The First World War - Repington

[edwin astill]

I bought the 2 Vols of this work last week, more as an addition to my collection than from any urgent desire to read it - but have found it very interesting as the chap seemed to be 'in' with everyone. I understand he lost credibility by publishing the work as he name dropped all the time, and frequently commented on the looks of his lady acquainances. BUT: how reliable is he? I assume that if he reported conversations with Haig, Robertson, Foch et al he would not have made it up.

Example of snippets I learned - the Germans tried to set up an independent Flanders, and attracted a couple of Belgians to the idea, much to King Albert's concern. The idea obviously fizzled out, but this was the kind of thing they tried in WW2 e.g. Slovakia.

Edwin

[truthergw]

Repington had been a colonel before the war before being forced to resign over a divorce scandal. He turned to journalism and was able to put his old boys network to good use. Sir John French used him as an access to the press in the shell scandal 1915. His main fault seems to have been his willingness to publish conversations which had been thought to be private at the time they took place. Since his stock in trade was political gossip, it is hard to know just ho
w reliable he was. I have never heard him accused of untruth but

 he seems to have attributed more influence to himself than others in this rathe
r murky area were willing to concede. 

[edwin astill]

Thanks. Much of what he says seems to ring true, but he certainly seems to have had a 'good conceit o' hisself'

Edwin