Deserters of the First World War by Andrea Hetherington

Deserters of the First World War by Andrea Hetherington

The story of First World War deserters who were shot at dawn, then pardoned nearly a century later has often been told, but these 306 soldiers represent a tiny proportion of deserters. More than 80,000 cases of desertion and absence were tried at courts martial on the home front but these soldiers have been ignored. Andrea Hetherington, in this thought-provoking and meticulously researched account, sets the record straight by describing the deserters who disappeared from camps and barracks within Great Britain at an alarming rate.She reveals how they employed a range of survival strategies, some ridding themselves of all connection with the military while others hid in plain sight. Their reasons for desertion varied. Some were already living a life of crime whilst others were conscientious objectors who refused to respond to their call-up papers. Boredom, protest, troubles at home or physical and mental disabilities all played their part in men deciding to go on the run.Andrea Hetherington's timely book gives us a vivid insight into a hitherto overlooked aspect of the First World War.

Andrea Hetherington is an independent researcher and writer with a particular interest in the social history of the First World War. She has provided research for BBC programming during the Centenary period and has acted as a consultant on several community projects on the conflict. Her publications include British Widows of the First World War: The Forgotten Legion.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781526747990
ISBN 10	1526747995
Title	Deserters of the First World War
Author	Andrea Hetherington
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Pen & Sword Books Ltd
Year published	2021-06-04
Number of pages	240
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.