Khaki Jack: The Royal Naval Division in the First World War

[Adam Prime]

Khaki Jack: The Royal Naval Division in the First World War

E.C. Coleman

Amberley Publishing

2014

ISBN: 978-1445604695

I have reviewed this book for a journal and thought I would also post a short review here too. I am interested to know what other people think of it.

This book provides an interesting narrative of the Royal Naval Division from its inception to the end of the war. The Siege of Antwerp, the Dardanelles, Somme, Passchendaele, German Spring Offensives, and Zeebrugge Raid are all covered in detail. The broader strategic situation of the War is nicely woven into the narrative and Coleman captures the conflict between the Admiralty and the Army very well; naval traditions fought against military organisation.

The careers of individuals can be traced throughout this book. This helps to highlight how the attrition of the War accelerated many officers’ careers. For example, Bernard Freyberg joined the RND as a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Lieutenant at the outbreak of the War. By April 1917 he was promoted to Temporary Brigadier General.

The narrative is interspersed with personal accounts where possible. I would have liked to have seen more of these though. When they are used they tend to be from secondary sources. And there lies my biggest problem with this book, it adds nothing new to the history of the War or the RND because it uses sources already readily available. There is no evidence in the text or in the bibliography of any primary research been undertaken. I would have liked to see the RND given a 'voice' through the author heading into the archives. The IWM for example has a large number of private papers of men who served in the RND between 1914-1918.

The photographs in the book are varied and interesting.

Overall, I thought this book to be a good piece of narrative history and I would recommend it to anyone new to the subject.

People more familiar with the RND may not find this book very useful however.

[Roger H]

Nothing on their role at Arras in 1917?

Roger

[horatio2]

Chapter VI covers the fighting at Gavrelle.