"Iron in the Fire" by Edgar Morrow

[Waddell]

I finished this book a few days ago and just want to recommend it as an insight into a soldier's day to day thoughts on the western front. This book isn't concerned with heroics or strategy in the trenches, that is something left to the "heads" who are blamed for just about anything that occurred to Edgar Morrow and his comrades during his two and a half years on the front. This book is written by a young soldier who lacked life experience and is quite unsure about quite a few things that confronted him.

His main pre-occupation seemed to be looking for ways of avoiding parade, drills and going into the line and not for lack of bravery. You can almost feel the stress placed upon him as he describes life in the line and ways of avoiding it included volunteering to do admin work for the camp dentist after recovering from a wound in England to volunteering for a raiding party- which meant being out of the line whilst the group were trained. His descriptions of life in the trenches are terrible as are fatigue duties and he also describes the long periods of boredom between action that is rarely written about.

His other pre-occupation is the pursuit of women and due to his naivety, lack of confidence and his good upbringing he doesn't do very well at all. Edgar had a best mate who served throughout with him. That man was Harry Allan, and Edgar describes at various times Harry's eccentric plans for putting personal health and fitness above all, the pursuit of women above all, the pursuit of abstinence above all and finally the pursuit of literature above all. Harry is an amusing character.

The book was first published in 1934 and Edgar went onto a career as a Police officer in Western Australia. It appears to be constructed through letters that he sent home from the front as opposed to a war diary. It has a policeman's eye for detail, but you also can't help but feel that he wrote it as the experiences never left him.

An underrated memoir that is very easy to read and nicely describes one soldier's friendships.

Scott

[john jerome mcmanus]

G'day Scott,

The book sounds good.

Is it readily available?

Regards

Pop

(Sean McManus)

[Waddell]

Hi Sean,

I found a copy secondhand, but it appears readily available from the publisher-

http://www.hesperianpress.com/h_j_title/iron_fire.html

Scott

[Andrew P]

Hi Scott, nice summary of this book. I found Morrow's account to be a very compelling read which seems never to have got the wide coverage as some other similar memoirs have.

Cheers

Andrew

[charlesmessenger]

I wonder whether this is the same Ed Morrow whose broadcasts to the USA during the London Blitz of 1940-41 did much to swing American popular opinion to support of Britain in its fight against Nazi Germany.

Charles M

[Waddell]

Charles,

Similar name but different bloke. You are thinking of Edward Murrow.

From the book biographical notes it appears that Edgar Morrow was a policeman in Western Australia during the next conflict.

Scott

[charlesmessenger]

Scott

Silly me! Thanks for putting me right.

Chalres M

[frev]

Thanks Scott - yet another book you've put me onto that I didn't have - cheers for that, Frev

[have just put my order in!]