War Memorial: the story of one village’s sacrifice from 1914 to 2003

[Chris_Baker]

War Memorial: the story of one village’s sacrifice from 1914 to 2003

by Clive Aslet

published by Viking, an imprint of the Penguin Group, 2012

ISBN 978 0 670 92153 9

cover price – £20

Hardback, 279pp plus roll of honour, acknowledgements, notes and index. Illustrated.

reviewed by Chris Baker

The ready availability of military records of the era of the Great War has in recent years encouraged the development of a whole genre of work: the exploration of the men, life and experience of a place in Britain through the study of those named on its war memorial. In most cases these are the work of an individual who has carried out deep research, sometimes over many years. Most such works are privately or locally produced, essentially as the larger publishers have only seen a limited market for such work. Clive Aslet’s “War memorial” is different, being produced by one of the big names of publishing and no doubt because of the name and reputation of its author. Aslet is well known for his work with Country Life, the Telegraph and the Daily Mail. It should encourage to those many people who are out there beavering away at similar projects that in the build-up to the centenary of the Great War, publishers may soon be more eager to produce such works than has hitherto been the case.

“War memorial” is a study of the men of Lydford, a small rural community on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon. The village cross names thirteen men who died in WW1, to which was added eight more in WW2, one who fell in the Falkands conflict and one just nine years ago relating to the Iraq War. It is typical of its type and is no larger or smaller in numbers of names than we expect; but at the same time all memorials and the men listed are unqiue and have their own tales to tell. Clive Aslet has, judging by the notes, trawled official records, local material and (hurrah) internet sources to produce an engaging, absorbing work.

A partcularly interesting feature of the Lydford story is the variety of experience of the men who are listed: certainly there are names from the local Devonshire Regiment, North Devon Hussars and the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry; but men also served with the Royal Navy and other county line regiments. Two died whilst serving with the Canadian infantry. They are a mixture of officers and other ranks, regulars, territorials and conscripts – in other words, just about as broad a spread as is possible with just thirteen names. in WW2 is added the Parachute Regiment, Merchant Navy, Royal Air Force and a female Private of the ATS. Their military stories are told, of course, but woven with tales of their family and the life of the village. As we would expect of a professional writer, the story is well structured and eminently readable.

The book benefits from a number of clear campaign maps and forty black and white photographs, including portraits of individuals, contemporary family and village scenes and some from military archives.

Certainly a good buy for anyone interested in Devon, “War memorial” will be of much wider appeal and, given the timing of its launch, will be a welcome Christmas stocking filler for many.

Review first appeared at http://www.longlongt...m-1914-to-2003/

[mhifle]

Article in the Daily Telegraph last Friday 19 Oct 2012.

Regards Mark

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/britain-at-war/9620978/We-will-remember-them-a-villages-stories-of-its-war-dead.html

[Chris_Baker]

The article, as well as the publisher's blurb about the book, suggests that this research of a village war memorial is novel and that it is some kind of discovery. Haven't they been reading this forum for the last ten years?

[Seadog]

Read the review in the Telegraph, I would really like to see "They served and survived" or is that a much tougher proposition for an author. This book in my opinion did manage just that and no doubt there will be others.

[John_Hartley]

The article, as well as the publisher's blurb about the book, suggests that this research of a village war memorial is novel and that it is some kind of discovery. Haven't they been reading this forum for the last ten years?

If the blurb serves to encourage others to research their own memorial, then I'm all for it.

I'm not sure about the date of the earliest "modern" book on a memorial - but I do believe the Northallerton project, dating from 1996, was the first website based published research. The earliest book that I know of is 1998 (Hazel Grove to Armageddon, John Eaton).

[Seadog]

No problem with anybody researching their local memorial of course but I question actually printing a book as surely the potential purchasers certainly in respect of this particular one must be very restricted purely due to the size of the village. I also wonder whether in fact outside of those knowledgeable members of forums such as this one people in general are not overly concerned with such information almost 100 years after the event. Much better I believe to create both a book of remembrance and lodge this within the village say in the church and even better post the info on a web site to make it completely accessible. I far prefer the type of book that I have already mentioned which certainly in that specific case gives a comprehensive and readable account of one mans life which happened to include service in the Great War.

Regards

Norman

PS The population of Lydford (2001) = 394

[Chris_Baker]

Perhaps you could ask Penguin Group as to why they published it. I am guessing they believe the potential market is rather larger than 394 people.

[RammyLad1]

I have given a copy of my research into 48 names remembered at Holcombe Emmanuel church in Ramsbottom to the library and local heritage society, this has created quite a bit of local interest without any pushing on my part. I've since had an interveiw with one paper and another one, the Bury Times, are wishing to do an interveiw. The Ramsbottom Heritage society rather than just putting it in their archive are now very keen to publish it. I think as the 100th anniversary gets nearer then local interest will grow. Although Ramsbottom is a relatively small area they must think that its worth their time. As I see it the more local people who know about that generation and what they did,the better

Duncan

[J Banning]

I met Clive last year when I showed him around the site at La Boisselle. He wrote an article for the Telegraph about it. He was a very nice guy - absolutely fascinated with tunnel warfare.

He will be speaking about his book and research at the Festival of Ideas at the Watershed, Bristol on 5 November: http://www.watershed.co.uk/whatson/3806/the-story-of-one-villages-sacrifice-from-1914/