SMG65 Posted 4 August , 2008 Share Posted 4 August , 2008 Just read this book on holiday and the only regret I have is that I walked the Leuze Wood/Falfemont Farm area in April this year and if I had read the book before then I could have easily followed the author's (Captain Gilbert Nobbs) actions in this area. The book is really two books in one with his time as a POW and his conversations with 1914 'Old Contemptible' prisoners on a different tangent to the book before his capture. The only fictional part of the book is his portayal of Septimus D'Arcy, who was a combination of a two real life officers. A book well worth reading and a must if you plan to walk the Combles area. Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 4 August , 2008 Share Posted 4 August , 2008 Agreed, an excellent book which I made much use of when I wrote about this area of the battlefields. Nobbs was well known to one of my old veteran pals, who also took part in this action. Sadly 'Englishman Kamerad' is getting hard to find now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxy Posted 4 August , 2008 Share Posted 4 August , 2008 Amazon have it in hard and paperback (2005/2006 edition as well as 1918)- does the forum still get a kickback from Amazon? Roxy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 4 August , 2008 Share Posted 4 August , 2008 Thanks Roxy - had no idea it had been reprinted. Glad to hear it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrrip Posted 5 August , 2008 Share Posted 5 August , 2008 I have a copy of the version published in the US in 1917; 'On the right of the British line' all the names are fictitious but Nobbs sanctioned the publication of the real ones in an article in the LRB Record. Agree that his account of Leuze Wood is exceptional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawson Posted 12 August , 2008 Share Posted 12 August , 2008 I agree , an excellent read, I just thought the later Septimus D'arcy passages were rather odd, but I guess he wanted him to be remembered. I would love to have met this D'arcy bloke though. Does anyone know his real name and where he is buried? Regards..Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Maria Posted 22 November , 2014 Share Posted 22 November , 2014 Just finishing reading this book , he gives a very good idea of the confused fighting at Leuze Wood in September 1916 and the difficulties of an officer trying to formulatea plan of attack when plans were being changed at the last minute and no one seemed to know where the enemy really were, his time as a P.O.W and the treatment offellow prisoners is also of interest. Originally printed during the war it is a bit more jingoistic than later memoirs and I also found it strange that the author chose to includethe ' imagined ' death of 'Septimus D'Arcy' but i did enjoy reading it and would recommend it.Pen & Sword books have recently reprinted it in hardback under the title ' In Battle & Captivity '. Ps. Captain Nobbs was in the 1/5th London Regt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LEUZEWOOD Posted 22 November , 2014 Share Posted 22 November , 2014 Available as a free download... https://archive.org/details/englishmankamerad00nobbuoft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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