"The Invisible Cross" by Andrew Davidson

[The Scorer]

These are the letters of Major (later Lieutenant Colonel) Graham Chaplin to his wife, Lil, during the First World War.

 

 Lieutenant Colonel Chaplin went to France in 1914 with the 1st Battalion, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), and took over command of the Battalion in 1915. He became one of the few (possibly the only) senior officers who served in France for most of the war in (virtually) the same category, i.e. the CO of the same Battalion. Despite being senior to many of those who became Brigadiers from 1915 onwards, he wasn't promoted until 1917, despite being recommended for promotion many times.

 

It is thought that this was because he (and, for that matter, his Brigadier) refused to take the Cams forward during the battle of Loos. His reason for this was that he'd been instructed that no advance would be made unless the Battalions who had attached first had been successful; they were not, so he (and his Brigadier) believed that an attack would be suicidal. He was proved right, as the attack was cancelled, but it is thought that his refusal cost him promotion.

 

The letters are sometimes long, and often very brief; quite a few Field Service Post Cards ("I am quite well") are included in the collection. Where the letters are longer, it's quite clear that he and Lil (who had only been married for less than a year) had a very close and loving relationship. There's a lot of gossip about people at home and abroad, although Colonel Chaplin doesn't go into great detail about what he was doing.

 

Overall, it's a good read, and I would recommend it. Andrew Davidson is also the author of "Fred's War", which is an account of his grandfather's life in the trenches during the First World War; he actually served for a while with the Cams, and has a couple of mentions in the early part of the book. It's one that I must have a look for!