Private Beatson's War: Life, Death and Hope on the Western Front by Shaun Springer

Private Beatson's War: Life, Death and Hope on the Western Front by Shaun Springer

Until recently James Beatson was one of the millions of forgotten soldiers of the Great War. But after 90 years his diary has been rediscovered, perfectly preserved, and his story can now be told. It is a moving, intensely personal and beautifully written narrative by an extraordinary young man who witnessed one of the darkest episodes in European history. His experience gives us a telling insight into the thoughts and reactions of a self- educated, patriotic and religious individual confronted by the horrors of warfare on the Western Front. Indeed, after reading the diary of a dead German soldier, Beatson begins to identify more with the thoughts and fears of his enemy than he does with those he loves at home. Reminiscent of some of the greatest of the First World War authors, the diary is also the record of a gifted writer whose potential was tragically curtailed. For, shortly after marrying his childhood sweet heart, he was killed in action at the Battle of the Somme in one of the many failed attacks on High Wood. For this, the first publication of Beatson's diary, Shaun Springer and Stuart Humphreys have edited and illustrated the text and provided an introduction, describing Beatson's family background and the campaign on the Western Front in which he took part. James Beatson was the eldest of nine children. He was raised in Scotland by working-class parents. He was a civil engineer until, as with so many, the declaration of war offered him the chance of adventure. He enlisted in the first days of the war in the Royal Scots and was an eyewitness to the first poison gas attack by the Germans in 1915. Despite the horrors he experienced, Private Beatson never lost his love of humanity nor his faith. He now lies buried, lost somewhere on the Somme when in July 1916 he breathed his last in that infamous battle.

James Beatson was an educated young man, who qualified as a civil engineer and found employment with Edinburgh City Council's Valuation OfficeOn 19 August 1914 he enlisted in the 9/Royal Scots, a Territorial Force battalion, and left for France on 23 February 1915. He served with them until late July 1916 when he was killed in the attack on High Wood; his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. As he sailed for France, Pte Beatson started a diary which he kept regularly until he returned home on leave in December 1915. The diary was intended as a rough record of events to aid his memory in the future. He writes of his impressions of the countryside and the people, of his delight in receiving letters and parcels from home; of times spent in cafes and bars with friends and occasionally,with other nationalities including French soldiers. He understands French, and an interesting part of his diary in his analysis of the diary of a Prussian officer. It is these touches of normality that make this diary a short, but memorable portrayal of the expressions of an ordinary soldier. Many excellent photographs have been included, captioned by excerpts from the diary, and there are three relevant maps. The diary remains beautifully crafted, and sadly too brief, record of one man's experience of war. - Army Historical Research Journal

Springer, Shaun: - Shaun Springer works as a headhunter snd his interest in the Great War led him to collaborate in bringing this diary to the public's attention

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781848840829
ISBN 10	1848840829
Title	Private Beatson's War: Life, Death and Hope on the Western Front
Author	Shaun Springer
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Pen & Sword Books Ltd
Year published	2010-03-20
Number of pages	192
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.