In 1929 editor C. B. Purdom of the British magazine 'Everyman' ... "invited readers to send him accounts of their actual (WW1) war experiences, in not more than three thousand words, offering a small prize for the best narrative received. In the course of a few weeks I received over three hundred narratives ... The writers had been asked to relate their experiences straight-forwardly and simply. "Good writing" was not expected. The result was that the bulk of the manuscripts were plain statements of fact recording experiences that were deeply felt."
The editor arranged 60 of the accounts in order of events, as far as possible. The accounts give a vivid picture of the experience of the common solider in the Great War. - Summary by Ted Lienhart
Chapters
1 Introduction 7 min 2 The Old Contemptibles, 1914. The Retreat From Mons, August 23rd, September 5th, 1914. Bernard John Denore 19 min 3 An Old Contemptible At Le Cateau. R. G. Hill 16 min 4 The First Battle Of Ypres, October 1914. J. F. Bell 10 min 5 In France And Flanders, 1915-1918. A Territorial In The Salient. F. L. Watson, M.C 17 min 6 The First Gas Attack. Anthony R. Hossack 14 min 7 The Battle Of Loos. W. Walker 15 min 8 A Highland Battalion At Loos. Thos. McCall 12 min 9 At A Sap-Head. David Phillips 16 min 10 Trenches At Vimy Ridge. Harold Saunders 17 min 11 In A Kite Balloon. W. Sylvanus Lewis 10 min 12 A Night Counter-Attack. F. W. Watts 16 min 13 A Gunner's Adventure. N. H. Bradbury 10 min 14 The Carnoy Cows. T. S. Williams 12 min 15 Ordinary War On The Somme. Fred Ball 16 min 16 Delville Wood. Capt. S. J. Worsley, D.S.0., M.C 14 min 17 In A Billet. Harry Drake 7 min 18 17-21. George F. Wear 21 min 19 A Wireless Operator. B. Neyland 15 min 20 At Messines Ridge In 1917. E. N. Gladden 20 min 21 A July Day At St. Julien. Alfred Willcox 17 min 22 A Labour Company At Ypres. J. Cumming Morgan 13 min 23 Two Nights. P. Hoole Jackson 19 min 24 On The Belgian Coast. George Brame 16 min 25 A Nightmare. Alan F. Hyder 15 min 26 A Cavalry Brigade At Cambrai, November 1917. Chris Knight 19 min 27 La Vacquerie, December 3, 1917. W. R. Dick 19 min 28 A Boy's Experiences. C.J. Arthur 18 min 29 Varieties Of Trench Life. A. A. Dickson 16 min 30 A Runner's Story 1916-1918. R. W. Iley 18 min 31 In A Highland Regiment. H.E. May 19 min 32 Opening Of German Offensive, March 1918. Alfred Grosch 18 min 33 Retreat. R. G. Bultitude 17 min 34 " Stand-To '' On Givenchy Road. Thomas A. Owen 17 min 35 When Tank Fought Tank. F. Mitchell, M.C 18 min 36 Bravery In The Field? Alexander Paterson 18 min 37 Noyon, March 23rd, 1918. Dr. F.O.Taylor 11 min 38 A Casualty Clearing Station. Dr. John A. Hayward 18 min 39 Rations. C. Goddard-Chead 17 min 40 A Padre's Story. Anon 18 min 41 Messines, October 1918. A.B. Kenway 20 min 42 At Gallipoli. A Boy At Gallipoli. Fred T. Wilson 14 min 43 The Flood At Suvla Bay. F.W.D. Bendall 17 min 44 The Evacuation Of Suvla Bay. W.H.Lench 14 min 45 In Macedonia. The End Of Bulgaria. N.C. Powell 17 min 46 In Palestine. A Sapper In Palestine. H.P. Bonser 18 min 47 Tell-El-Sheria. William G. Johnson 20 min 48 In Mesopotamia. The Corridor. T.Clayton 15 min 49 Those Desert Days. Robert Harding 9 min 50 In German East Africa. The Devil, My Friend. Charles Trehane 18 min 51 In The Air. "The Circus". F. Suckling 15 min 52 The Casualty. Rev. John H. W. Haswell 10 min 53 August To November 1918. H. F. Taylor 15 min 54 Some Women. August 1914. Esmée Sartorius 16 min 55 The Great Retreat In Serbia In 1915. M.I. Tatham 14 min 56 The Story Of A Waac. A. B. Baker 15 min 57 On The Sea. War At Sea. J. Willey 19 min 58 Zeebrugge. W. Wainwright 24 min 59 Torpedoed In The Aegean Sea. Reginald C. Huggins 11 min 60 Prisoners. First Days Of Imprisonment. Reginald Morris 18 min 61 Captivity In The Ardennes. Victor Denham 16 min
