nation's history, and endured incredible hardship, suffering and violence as a result. They were amateur soldiers at the beginning, but they learnt the painful lessons of trench warfare and became highly efficient fighting units who took on and helped defeat the most potent military force in the world.
The exploits of the 4th, 7th, 8th and 11th Battalions of the King's Own are the focus of John Hutton's study. He records their movements and their combat experience throughout the time they spent in France. He draws on fascinating, previously unpublished material, including personal accounts of how the men lived, fought and died. He describes how five Victoria Crosses were won by soldiers of the King's Own, but he looks too at the circumstances in which three deserters were tried and executed.
All together, these battalions of the King's Own took part in every major campaign on the Western front from the spring of 1915 until the end of the war over three and a half years later. They had a remarkable record, and John Hutton's meticulously researched history allows the reader to follow them through every phase of the fighting. His account makes compelling reading...
| Condition | New |