New, NZ Publication - 1/LTMB

[Keith Sloane]

Living With High Explosives

The 1st Light Trench Mortar Battery - 1916-1918

This project, seven years in the making, is a WWI history of 232 soldiers from throughout New Zealand (Cape to Bluff), due for publication in April - May2014. The sturdy hard back publication of 400 pages includes; 10 chapters, 21 unique maps, tables, battery list, over 290 photographs not previously published, 10 section appendices and soldier index. Portrait format, (185 x 255mm).

The story is told through a number of soldiers’ diaries, letters, newspaper reports and official records, covering the war on the Western Front from April 1916, including their triumphal march into Germany. Every battery member is mentioned.

A selection of events include;

• The Somme Battle of 1916, from previous untold soldier experiences.
• A school-boy recruit was killed while involved in a bombing duel with the enemy.
• Two Royal Navy runaways join up, one is found out, the other is seriously wounded.
• Mortars blow up killing one man, while others escape through exceptional luck and bravery.
• Battle-field bravery leads to many awards and an almost VC.
• Three battery men are picked to fight in Persia, ex battery captain is killed involving a lengthy inquiry.
• Fierce fighting at Messines, Passchendaele, Hebuterne, Bapaume, Hindenburg Line, and Le Quesnoy result in many casualties and heroic deeds.
• A wounded man is located amongst the dead awaiting burial.
• Cricket and Rugby play a significant role in battery life.
• A private is accidentally killed while on leave.
• Many untruthful details at enlistment secure places in the NZEF.
• Multiple deaths occur on several occasions.
• A lieutenant is demoted to private and joins the battery subservient to his former cook.
• A man steals blankets to delay his return to NZ, awaiting his fiancés discharge from hospital.
• A deserter escapes the authorities, changes his name and his grave site is located in outback Australia.

While the fighting was horrendous in the extreme, there are also many humorous incidents related throughout, while football (rugby) took centre stage when not fighting.

Intended originally for the families of the soldiers, this limited self-publication is available through Sloane Books NZ. For further details please contact; sloanebooksnz@gmail.com

Keith

[jacksdad]

Looks good Keith

look forward to its publication

Cheers Rodg

[Wendy Macpherson]

Well Keith, Congratulations, you must be thrilled that your seven years of research and dedication is now coming to fruition

It's all very exciting and I have been eagerly awaiting the release of Living with High Explosives ~ 1st Light Trench mortar Battery 1916 - 1918

...... and I'm supper excited to learning more about Thomas Dyer's battery and war service

All the best Wendy

[BenandNanny]

Hi Keith, we have just joined the site...

is this book available in the UK? My wife is a New Zealander, and looking through some of the other posts on the site, you had a discussion about her Great Uncle, Samuel Hodges.

We have just returned from a few days in Belgium, and we visited his grave at Douchy Farm cemetery, it was the first time for us both to visit, and we had heard that you were writing a book that contained his story.

Can you point us in the direction of where to find the book online?

Kind regards

Ben and Catherine Littlechild